Hi, my name is Demarco Williams. I am currently a student at Saint Martin De Porres High School, I am in the 11th grade, and I live in the city of Garfield Heights with my Uncle, brother, and little sister. There are ten of us in total, the rest stay with my mom and one of my older sisters has her own place. More about me: I go to after school activities, and take part in one extracurricular right now – Drama Club. Outside of school I love to play sports like basketball, football, MMA, and boxing. Right now I’m working on a YouTube video for my channel.
I like to watch things that are more fantasy, sci-fi, horror, action-packed adventures and blockbuster movies. I’m currently watching Ginny and Georgia on Netflix – so far it is a great show full of everything I like. My favorite TV shows are The Flash, Into the Badlands, and Vampire Diaries. I chose these shows because they are the type that leave you on a cliffhanger, which makes the viewer angry but also excited to see what’s next.
I chose the Greater Cleveland Film Commission for my Corporate Work-study placement because I want to be an actor, or at least get my foot in the door at a young age, and gather knowledge of what to be ready for in my career. Getting the experience now will help me get roles or jobs in the future because I not only want to be on screen, but I want to know how to work behind the scenes. GCFC can help me get to the places I want to be. In this internship I am hoping to get lots of experience and build connections with other people who can also help me become an actor or be on TV as soon as possible. I really love acting and the thought of being on TV and having people watch me and what I can do (like bring smiles to people’s faces) – one of my goals is to be known as one of the greatest actors of all time.
My career inspirations include: Acting, Military, space engineering for NASA, Firefighter, Business Owner.
Hey there! My name is GraceFavarro and I’m a multidisciplinary artist focused mainly on directing, acting, and singing. Filmmaking became a huge part of my life during my time at Baldwin Wallace University. From class assignments, to passion projects, and even producing the first student/women-led film festival; my most crucial lesson was the importance of collaboration. After graduating with a BFA, I got involved with local film projects working with friends and falling deeper in love with being on set.
Currently I’m directing Burn to Shine Productions’ short film Swipe Right, a horror comedy that breaks the conventions of what it means to be a female villain. Check out our teaser trailer here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrQte62ldu8
I pursued an internship with the amazing people at the GCFC because I want to learn more about the film industry on a larger scale. My experience with the indie film scene over the past two years has been instrumental to my growth as a filmmaker, and now I feel a pull toward the next step in my career: working on high caliber productions like the ones the GCFC has brought to Cleveland. With the commission’s resources and connections to these films, there is so much to learn. I’m blessed to have this opportunity to be a sponge in their office for the upcoming months!
Hello! My name is Josh Mink and I am a senior at Shaker Heights High School. I am the oldest of six and love to stay busy with family, friends, and around my community.
At school, I am Senior Class President, Vice President of Youth Ending Hunger Club, and a member of the Student Group on Race Relations (SGORR). Through all of these activities, I help support my peers, advocate for diversity and tolerance, and throw myself into a variety of projects.
Additionally, I am the President of my high school’s Film Club. As President, I create lessons and teach our 35+ members about the entire filmmaking process from the basics of storytelling to marketing your film after it is complete and everything in between! Also, I organize films to watch and lead discussions about them. Finally, I have set up a scholarship foundation so that every student is able to attend film festivals throughout the Cleveland area – we recently went to the Chagrin Documentary Film Festival!
One of my biggest passions is advocating for others and standing up for just causes. On May 24, 2022, nineteen children and two adults were murdered in the Robb Elementary School Shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Like many of my peers, I knew I had to do something. So, in under 24 hours, I co-organized a school-wide walkout against gun violence. Over 700 students participated as we walked and voiced our thoughts with megaphones and handmade signs. This event caught the attention of Cleveland Magazine, WKYC, ABC’s Channel 5, and more. Soon, we were the headline around Cleveland. I have linked an article below so anyone interested can read more.
From all of my experiences in leadership both in film and social justice, I aspire to be a film director who focuses on telling stories that will help others. I want to create more stories that are entertaining while simultaneously bringing attention to issues that must be addressed.
That is why I am so excited to intern with the GCFC! The GCFC is focused on helping to create films that are both amazing in quality and empowering for the local and national community. Thank you, GCFC!
