Film Festival Jobs

If you’ve got a fashion for the film industry then get a job with your local film festival. People who are interested in the film industry love movies might find that working temporarily for a film festival in their area is a great way to combine the two experiences.

Film festivals can occur on a very large scale, like those that take place at Sundance Film Festival, Cannes or Berlin, but can also occur on a very small and local level. Just about every major city, from Seattle to Toronto, has a film festival. So there are many opportunities for movie lovers to pursue a form of film industry job. On the following page we will highlight some of the world’s major film festivals and ways in which you can get involved. Additionally we will provide tips on how to find film festivals in your area – often more accessible than, say, Sundance or Cannes.

How To Find Film Festival Jobs

As we mentioned before film festivals take place on a variety of different scales. Some take place several times a year, some take place only once a year and are very large, while others take place once a year and are small in size. The best way to find work is to look for festivals in your area. Because most film festival jobs won’t pay for transport, working or volunteering for a festival in your town will be the most accessible opportunity for to find work. The next thing you should do is research the festival online and look for job or volunteer opportunities. If you have event jobs experience, then applying to organize or to work as event staff is a great way to segue into festival jobs.

If you don’t, but are interested in lending a hand, consider becoming a volunteer instead. Applying early will be your best bet.

Types of Film Festival Jobs

Festivals will need help in event administration, editing, marketing, customer service, wait staff, IT and technical staff, film screening, scheduling, ticket sales and distribution, venue reservation, public relations with attendees as well as producers and directors, security officers and so on. Because there is a large technical aspect to film festivals IT staff and people with experience in film, have the most opportunities.

For any sized film festival there will be a need for a variety of skill sets. If you cannot find paying work with a festival, either full-time or part-time depending on the festival, consider volunteering your time to gain experience – then re-apply the following year.

Take a look at some of the larger more popular festivals that we profile and the different ways in which you can get involved.