Weitz Fellow Voices: Markus at Film Streams

This is a guest blog written by one of our Weitz Fellows, Markus Gunadi. This blog is estimated to take 3 minutes to read.

Hello! My name is Markus, and I’m the Weitz Fellow for Film Streams, Omaha’s only non-profit arthouse cinema. It’s hard to believe I’ve just passed the halfway point of my fellowship because of how much I’ve learned and all the possibilities ahead. I’ve rotated through many departments at Film Streams: Operations, Education, Development, Programming, and Events. Each rotation has been a bit like starting a brand-new job—a whirlwind of new opportunities and learning experiences. I’m excited for my final rotation in April, when I’ll be in the Communications Department with Kitty Tyree, a past Film Streams Weitz Fellow.

In this blog, I’ll be focusing on an amazing part of the Weitz Fellowship: the pre-professional development fund! This fund provides $1,500 for each fellow to explore their interests and prepare for their future career. For Film Streams, the Weitz Fellow usually attends one film festival, however, I was fortunate enough to attend two!

Outside of my college’s two-hour student film festival, Sundance was the first film festival I had ever attended. I couldn’t have chosen a more exciting option! I was able to watch over 30 films and attend world-famous panels. This Sundance was particularly special because it was the first since Robert Redford’s recent passing and the last to be held in Park City. The True/False Film Festival was just as exciting: this four-day festival features a range of documentary films, many of which question preconceived ideas about the genre. The festival takes place in Columbia, Missouri, and has a uniquely quirky, Carleton-esque vibe. Patrons line up under a rainbow-painted “Q” sign, and Queue Queens in colorful costumes manage the line.

As a first-timer at both festivals, it was fascinating to be part of these communities. The biggest film names and fans converge at Sundance for two weeks, leading to questions like: Will I make it into Chloé Zhao’s meditation session? Will Guillermo del Toro go overtime in this Q&A? The atmosphere is indescribable—but in many ways, the True/False Film Festival better resembles the old Sundance: a small-town film festival before Hollywood stars took over. For example, every year there’s a game show called Gimme Truth. A crowd cheers on filmmakers as they try to guess whether student short films are true or false (roll credits).

I’m so grateful to have had these two experiences. I was one of the younger faces at both Sundance and True/False—a testament to how special the pre-professional development fund is for new grads. These festivals were essential for networking with professionals and learning about the unique inner workings of the film industry. For example, at Sundance, I ran into film distributors who knew Film Streams because we had programmed many of their movies. At True/False, I met with Carolina Valencia-Gonzalez, who was also a guest filmmaker at Carleton College in 2023. The movie world is a lot smaller than I expected, and seeing these films is both inspirational and intimidating. I now have a better picture of how films are produced, distributed, and finally released in theaters. The Weitz Fellowship has exceeded my expectations, and I’ve grown so much from this opportunity.