Firelight Media Artist Programs Internship Program (Fall 2025)

FIRELIGHT MEDIA ARTIST PROGRAMS INTERNSHIP PROGRAM 

Firelight Media, a non-profit artist support organization, is the premier destination for non-fiction cinema by and about communities of color. Firelight Media produces documentary films, supports filmmakers of color, and cultivates audiences for their work. Firelight Media’s key programs include the Documentary Lab, the Groundwork Regional Lab, and the William Greaves Fund. Firelight Media also produces digital short films series in partnership with public media organizations. To learn more, visit firelightmedia.tv. 

ABOUT US:

Firelight Media is a nonprofit organization that supports, resources, and advocates on behalf of documentary filmmakers of color.

OUR MISSION:

Firelight Media’s mission is to support the creation, distribution, and impact of documentary media by and about communities of color in all our vibrance and complexity. By providing filmmakers mentorship, funding, and creative development, we seek to advance the art of nonfiction storytelling to realize a more just and beautiful world.

OUR VISION:

Firelight Media envisions a world in which filmmakers, artists, and storytellers of color have abundant resources and opportunities to shape and define culture through their own images.

OUR VALUES:

Artistic Freedom

We believe documentary filmmakers of color must be free to tell stories that reinterpret the past, illuminate the present, and imagine the future of their cultures and communities.

Authenticity

We prioritize stories that authentically represent the experiences and perspectives of the individuals and communities we serve. Our commitment to equity and inclusion extends to a broad range of racial and cultural identities and other aspects of identity that inform them, such as gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic and immigration status, geographic location, and disability.

Community & Solidarity

By bringing filmmakers from across a broad spectrum of identities together, we aim to foster solidarity in service of liberation for all. We believe solidarity includes community accountability and ethical engagement with the individuals and communities depicted in and impacted by the projects we support.

Excellence

We engender excellence in the projects we support by maintaining high standards of artistic rigor. Artistic excellence is achieved when filmmakers have the trust, support, and resources they need to realize their vision.

Love

Love is the galvanizing force for creating new and better futures for communities of color. Through acts of trust, sustained attention, and mutual respect and appreciation, we foster a community grounded in an ethic of care.

Internship Program:

It is Firelight Media's mission to mentor our interns and give them the skills and experience to be the next generation of film, media, and arts administration professionals. Our internship program will allow dedicated and driven participants to assist our Firelight Media Artist Programs teams with various projects. 

This internship is a six-month position starting in Fall 2025  , with the possibility of extending depending on organizational need and performance. It is open to students at the graduate level or equivalent experience. 

Artist Programs Intern

The Artist Programs intern will support the Artist Programs teams in all administrative and logistical efforts, supporting the coordinators in tasks related to the Artist Programs fellowships, funds, and short programs. They will assist in strengthening, organizing, and updating the databases, and systems in place that keep these programs organized. They’ll also be invited to attend team meetings to take notes and learn about the work across the programs. Interested candidates should email internships@firelightmedia.org with “Firelight Internship - Artist Programs” in the subject line.

 Intern Responsibilities: 

● Schedule and organize logistics for programmatic activities across Artist Programs 

● Track programmatic tasks using the Asana task management platform and create Asana task management projects as needed 

● Update and create filmmaker databases, calendars, master lists and other resources used across artist programs 

● Assist Managers and Coordinators in planning and managing Open Calls, including the application review and vetting process 

● Attend virtual filmmaker sessions and help run technical support for zoom rooms 

● Attend and take notes in a host of key programmatic meetings, filmmaker check in calls and production meetings 

● Manage film festival outreach and festival submission tracking of Firelight supported films 

● Support staff in managing alumni needs, currently supported filmmakers’ needs and other ad hoc projects related to alumni engagement 

● Support the collection of final grants deliverables and program evaluation 

● Provide feedback on films currently in production and sit in on filmmaker feedback calls 

● Assist in reviewing filmmaker deliverables for accuracy 

Qualifications: 

● Graduate level student or equivalent experience 

● Strong interest in non-profit management, grants management and/or program management 

● Strong written and verbal communication skills 

● Strong research and organizational skills 

● Strong time management and prioritization skills 

● Proficient in Google Suite (Sheets, Docs, Slides) and Microsoft Suite (Word, Excel, Powerpoint) 

● Interest in artist support, partnership building and the documentary filmmaking industry 

● Personal alignment with Firelight’s mission and core values: Love, Artistic Expression, Authenticity, Excellence, Community and Solidarity 

Nice-to-Haves: 

● Familiarity with platforms such as Salesforce, Submittable, and Asana 

● Prior experience as a working filmmaker or working with artists 

Program Requirements 

Interns have the option to work two or more full days per week (Monday through Friday) or a minimum of 15 hours per week.

Location: This is a remote internship as most Firelight staff work remotely from locations across the U.S. Interns who desire to work occasionally on-site at Firelight’s headquarters in Harlem, NYC, should indicate this in their cover letter. 

NOTE: For local candidates, internships will be conducted in a hybrid format, with the option to come onsite to the main corporate office if approved. Interns who desire to work occasionally on-site at Firelight’s headquarters in Harlem, NYC, or at special film screenings and events should indicate this in their cover letter. 

Next Steps 

Interested candidates should email internships@firelightmedia.org with “Firelight Internship - Artist Programs” in the subject line no later than October 17th, 2025.