THANK YOU 2010 FESTIVAL VOLUNTEERS
Thank you to the volunteers who made the 2010 festival possible. From the venues to the will call booth, merchandise sales, events, and filmmaker hospitality, the festival ran due to the work of volunteers. The festival truly could not happen without you.
VOLUNTEERING FOR THE 2011 FESTIVAL
Volunteers are invited to apply at any time during the year by filling out the ONLINE VOLUNTEER APPLICATION. We need both year-round and festival-only volunteers.
Year-Round Positions (Starting Summer-Fall 2010) are outlined below. New volunteers are welcome to apply and will find that current year-round staff members are happy to help with bringing new volunteers on board.
Festival-Only Positions (March 2011) include venues (ticket-taking) are outlined below. We ask that each volunteer focus their work in one area and work a minimum of 12 hours in that area. Volunteer scheduling trypically starts in early January for returning volunteers. New volunteer scheduling starts later in January. Most correspondence is done through email unless otherwise requested.
Benefits for those volunteering a minimum of 12 hours is a punch pass to see one film per 3 hours volunteered. Volunteers who work more than 60 hours receive a DIFF Pass for access to all festival films.
YEAR-ROUND POSITIONS
Production Manager
Work involves coordinating work between the technical projection crew, the Festival Director, and the Print Traffic Coordinator prior to the festival. During the festival, the Production Manager serves as the liaison between the technical crew and Venue Managers and other volunteers and staff. Time commitment is approximately 120 hours over the year beginning in earnest in January and being nearly full-time the week of the festival.
Operations and Venues Manager
Work involves scheduling and overall operation of theaters where film programs are shown. The position involves negotiating agreements and arranging logistics with theaters prior to the festival. During the festival, the Operations and Venues Manager coordinates the processing of tickets and ballots, film announcements and manages approximately 50 Venue Managers and volunteers. Time commitment is approximately 120 hours over the year beginning in earnest in January with 10 hours per week and being nearly full-time the week of the festival.
Operations and Venues Assistant
Work involves assisting the Operations and Venues Manager with pre-festival planning and logistics and theater operations during the festival. Time commitment is approximately 80 hours over the year beginning in earnest in January with 5 hours per week and being nearly full-time the week of the festival.
Office Assistant
Work involves assisting the Festival Director in the DIFF office with a variety of office tasks including correspondence, bills, customer service, and errands. The ability to work in Word and Excel is important. Time commitment is approximately 3-4 hours per week at a designated time as arranged with the Festival Director.
Reporting and Survey Coordinator
Work involves drafting surveys as needed, gathering statistics and information from submitted surveys, and preparing reports. Time commitment is approximately 30-40 hours over the year primarily during the months of January through April.
Survey Input Volunteer
Work involves formatting raw survey results using Excel and entering paper survey responses into online electronic survey programs. Time commitment is approximately 12-15 hours during the month of March.
FESTIVAL-ONLY POSITIONS
Venue Managers
Work involves managing all aspects of the venues. Duties include overseeing lobby activities such as line management and ticket-taking, and theater activities such as attendee seating and assistance to the Production Manager and technical crew.
Venue Managers must be comfortable taking charge and giving direction. They are the point of responsibility for the theater venues and are on-task throughout their shifts. A time commitment of approximately 30 hours during the festival (every day or every night) is needed. Because the work is intensive and critical to festival operations, Venue Managers who work a minimum of 30 hours will receive a full first-tier DIFF pass so they will be able to get into films easily whenever they are not working.
Venue Volunteers
Work involves keeping lines organized and informed, taking tickets, collecting ballots, and assisting with theater seating. Shift times are 8 am – 1 pm, 1-5 pm and 5-10 pm each day of the festival and volunteers are asked to work a minimum of 3 shifts. Benefits include the opportunity to interact with other volunteers and film attendees and a punch pass to see films (one film per each 3 hours worked).
Will Call
Work includes making and distributing tickets to film attendees and providing festival information to people. Assistance is needed from Monday before the festival until Sunday, the final day of the festival. Shift times vary based on the day and are 3 hours in length. Volunteers are asked to work a minimum of 4 shifts. Benefits include the ability to be outdoors (in the kiosk) helping people and a punch pass to see films (one film per each 3 hours worked).
Merchandise
Work involves selling festival-related items at one of the theaters. Merchandise volunteers must be comfortable managing money and making change. Shifts times are 10 am - 4 pm and 4-10 pm each day of the festival and volunteers are asked to work a minimum of 2 shifts. Benefits include the ability to work somewhat independently and a punch pass to see films (one film per each 3 hours worked).
Office
Work involves assisting at the office one time per week in the months leading up to the festival and 2 shifts during the festival. Shifts are generally 11 am – 2 pm or 2-5 pm. Benefits include the opportunity to see the inner workings of the festival and a punch pass to see films (one film per each 3 hours worked).
Hospitality
Work involves filmmaker transportation (in donated vehicle) to and from airport and interviews. Assistance is needed from Monday before the festival until Monday after the festival. Pick-up times vary and are typically 3 hours in length. Volunteers are asked to help with a minimum of 4 transports. Benefits include the opportunity to meet and talk with filmmakers and a punch pass to see films (one film per each 3 hours worked).
Events
Work involves greeting and assisting guests, serving food, and clearing tables during pre-festival and festival events. Shifts are generally in the evenings and occur the month before the festival and nearly every night during the festival. Volunteers typically work 3 events, depending on which events fit their schedule. Benefits include being part of events not always open to the public and a punch pass to see films (one film per each 3 hours worked).
HOW TO GET STARTED
Fill out the ONLINE VOLUNTEER APPLICATION
OR
Email the Volunteer Coordinator, Victoria Schmitt, at
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OR
Call Victoria at 970.946.0233