[FILLED] Seeking: Festival Director (Volunteer Position VSFF2024)

We’re looking for a skilled and passionate Festival Director to join the Vancouver Short Film Festival team!

The Festival Director leads the overall strategy, management and operations of the Vancouver Short Film Festival and our non-profit society while reporting to and working with the VSFF Board of Directors.

Read more below:

About Us

Since our inception in 2005, the Vancouver Short Film Festival has been committed to celebrating Canada’s vibrant community of short filmmakers, documentarians, and animation artists. Our goal is to foster that community by elevating local talent, connecting filmmakers to audiences, and building ties between emerging and established filmmakers nationwide.

Each year the festival programs over 50 films and awards over $40,000 in cash and prizes to Canada’s best short films. Since 2009, screenings and events have taken place at the VIFF Centre Cinema in downtown Vancouver. In 2022 VSFF held both online and in-person festivals, featuring 51 short works from BC and across Canada, and three days of Filmmaker-exclusive events. The 14th Vancouver Short Film Festival will be held from May 31 - June 2 in-person in Vancouver, with opportunities for virtual screening across Canada.

Schedule & Scope

Accepting Applications Until: Sept 18, 2023

Position Duration: October 1, 2023 - July 2024

The anticipated time required varies depending on the phase of festival production, however can range from anywhere from 5-25 hours/week.

The majority of the work is carried out remotely, however the candidate will be required to attend occasional in-person meetings and events in Vancouver. When possible the candidate may be asked to speak or represent the festival at Vancouver industry events.

The Candidate will be required to be present in person in Vancouver for the duration of the 2024 festival.

In the past the festival has been managed by festival co-directors and for this position we will be looking for candidates to share the responsibilities of the role with a co-director based on the compensation available and time commitment required. However, if a candidate well suited to solo directing states a strong preference to take the position on fully we will consider that possibility.

Key responsibilities include

Overseeing the overall management of the Vancouver Short Film Festival non-profit society, including our annual film festival, year-round programming, and the participation of ~15 volunteer staff members year round.
Leading creation of overall strategy of the film festival and overseeing the planning and execution of festival strategy
Overseeing production of the festival, from liaising with venue personnel to final film selection, and managing the event.
Collaborating with all festival teams to support our staff members in creating departmental strategies, setting goals, and providing support to allow our staff members to realize their potential and feel supported by keeping team members accountable and encouraged.
Managing administrative work such as internal documents, staff manuals, writing reference letters, and submitting bank statements and receipts to the Treasurer every three months.
- Managing festival financials, bank accounts, and payments of invoices, including light bookkeeping.
Seeking out and managing applications and initiatives for festival funding, including grant applications and fundraising.
Holding bi-monthly staff meetings, and more frequent meetings with individual staff members as needed.
Attending quarterly Board meetings and acting as a liaison between the VSFF Board and staff.
Overseeing the festival budget, paying out production expenses, and approving staff departmental purchases.
Approving all marketing materials including the quarterly e-newsletter, print and digital marketing, and official festival programme.
Viewing and approving film selections by the Programming Committee and creating the schedule of the festival including screenings, panels or keynote speaker events, after-parties, and special screenings or other exhibitions with partnering organizations, if applicable.
Conducting interviews with media during the publicity period before the festival.
Actively participating in the festival events, including presentations and public speaking.
Reconciling the festival account and collecting reports from Box Office, Marketing, Sponsorship, and Programming to present to the Board at the Annual General Meeting.
Assisting with the production of the official festival programme by editing content and writing a Director’s message.
Assisting the Marketing team with meeting our submissions and ticket sales goals.

Qualifications

Minimum 3 years of experience in film festival production, event management, film production, and/or fundraising, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Demonstrated Passion and dedication for Vancouver, BC and Canadian independent film production and exhibition.
Desire to innovate and be a leader in the Canadian festival landscape, staying in tune with trends and community needs.
Strong team leadership and collaboration skills.
Strong organizational and prioritization skills.
Ability to see through new projects from concept to execution.
Strong communication skills, written and verbal.
Experience managing a team and conflict resolution is a strong asset.
Willingness to travel to and attend film/arts festivals and events within the lower mainland area, year-round.

Benefits

Please note: this position is a volunteer position with an honorarium of $500 or 5% of the festivals net profit (whichever is more)
A reference letter from the VSFF Chair if requested.
The opportunity to help build and lead in the growth of the BC and Canadian independent film community and contribute to the leadership of a non-profit arts society.

To apply

Please e-mail your cover letter and resume to apply@vsff.com by September 18, 2023.