Paid Intern - Public Relations

This is a Part Time Paid Internship

(I) Public Relations Intern

Internship Purpose

For the SXSW 2025 season, the SXSW Public Relations Department is looking to secure four interns who can straddle the fall and spring seasons. Exceptional candidates may be considered for a single semester. We mentor both for-credit and not-for-credit interns and accept interns from universities across the greater Austin University system and from any department.

During the hybrid (virtual and in-person) internship, students will gain significant exposure and experience in all aspects of entertainment communications and events production, learning many skills in the communications toolbox. The Public Relations team works directly with media, publicists, talent, distributors, a wide swath of the entertainment industry, and other SXSW departments. While its timing in the calendar year will shape the tasks and learning opportunities for each internship period, the new learning modules ensure all interns achieve valuable insights, skills, and marketable experience working during the event in the communications shop for a world-renowned event dedicated to helping creative people achieve their goals.

What you will learn:
• Year-round media cultivation and management, proficiency in accreditation processes, and outlet and journalist analysis.

• Touchpoints and relationship management with talent, publicists, and external consultants throughout the festival cycle, from introduction to post-event evaluation.

• Strategy, mechanics, timing, and processes for planning and executing red carpets, junkets, and other public relations activities.

• Sophisticated earned-media tracking and analysis related to an event such as SXSW and its specific goals and objectives across events using customized Cision and Hubspot tools.

• Filemaker Pro, Cision, Muck Rack, WebDAM, Airtable, and other data management tools.

Qualificationsand Skills:

To be eligible for an SXSW internship, you must be enrolled in an accredited university or college and live in Texas.

Candidates should possess the following attributes:
• Highly organized self-starter

• Excellent leadership qualities

• Ability to work in a team virtually or in person

• Exceptional customer service

• Superb communication skills (email, phone, and interpersonal conversation)

• Strong attention to detail

• Time-management skills

Physical Requirements
Frequently required to sit, stand, or walk for long periods with or without accommodation. Keyboard and office equipment use, with or without accommodation. Typical office work environment. This position may require you to stay away from home during the event.

Work Location, Schedule & Pay
• This position is located in Austin, Texas. Core business office hours are from 10 am to 6 pm, Monday through Friday.

• Candidates must be available to work from September 30, 2024, to March 28, 2025, or January 6, 2025, to May 30, 2025.

• A time commitment of 10-16 hours a week is required. Internships require full-time availability (up to 40 hours/week) during the event.

• Candidates may be able to work remotely or in the office.

• This position may also receive preferential consideration for future SXSW hiring opportunities.

• This is a paid internship at $12.00/hr.

Additional Responsibilitiesand Duties (depending on internship period):
• Communicate with journalists and publicists regarding questions and concerns and provide timely correspondence.

• Create various reports and deliver reports to internal departments as requested.

• Maintain a media contacts database and associated research.

• Processes requests for red carpets and VIPS for film screenings.

• Assist at conference check-in, including pre-festival planning, virtual and on-site facilitation, coordinating volunteers, etc.

• Talent coordination and virtual and on-site red-carpet events as needed.

• Monitor press coverage, enter coverage in the database, and create press coverage reports.

• Research and verify facts and figures about the Festival, such as first-time filmmakers, filmmakers by country of origin, short films, submission numbers, etc.

• Schedule interviews with publicists and coordinate logistical aspects of the media interview space.

• Coordinate Media Village volunteers and media outlets.

• Assist in outreach to accepted filmmakers to gather and organize various publicity materials.

• Generate and provide film publicists/studios with a list of journalists who checked out screeners as requested.

• Receive and route requests from journalists for assigned Festival categories and niches, providing information, interviews, and other resources.

• Other duties as assigned.