Daily Inspiration: Meet Apolline Friederich

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Apolline Friederich.

Hi Apolline, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Apolline, I was born in Strasbourg, but I lived most of my years in Paris, where I graduated from La Sorbonne in Film Aesthetics and got my master’s degree in Producing from EICAR.

I started as a ballerina but unfortunately got injured when I was 15 years old, and this is when I realized I had to look for another passion in my life. Always intrigued by the magic behind movie-making, particularly VFX, I delved into film studies in college. And fell in love with the energy on set with the crew but also with this idea of helping talents to bring their idea to life!

During my Master’s degree, I had the chance to be an apprentice in an independent production company in Paris, where I had to handle the production of an audiovisual campaign for Cannes 2021 from scratch, but also coordinated the release of our feature with distributors. While it was an incredible experience, I felt compelled to challenge myself further and explore the Hollywood film industry—the dreamland for aspiring filmmakers and producers.

Hence, I decided to fly to Los Angeles and be part of the UCLA Extension Producing Program to have a solid base coming from another country and experience the American way. At the end of my one year program, I got an internship at an independent finance and development production company in Hollywood and wrote a lot of coverage… I quickly realized that my interest was more in physical production and coordinating projects. As of today, after many doubts and uncertainties, I am currently working at Bold Films as a coordinator for international productions and licensing.

Let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
It was definitely not a smooth road. Even if I had already studied abroad and traveled a lot in my life, starting a career in a foreign country and leaving behind my network, family, and friends at home were hard. Saying goodbye to the comfort of financial and emotional stability and diving headfirst into the great unknown on the other side of the world was a real challenge.

I would say the two main challenges were my visa and my professional goal. Dealing with paperwork rejections, denials, and endless delays became my daily grind. But once I finally got my work permit sorted, it was like a weight lifted off my shoulders. Regarding my professional goal, Hollywood is a very competitive town in this field, and it is very important to never give up and trust yourself.

The first advice that a teacher gave me when I arrived at UCLAx was to network as much as I can – don’t feel shy, just go out there and meet people! It was truly a journey of self-discovery and growth. I learned to embrace challenges rather than shy away from them. Thanks to the support of my family, friends, and boyfriend – they were my rock through every doubt and obstacle.

I appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
While producing short films at school, my friend and I had the opportunity to produce our first short film that received the Jury’s award at a audiovisual French school competition in 2021 held at the Grand Rex in Paris.

Meanwhile, I also got involved in an audiovisual association in Paris called ADREN, for which I worked as a producer manager and 2nd assistant director on a mini-Youtube series and short films selected for the Nikon Film Festival 2022. Following that, I worked as a production manager at Novoprod Cinema, an independent feature production company. There, I coordinated everything from pre-production to the distribution of the European campaign about women’s empowerment launched at the Cannes Film Festival 2021 in partnership with the Collective 50/50. Later on, I had the opportunity to branch out into post-production and distribution for their new feature named “Full Time,” directed by Eric Gravel.

The film won the Audience Award at The American French Film Festival 2022, as well as Best Original Score and Best Editing at the prestigious French César Awards 2023, not to mention the Orizzonti Awards for Best Director and Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival 2021. This unique experience propelled me to broaden my horizons and support producers during the development of their upcoming feature films.

Upon arriving in Los Angeles, I participated in the 48 Hours Film Project 2023 as a 1st Assistant Director, then transitioned to the role of Executive Assistant at the end of my internship at a film development and finance company in Hollywood. Currently, I am a coordinator for international productions and licensing, which means that I am working more on the business and operation side of the industry.

I have always been passionate about the process of filmmaking since I was a kid. I find very compelling the idea of telling stories and sharing different points of view through this art form. I love working with a team and solving problems – it is like a puzzle! You have to find the right way to put all the pieces together in order to reveal the image!

Coming from a science background in high school and a creative one from college, producing is the perfect match for me to explore those two different aspects and learn how to combine them. I still look forward to working as an assistant director on short films while developing my production coordinator skills in the professional world. I am always looking to learn something new!

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Along this journey, I have learned a lot of things, both on a personal and professional level. I would say the main lesson would be to never give up – always follow your instinct and never compare yourself to others.

Be proud of yourself and what you’ve accomplished so far, never look back, always look forward. In my opinion, embracing gratitude can lead to greater resilience, optimism, and a deeper appreciation for the beauty of life.

Contact Info:

• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/apolline-friederich-9b41b01b2
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@adren2187/featured
• Other: http://characther.eu/

Image Credits
Philippe Sarfarti (@sarfati.philippe), Clara Pauthier (@clara.pauthier), and Joshua Press