By
Vanessa Francis
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Media arts senior Nicole Myden has been where most adolescent girls can only dream of going - a party, on the beach, attended by boy band N'Sync.
The party took place at the Cannes film festival in France this past May, where Myden wrote an article for Teen People magazine.
Myden was able to attend the festival after she received an internship with Kodak Film Program called "The American Pavilion Kodak World-wide Student Program." The application process was rigorous, Myden said. 600 students applied for the internship, and she was one of the 120 to be accepted.
Her duty during the festival was to publicize films debuting at the festival, especially those in competition for the festival prizes. Myden did promotion work for the films "Girlfight," "The Yards" and "Vatel," a French film starring Uma Thurman.
"I saw her and Ethan Hawke during the opening night, and I was able to walk behind them on the red carpet... it was really cool," she said.
Myden, meanwhile, had been interning for Teen People in Los Angeles for three summers, so when she received the Cannes internship, the magazine commissioned an article from her for the November 2000 issue.
"Since I was working for them as well, they said it would be great, while I was there, to get an article done," she said.
She left for France a few days prior to the two-week festival "to bum around and see the sites," she said.
Once there, Myden said she and the other students were issued the leftover tickets for premiering films, although some of them were able to attend more screenings than others
"The most prestigious premieres were at the bigger theaters in town, while the smaller ones premiered films all day," Myden said, explaining how she was able to catch some of the bigger premieres as well as smaller ones.
Myden said the most exciting aspects of her days at Cannes were the after-parties hosted by actors, production companies and even bands.
"We (the students) were told to schmooze with everyone and make friends with everyone," she said. "I was partying on the Riveria... it was great."
In turn, Myden gained access to a party thrown by MTV and a slam-dance party attended by former pro basketball player Dennis Rodman.
"I had this idea he was a wild and crazy guy, and that was confirmed. He made himself known by wearing loud, colorful clothes, and the paparazzi was all over him," she said.
Boy band N'Sync also attended the slam-dance party. The group was at Cannes promoting a film, currently in production, starring its members. Myden took the opportunity to interview them at the party for her article.
"When I interviewed them, they were very professional and accommodating (due to time constraints) and sweet guys," she said.
When Myden asked who they would pick for their ultimate leading lady in their film, member J.C. Chasez answered Sandra Bullock, and Lance Bass replied Julia Roberts.
Myden included gossip like this in her article, which, in its published form, consists largely of the N'Sync interview. Myden said her original version was much lengthier than the one printed but was cut back to what specifically addressed the magazine's readership.
Myden will share the expertise she acquired through her experiences at Teen People and the Cannes film festival at a career workshop panel hosted by the media arts department.
Myden was chosen to sit on the panel, said the director of internships Mary Beth Haralovich, because she has learned valuable skills through her internships.
"This is an industry where you must learn how to break in, and she has learned it," Haralovich said.
Myden will graduate this December. She is currently applying for jobs in entertainment and public relations positions, but she said she would like to return to Cannes and work the festival again.
