A junior from the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film has been selected to be a student intern at the 2014 Cannes International Film Festival in Cannes, France.

Taylar Morrissey, a theatre major from Aberdeen, S.D., is one of more than 150 students named to serve as a student intern at the American Pavilion at the film festival, May 11-26. The program provides experience to students interested in film, culinary arts and hospitality/event management.

“I was really excited to find out I had received an internship,” Morrissey said. “I was scrolling through on my phone when I saw the email on my way to class. As soon as I realized what the email said, I saw a couple of my friends down the sidewalk, so I literally just ran to them and shouted, ‘I’m going to Cannes!’”

Following two days of orientation, Cannes interns are given service jobs in the American Pavilion. Each intern works about six hours per day.

The American Pavilion is the hub of the United States film industry’s presence at the Cannes International Film Festival. It’s a membership-based communications and hospitality center for journalists, publicists, celebrities, filmmakers and motion picture executives working at the festival.

“The rest of the time, we’re given full accreditation for the Cannes Film Festival,” Morrissey said. “So we can see the films that are playing, we can network with people and we can explore Cannes.”

Student interns also participate in The Roundtable Series, which allows students to have small group discussions with noted individuals from both the creative and business side of the film industry. Past participants in the Roundtable Series have included Tim Roth, Jude Law and Michael Moore.

Rick Endacott, associate professor of film, said participation in this internship program offers Morrissey a tremendous opportunity to network with industry professionals and fellow film students.

“It is always gratifying to see our student’s talent recognized. Of course, participation in the American Pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival provides a unique opportunity to not only watch great films and see famous celebrities and directors up close,” Endacott said. “But perhaps most importantly, it is an opportunity to network and meet filmmaking peers from across the U.S. and around the world. Those young people are the folks who will be walking the red carpet in the future.”

It is a rare chance for Morrissey to learn first-hand about the business side of the film industry.

“The Cannes Film Festival is a working film festival. It’s not something you can buy a ticket to and just go as a civilian,” Morrissey said. “You have to be invited to it as a member of the industry, so this is one of the very few opportunities students could have of actually getting to go without magically becoming a part of a great, big production team.”

For more information about Morrissey, or to follow her Cannes experience, access her blog at http://tayngerousadventures.blogspot.com.

“I’m really looking forward to meeting all the industry professionals there,” she said. “Just getting to meet people that were once in my shoes or something similar to this and just seeing how far they can go and still working and improving their craft.”