DCIFF Welcomes Summer Interns


Introducing our two summer interns. They are both excited to start this new journey as they learn how to navigate the film world and we are thrilled to work with them. They will help us run our 5 week summer filmmaking course for teenagers and prepare for our Fall events and activities.

Hello! My name is Jayla Hunter. I am 17 years old, a rising senior at Duke Ellington School of the Arts studying Theater. I am an aspiring filmmaker, actress, and an activist for teenage girl’s mental health in the arts. I run my own grassroots organization called ‘In The Wings’ with a team of 4 other like-minded young women. We are dedicated to bringing awareness and attention to girls’ mental health in the arts. As I continue to grow, I hope to inspire young girls and continue to give back to my community through the arts. From this experience I hope to expand my professional skills and to experience a new journey.
My name’s Patricia Braaten, I’m 17 years old and a rising senior at Jackson Reed High School, formerly Woodrow Wilson. In my junior year, I started a book club and I am a major fan of rom-com literature and movies. I developed a passion for video editing utilizing Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects and will focus more on sports photography/videography for my upcoming senior year. I was recently a part of my school’s mass media team, where I developed and collaborated on projects focusing on traffic safety and school campaigns. I particularly love working with children as I spent two years as a swim instructor in North Bethesda.