01.12.08
Variety is the spice of life
The best thing about this job has to be the variety of what I get up to. ‘Policy and Research Officer' may not be the most exciting of titles but I've had some great experiences already. Little did I know when I started on 1st September that two months later I'd be working at the UK's biggest documentary festival.
The Sheffield Doc/Fest is one of the most respected events in the city's yearly calendar. For those of you who don't know, it's the UK's major documentary festival and attracts delegates from across the world. It's a genuinely international event and is hosted quite brilliantly by the Showroom cinema. I used to go every year whilst at University (missing many lectures in the process!) and this year was given the chance to volunteer on behalf of the Sheffield Chamber.
Due to the rapid expansion of the event in recent years the organisers have had to find new ways to increase capacity. This year they converted the Sheffield Independent Film Studio (who, incidentally, are a Chamber member) into a screen. My volunteer role was to usher for this new screen.
The highlight had to be when I was ushering for the new Louis Theroux documentary ‘Law and Order'. I had shown the delegates to their seats and from the screen entrance could hear the film begin. I'm a huge Louis Theroux fan, so I waited fifteen minutes for any stragglers and then snuck in to watch it. I quietly stood at the side next to a man who had decided not to take a seat. I chuckled along to the film until it ended and the lights came up for the Q&A. It was only then that I realised the man standing next to me for the whole documentary was Louis himself! All I could say was, "great film, Lou!".
I got to watch some fascinating documentaries during the festival and saw some lively question and answer sessions with the characters and directors. Whilst fun for me, allowing me to volunteer for the festival was also a signal of the Chamber's support for the Creative and Digital Industries in the city. It's a rapidly expanding sector with endless possibilities. Places like Sheffield Technology Parks and the Workstation provide good foundations for future growth whilst home-grown businesses like ZOO Digital and Technophobia are flourishing. That's why Sheffield Chamber wants to continue to support them - especially if I get to go to next year's Doc/Fest!
The Sheffield Doc/Fest is one of the most respected events in the city's yearly calendar. For those of you who don't know, it's the UK's major documentary festival and attracts delegates from across the world. It's a genuinely international event and is hosted quite brilliantly by the Showroom cinema. I used to go every year whilst at University (missing many lectures in the process!) and this year was given the chance to volunteer on behalf of the Sheffield Chamber.
Due to the rapid expansion of the event in recent years the organisers have had to find new ways to increase capacity. This year they converted the Sheffield Independent Film Studio (who, incidentally, are a Chamber member) into a screen. My volunteer role was to usher for this new screen.
The highlight had to be when I was ushering for the new Louis Theroux documentary ‘Law and Order'. I had shown the delegates to their seats and from the screen entrance could hear the film begin. I'm a huge Louis Theroux fan, so I waited fifteen minutes for any stragglers and then snuck in to watch it. I quietly stood at the side next to a man who had decided not to take a seat. I chuckled along to the film until it ended and the lights came up for the Q&A. It was only then that I realised the man standing next to me for the whole documentary was Louis himself! All I could say was, "great film, Lou!".
I got to watch some fascinating documentaries during the festival and saw some lively question and answer sessions with the characters and directors. Whilst fun for me, allowing me to volunteer for the festival was also a signal of the Chamber's support for the Creative and Digital Industries in the city. It's a rapidly expanding sector with endless possibilities. Places like Sheffield Technology Parks and the Workstation provide good foundations for future growth whilst home-grown businesses like ZOO Digital and Technophobia are flourishing. That's why Sheffield Chamber wants to continue to support them - especially if I get to go to next year's Doc/Fest!
Filed by Iain Smith.
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