Firelight Films & Firelight Media Internship Program (Spring 2025)

FIRELIGHT MEDIA & FILMS INTERNSHIP PROGRAM 

Mission:

Firelight is two separate organizations with one mission: to support communities of color in front of and behind the camera.

Firelight Media, a non-profit artist support organization, is the premier destination for non-fiction cinema by and about communities of color. Firelight Media produces documentary films, supports filmmakers of color, and cultivates audiences for their work. Firelight Media’s key programs include the Documentary Lab, the Groundwork Regional Lab, and the William Greaves Fund. Firelight Media also produces digital short films series in partnership with public media organizations. To learn more, visit firelightmedia.tv. 

Firelight Films is a documentary production company founded by Emmy-winning filmmaker Stanley Nelson. Firelight Films productions include the Oscar-nominated Attica for Showtime; Crack: Cocaine, Corruption and Conspiracy for Netflix; and The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution for PBS. Firelight Films has several documentary projects in development and in production that are slated for release in the coming years. To learn more, visit firelightfilms.tv.

Internship Program:

It is Firelight’s mission to mentor our interns and give them the skills and experience to be the next generation of film, media, and arts administration professionals. Our internship program will give dedicated and driven participants the opportunity to assist our Firelight Media and Firelight Films teams with a variety of projects depending on their area of interest. Opportunities include the production and development of documentary film projects; graphic design and social video production; fundraising and arts administration, and more.

Interns will be assigned to specific departments with specific assignments, and will be expected to complete short- and long-term projects under the direct supervision of our dedicated staff. Please see the different departments that have openings below:

• Firelight Films Production Interns
• Firelight Media Communications Interns
• Firelight Media Artist Programs Interns
• Firelight Media Operations Department Interns
• Firelight Media Development Department Interns (Not to be confused with Film Production Development)

Overall Intern Tasks and Activities:

• Orientation - All interns will be invited to attend a group orientation session to learn about Firelight’s work and meet staff and fellow interns across all departments.
• Weekly Check-ins – Interns will be supported via weekly check-ins with department staff.
• Evaluations – Interns will be provided with a mid-term evaluation as well as a final evaluation from their direct supervisor(s) upon request.
• Lunch and Learn – Interns will participate in a series of lunches/meetings about different topics related to documentary production and arts administration.
• Masterclasses with Stanley Nelson – Interns will be invited to attend a series of Masterclasses with Stanley Nelson and other leading documentary filmmakers to gain insight into the field of documentary filmmaking and humanities scholarship.

Internship Opportunities by Department:

Production Interns

Production interns work with staff and crew of Firelight Films on upcoming productions and provide general support for the production company. Interested candidates should email internships@firelightmedia.org with “Firelight Internship - Production” in the subject line.

Production intern tasks include:

• Working closely with the Production Manager/Coordinator to learn the ins and outs of setting up shoots, location scouting, researching crew, ordering supplies, tracking shoot expenses, etc.
• Organizing and backing up project drives - strong media asset management is preferred.
• Working closely with archival producers to research, organize, and log relevant photos, articles, and videos into Filemaker database.
• Opportunity to accompany Production Coordinator as a production assistant on local shoots in NYC.
• Working alongside Production Coordinator and Post Production Supervisor to maintain and organize project deliverables which include transcriptions, cast and crew logs, visual cue sheets, music cue sheets, etc.
• Are invited to attend a dedicated Documentary Filmmaking Masterclass with Stanley Nelson.

Communications Interns

Firelight Media’s two-person Communications Department is seeking two interns for the upcoming term. Reporting to the Director of Communications (Justin Sherwood) and the Communications Manager (Patricia Marte), Communications Interns will work in close collaboration to support the visibility and sustainability of the organization through both internal- and external-facing projects as detailed below. Interested candidates should email internships@firelightmedia.org with “Firelight Internship - Communications” in the subject line.

Graphic Design & Social Video Intern

• Support the creation of digital media, including social video and graphics, for Firelight Media’s website and social media accounts.
• Assignments will include basic photo and video editing, creating graphics via templates in Canva and Adobe Illustrator, and organizing digital assets.
• With support from the Communications Director and Communications Manager, design visually compelling and on-brand digital graphics.
• Basic video editing skills are required.
• Familiarity with Canva, Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, and Adobe Premiere Pro are required.
• Copywriting: drafting captions for social media posts.
• Supporting engagement strategies by researching and using hashtags.

Website Development Intern

• Help to maintain Firelight Media’s website, firelightmedia.tv, by adding, reviewing, and editing content.
• Review, update, and transfer website-related data from sources including AirTable, Salesforce, and Google Sheets.
• Experience with CMS platforms such as WordPress is required.
• Basic-level experience with spreadsheets such as Excel and Google Sheets is required.

