My name is Silvia Font, and I am currently pursuing a Master in Cultural Management, with a particular focus on the cinema sector. My passion for film festivals began several years ago when I attended the Cannes Film Festival for the first time. Experiencing the festival atmosphere, meeting professionals from all over the world, and observing the intricate process of film selection, programming, and promotion deeply inspired me. Since then, I have actively engaged in various film festivals, both as an attendee and as a volunteer or trainee, which has allowed me to gain hands-on experience in event coordination, programming, and accompanying guests, as well as understanding the logistical aspects of festival organization. Each experience has contributed significantly to my understanding of the cinema world and reinforced my commitment to developing a career in cultural project management within the film industry.
In addition to my work in cinema, over the past two years I have been involved in European project management in Marseille, France. This position offered me the opportunity to coordinate and implement international projects, work closely with multicultural teams and manage partnerships across different countries. This experience strengthened my organizational and interpersonal skills, as well as my ability to navigate diverse cultural contexts, qualities that I consider essential for working in international cultural projects, particularly film festivals where collaboration with professionals from multiple backgrounds is a daily requirement. Managing these projects taught me to approach challenges strategically, communicate effectively in English and other languages, and adapt quickly to dynamic and sometimes unpredictable environments.
During my time in Marseille, I connected with participants of the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme, inspired by their experiences and motivated by my own ambitions to develop a cultural association and create a film festival, I decided to join the programme myself. Thanks to this initiative, I am now collaborating with the African Film Festival of Tarifa-Tanger, an experience that I’m sure will contribute deeply to both my human and professional growth. This experience will allow me to gain an in-depth understanding of how a film festival operates from the inside, from the months-long preparation process to the actual implementation of the event. I have already begun to learn how all the different elements and moving parts come together to make a festival function successfully, and I am eager to continue learning about all the essential areas needed to produce a high-quality festival, including programming, industry relations, and fundraising.
Combining my academic background, international project management experience, and hands-on work in film festivals, I am fully prepared to continue advancing in the field of cultural project management. My goal is to contribute meaningfully to projects that bring films to audiences who might not otherwise have access to them, support distribution and promotion of diverse cinematic works, and foster intercultural dialogue through film, while continuously learning and refining my skills to become a reliable, skilled, and innovative professional in the cultural sector.