Hi there! My name is Vera Howard, I am an independent filmmaker. I’ve established my own film production company called “Arev Studios, LLC” in the year 2021. Here is a link to my website: https://www.arevstudiosllc.com. I am currently enrolled at Cuyahoga Community College to obtain my Associates Degree of Arts and plan on completing this path in the year 2024.
Filmmaking has always been a strong passion for me. Ever since acting in stage plays back in elementary school, I knew I had a place in this industry. From there, I started writing and creating my own short films that elevated me into filming my own videos. I continue to create my own content till this day. Now I am looking forward to expanding my talents with a professional company, such as GCFC, that will give me that opportunity.
I hope to bring a positive light on different races of people through the lens of diversity, equality and inclusion. Passion and dedication are only a few important aspects that a person should have in this industry. I believe having knowledge from earning a degree in this field, would help certain individuals, but most individuals thrive on their own creativity. Being creative is one of the most important attributes for a team on a production project. Soon, my hopes are to become a well-known Director in this film industry. Here is a link to my YouTube channel where my video production work can be viewed.
My name is Reniyha Barrett, I go to Saint Martin de Porres High School located on the East side of Cleveland. My birthday is October 16th and I am soon to be 17 years old. I am a Junior and next year will be my last year in high school.
I like to go out with friends and have fun, I like spending time with my new puppy I just got, I love going to work at my part time job at Burger King , and I love to sleep. I have a mom, a dad, 2 sisters and a brother (I am the middle child) – me and my dad have the same birthday, so I get along with my parents pretty good. Some of the movies/TV shows that I am watching right now are a TV show called All American and Riverdale on Netflix and a movie called 5 Feet Apart. I love Netflix, but sometimes I watch Youtube or Hulu.
I wanted to intern with GCFC because in my opinion it is a excellent opportunity to start learning more about films. I hope that out of this I can learn more things. Something I hope to get out of this internship is to learn more about film commissions and to just experience new things because this is definitely new to me and I’m excited.
My career aspirations are to be a successful real estate agent and have my own agency where people of all kinds and races can have their dream home and always afford it. My dream of becoming a realtor can relate to the film industry because I can be something like a location scout and go to different locations and negotiate deals and to see if the specific land would be appropriate for the set.
Recently former GCFC intern, filmmaker, and NYU Student Lindsay O’Keefe gave a talk at the Lakewood Public Library about her films Alive Day and Youth Challenge: The Power of Inclusion. Both films examine what it’s like to live with a disability and disability rights, a topic which O’Keefe is very passionate about.
Congratulations to former GCFC intern Margot Reid for joining the NBCUniversal Media Page Program as an East Coast Page this summer!
The Page Program is a 12-15 month rotational learning and development program that gives early career talent a well-rounded experience and exposure to the media industry. Margot previously was a Script, Research, and General Production intern for NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, a Remote General Production Intern for The Public Theatre, and a Business Development & Digital Intern for NBC’s Peacock streaming service and Late Night with Seth Meyers.
Former intern Ben Kemper graduated May 2020 from Kent State University’s Digital Media Production program. Check out his Senior Project BENDING below ,directed by Ben and written by Willow Campbell.
Luce feels trapped inside himself; unable to connect to the people around him. His family doesn’t see who he truly is; they see his female body. But, when Luce visits his grandfather, Dan, their identities become entangled. Present moments remind Dan of past events and he slips in and out of time, seeing Luce as the man with whom he once had a love affair. The social detachment that Luce and Dan share brings a moment of latent connection, allowing Luce to reveal the person he wants to be.
After her internship with us in summer 2019, intern Margot Reid went on to land multiple internships. She was a Script, Research, and General Production intern for NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and a Remote General Production Intern for The Public Theatre. Currently, Margot is a a Business Development & Digital Intern for NBC’s Peacock streaming service and Late Night with Seth Meyers.
Hi, my name is Demarco Williams. I am currently a student at Saint Martin De Porres High School, I am in the 11th grade, and I live in the city of Garfield Heights with my Uncle, brother, and little sister. There are ten of us in total, the rest stay with my mom and one of my older sisters has her own place. More about me: I go to after school activities, and take part in one extracurricular right now – Drama Club. Outside of school I love to play sports like basketball, football, MMA, and boxing. Right now I’m working on a YouTube video for my channel.
