The backbone of the festival

Milwaukee Film Volunteer Coordinator Sitora Takanaev

As Backstage continues its profile behind the scenes of the 2010 Milwaukee Film Festival, Mark speaks with Sitora Takanaev, a freelance media professional and also this year’s volunteer coordinator. Sitora came to Milwaukee with her family by way of Uzbekistan six years ago and has since worked in television, digital media and film.

The staff at Milwaukee Film have been working tirelessly over the past year scouring film festivals around the country to bring the best of the best to our fair city on September 23. But the fact is that the festival simply can’t run without the aid of volunteers. Every usher, ticket taker, line wrangler and street canvasser plays an important role in ensuring that each day of the festival runs smoothly and according to plan.

Mark and Sitora discuss the perks of being a Milwaukee Film volunteer (The t-shirts! The movie tickets!) and crack a few friendly jokes at Managing Director Kyle Heller’s expense (sorry, Kyle).

For more information on volunteering with Milwaukee Film, click here. Subscribe to Backstage with Mark Metcalf through iTunes here.

Mark Metcalf is a writer, professional actor and resident of Milwaukee. He hosts TCD’s weekly podcast “Backstage with Mark Metcalf” and occasionally writes the film blog “Moving Pictures.” Mark is also Milwaukee Film’s Director of Collaborative Cinema, giving area students hands-on experience with film making.