Development Associate Intern

The Development Associate will support the Development team in all fundraising efforts directed towards expanding and diversifying the organization’s support base. Intern will assist in developing and carrying out the implementation of fund development activities including: writing grant proposals, research institutional and individual funding trends and opportunities. Interested candidates should email internships@firelightmedia.org with “Firelight Internship - Development” in the subject line.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Assist in the drafting and assembly of institutional funder communications, including proposals and reports.
• Assist in the production of donor-focused events
• Aid Director of Development and Development Manager in drafting internal and external email communications to donors and Firelight leadership, and staff.
• Maintain the accurate and timely filing departmental files and documents, including grant agreements, solicitation proposals, and funder reports.
• Assist in the maintenance of donor records for prospective and current donors.
• Aid in the research and assembly of profiles on current and prospective donors

Skills and Abilities

• Strong interest in non-profit fundraising
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Strong research skills
• Strong organizational skills
• Interest and commitment to Firelight’s core tenants of diversity and inclusion
• Experience working with data management
• Proficient in Google Suite (Sheets, Docs, Slides) and Microsoft Suite (Word, Excel, Powerpoint)
• Experience with mailing platforms like Mailchimp a plus
• Discretion when dealing with sensitive issues and information

Operations Department Associate Intern

The Operations Department Associate will support the Operations team in all operations, management & administrative related tasks that ensure that the business is able to run smoothly & efficiently. Intern will assist in the research of cutting edge new office software as well as new office protocols/procedures that will keep Firelight up to date with the latest cutting edge business management strategies. Interested candidates should email internships@firelightmedia.org with “Firelight Internship - Operations” in the subject line.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Monitoring staffing@firelightmedia.org email address and sending general replies to potential new hire candidates
• Monitoring info@firelightmedia.org email address and sending general replies to potential future internship candidates and updating spreadsheet with potential candidate contact information
• Entering DVD & Screening requests from info@firelightmedia.org email address into spreadsheet for follow up
• Support with special projects (retreats & staff team building activities)

Skills and Abilities

• Strong organizational skills
• Proficient in Google Suite (Sheets, Docs, Slides)
• Previous experience/knowledge with Asana software
• Discretion when dealing with sensitive issues and information

Artist Programs Intern

The Artist Programs intern will support the Artists Programs teams in all administrative and logistical efforts supporting the coordinators in tasks related to the Artist Programs fellowships, funds, and shorts programs. They will assist in strengthening, organizing, and updating the databases, and systems in place that keep these programs organized. They’ll also be invited to attend team meetings to take notes and learn about the work across the programs. Interested candidates should email internships@firelightmedia.org with “Firelight Internship - Artist Programs” in the subject line.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Assist in updating and creating as needed databases, filmmaker and industry guides, master crew list, and other resources used across artist programs.
• Assist the Coordinator in the planning of the Documentary Lab retreats.
• Assist Coordinators in planning and managing Open Calls.
• Assist in coordinating internal meetings across artist programs.
• Assist teams in outreach and field building research as needed.
• Assist in the creation of program timelines and grant reporting.

Skills and Abilities

• Strong interest in non-profit management
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Strong research skills
• Strong organizational skills
• Interest and commitment to Firelight’s core tenants of diversity and inclusion
• Experience working with artists or filmmakers preferred.
• Proficient in Google Suite (Sheets, Docs, Slides) and Microsoft Suite (Word, Excel, Powerpoint) and familiarity with platforms such as Salesforce, Submittable, Airtable or similar.
• Interest in artist support, partnership building and the documentary filmmaking industry.
• Experience or interest in related artist support, grants, funds, or program management.
• Discretion when dealing with sensitive issues and information

Program Requirements 

Interns are given the option to work two or more full days per week (Mon-Fri), or a minimum of 15 hours per week .

NOTE: Internships will be conducted in a hybrid format for local candidates, with the option to come onsite to the main corporate office if approved. Interns who desire to work occasionally on-site at Firelight’s headquarters in Harlem, NYC, or at special film screenings and events should indicate this in their cover letter. 

Next Steps 

If you’re interested in learning more about documentary filmmaking and arts administration and gaining hands-on experience, Firelight might be the place for you! 

If you would like to apply to multiple departments that is fine, we simply request that you provide an individual cover letter for each of those departments stating your interest in that department and the skillset you feel would make you a strong candidate for that department.

Send your cover letter and resume to the contact listed for each department. Please write “Firelight Internship” in the email subject and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. For general inquiries about Firelight’s internship opportunities, please write to internships@firelightmedia.org.