Let’s hear what Ana Pichardo ’08 has to say about the festival and our students’ participation (Shayna Riggins ’22, Amanda Baum ’20, and Andrew Guedea ’22.)
“HWS was an amazing experience as it expanded my mind and helped me to strive for excellence. As an undergraduate, I majored in Media and Society with a minor in Spanish. After graduating I had the opportunity to work in various film festivals throughout New York City such as Tribeca Film Festival. Currently, I work for the Omni Cultural TV Fest as a producer where I am responsible to seek sponsorship and partnerships for the festival. As a result of Covid, we decided to have the festival virtually by using an interactive avatar platform rather than in person or via zoom. Our 2nd annual Omni Cultural TV Fest in Partnership with the National Association of Television Producers (NATPE) was held on December 8, 2020, and it was a huge success. The Omni Cultural TV Fest is a platform for independent producers to showcase their content and connect directly with buyers. I was compelled to share this experience with the younger generation as they are very connected to technology and it was a great platform for students to learn. I invited HWS students to volunteer while taking the time to network with industry professionals. Some of the students were successful in exchanging contact information with industry professionals from Discovery, Oscars, A &E, Viacom, and GreenLight women. It was a great opportunity for the students to learn about the function and benefits of an indie TV festival while having an interactive avatar experience.”