To the Editor:

Swati Pandey’s article on film (“Film: Against all odds,” 4/19) at Yale admirably highlighted the concerns of the department and of specific students, but the picture would not be complete without mentioning Yale’s largest film organization, the Yale Film Society.

The YFS provides a community for students interested in film, majors and non-majors alike. Though Pandey cited UPix as “unique in the Ivy League” in helping students produce films and find crew members, the YFS’s production arm fulfills the same function. The Yale Film Society has assisted students with such ambitious projects as an 80-minute feature film, as well as many short films.

The YFS also runs internship workshops, helping members find summer jobs in film. And YFS members have also benefited from the assistance of visiting producers and top executives, often getting internships or jobs as a result of a guest’s visit.

No matter the state of the Film Studies Program, it will always be necessary to have student groups to provide support, advice and expertise. The Yale Film Society exists for just this reason — to create a vibrant community of people interested in film at Yale and beyond.

Mandi Schweitzer ’03

April 22, 2002

The writer is co-president of the Yale Film Society.