The Weinstein Company, the film production corporation behind such major motion pictures as The King's Speech and Silver Linings Playbook, recently sold an unpaid internship through auction for at least $26,000. The internship was intended for United States-based college students to learn “all the ins and outs” of the movie industry, and the winner’s money will go to Boston’s American Repertory Theater.
The auction was run by CharityBuzz, that there were seven bidders who made 13 bids; the final amount was not released. The Guardian reports that there has been controversy behind CharityBuzz in the past:
CharityBuzz, founded in 2005, has frequently auctioned off internships to raise mone—perhaps rather controversially given the easy accusations of nepotism and abused privilege. A six-week stint at the UN went for tens of thousands of dollars earlier this year, while a recent week at InStyle UK and a London PR firm was valued at $2000 ahead of bidding.
Also according to The Guardian, the most money ever paid for an internship was $85,000, given in exchange for six weeks with music mogul Russell Simmons and six with billionaire businessman Richard Branson.
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William A. Hudson is a summer 2014 In These Times intern.
