Kailey Radwan Joins the AAFF Team as Operations Manager

June 22, 2023

We are delighted to welcome Kailey Radwan to the AAFF team! She started on June 14 as Operations Manager.

A lifetime resident of the Plymouth-Canton area, Radwan remained connected to her roots while pursuing an education at Eastern Michigan University as a Presidential Scholar. With a Bachelor of Science in Digital Media Production and Psychology, and minor in Women’s and Gender Studies, she has developed a varied skill set in audio-video production and editing, screenwriting and storyboarding, behavioral analysis and quantitative reporting, and socio-cultural awareness. Prior to her position with AAFF, she served as a Senior Creative for the Marketing and Design team of EMU Campus Life, collaborating with a wide array of campus-wide departments in promoting a variety of student-centered events.

Following AAFF’s model of recent years, Radwan answers a set of specially-crafted questions:

WHAT ARE YOU EXCITED TO DO IN YOUR NEW POSITION?

I am very excited to begin connecting with individuals of the Ann Arbor/Ypsi community, where everyone can come together creatively in an atmosphere where individuality is celebrated and artistic expression is embraced. As an EMU alum and lifelong Plymouth-Canton resident, I can attest to the fact that although I have explored so much of the AA/Ypsi area, the rich culture makes it so that there is always something or someone new to engage with.

WHAT FAVORITE FILM(S) DO YOU LOVE TO WATCH OVER AND OVER?

I’ve connected very much with the misfit band of heroes, the Guardians of the Galaxy. It is, perhaps, my favorite film trilogy with its slow evolution of characters, painful realism of relationships, and series of amazing soundtracks. Beyond this, I am quite the fan of Jordan Peele’s psychological thrillers, particularly Us, and its deeper socio-political meanings.

IF YOU COULD TIME TRAVEL AND HANG OUT WITH ANY CREATIVE INDIVIDUAL WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

If I could time travel, I would love to meet the cryptic Edgar Allan Poe. Although now renowned for his literary works in horror, his reputation after his passing was tarnished by a man who did not appreciate Poe’s earnest reviews of his poetry, catapulting a chain reaction of reviews and exaggerations from other authors about Poe’s disgruntled and harsh nature and addictive qualities. I would love to know the man Poe actually was prior to these events and discuss his inspirations and fears and how they informed his writing.

WHAT IS ON YOUR MUST-DO LIST FOR FIRST TIME VISITORS TO ANN ARBOR & YPSILANTI?

My recommendation for an ideal day in AA/Ypsi would be to grab breakfast (any açaí bowl is a perfect choice) at Amer’s Delicatessen on State Street, then check out The Get Up Vintage a bit further down. A coffee from Hyperion pairs perfectly with exploring Literati bookstore, The Vault of Midnight Comic Shop, and picking up a vinyl at Encore Records. Grab a slice at New York Pizza Depot before heading to World of Rocks and This, That, and Odder Things in Ypsi. Maybe stop into The Rocket for a knick -knack before finishing the night with a bite at Maiz and karaoke at Keystone (only if it’s Friday)!

WHAT QUESTION DO YOU LOVE TO ANSWER BUT ARE NOT OFTEN ASKED?

I think a fun question to be asked would be “which show, film, or book do you wish you could experience for the first time again?” My answer would likely vary depending on which of the three I had watched or read most recently, but one staple answer for me might be The Giver series. It’s been years since I read the collection, and I am still in awe of how much I connected to the storytelling. Each book followed a new hero’s journey, all of which came together in an unforeseen way in the series finale. Each character encountered physical obstacles reflecting internal, emotional ones, and all had overcome them. The unexpected threads in which these character’s stories were intertwined impacted me so greatly. It made me realize how much I wanted to enter the creative sphere; how much I wanted to be as impactful a storyteller as Lois Lowry. It wasn’t until I began exploring potential careers and gaining hands-on experience that I learned anyone can be a storyteller depending on how you look at it. The world around you is a mold, and you get to be the creator of your personal experience with it. Every connection you make is a new sentence, and the life you live is simultaneously your story, and part of someone else’s.

If you catch an upcoming AAFF Presents screening, stop by our occasional work space at Office Evolution, or happen to cross paths with her in Ann Arbor or Ypsi, take a moment to welcome Kailey to AAFF and this amazing creative community of which we are a part!