SFFILM

The Bay Area's home for the world's finest films and filmmakers.

Programming

Guest Office Assistant

OVERVIEW:

The SFFILM Programming team is seeking an organized, enthusiastic, and welcoming candidate to support the activities of the SFFILM Guest Office for the 2023 SFFILM Festival.

The Guest Office Assistant supports all activities of the Guest Office Department, including communications and hospitality for all the guests attending the Festival (filmmakers, speakers, industry, and jury). This position would work closely with the Guest Office Manager, Coordinator and all Programmers, and would provide public facing and behind the scenes support. This position is ideal for someone with excellent communication skills and attention to detail seeking to enhance their experience in guest/artist relations. Film festival experience strongly preferred.

This is a full-time temporary role from 3/27 to 5/3, paid at an hourly rate of $20 per hour. This role has the expectation of some overtime pre-festival, with a high volume of overtime expected during the SFFILM Festival (April 13-April 23).
Covid-19 Safety: Seasonal staff at the 2023 SFFILM Festival may be required to engage in public-facing roles and thus are required to provide proof of vaccination and booster for employment.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES:

  • Acts as a liaison between Guest Office, Programming, Operations, Transportation, Development, Theater and other staff.
  • Provide administrative support to both the Guest Office and Programming Department as assigned, including but not limited to: liaising with multiple hotels, assigning and supervising accommodations to guests, maintaining master hotel grid, purchasing flights and overseeing airfare reimbursements.
  • Support the Guest Office Manager with the overall project management platform, scheduling, distribution of tasks and general communications.
  • Coordinate creation and disseminating welcome packs for all Festival Guests.
  • Work with the Guest Office Manager to ensure SFFILM Guests website is up to date and accurate.
  • Staff the guest services desk in the Hospitality Suite when needed during the Festival to welcome and facilitate all guests.
  • With guidance from Programming, select and hire all interpreters needed for the festival’s international guests.
  • Support the Programming Team with AMPAS hospitality.
  • Works with the Special Events Team to manage guest invitations to receptions, dinners, and other guest hospitality.
  • Work with the Guest Office Manager to coordinate excursions during the festival for filmmakers.
  • Provide administrative support for Festival Industry Days including scheduling, welcome packet assembly, and ad hoc administration. Industry Days is a two day in-person event providing networking and panel discussions.
  • Provide Administrative support for all Festival Coffee Talks.
  • Work with the Transportation department to ensure smooth overall communication between Guest Office and Transportation for guests.
  • Assist with the Guest Office wrap report.

EXPERIENCE/SKILLS REQUIRED:

  • Strong organizational, communication skills and time management skills.
  • Ability to work in a fast paced environment while juggling multiple projects.
  • Creative problem-solving skills.
  • Ability to be welcoming and comfortable interacting with people with vastly different backgrounds and roles.
  • Previous Guest/Artist Relations or Film Industry experience and/or Film Festival experience is strongly preferred but not required.
  • Experience with FileMaker Pro, Zoom webinars, G Suite, Google Forms, Microsoft Word and Excel is preferred.
  • Ability to quickly learn and implement new software and systems.
  • Experience hiring and managing volunteers is a plus.
  • Knowledge of Basecamp and foreign languages is a plus.

SUPERVISION:

Reports to the Guest Office Manager.

Guest Office Coordinator

Overview

The Guest Office Coordinator supports all activities of the Guest Office Department, including communications with all visiting guests at the SFFILM Festival (filmmakers, speakers, industry, and jury). Supports execution of all events and activity as relates to festival guests. Must have excellent communication skills, as well as experience in guest/artist relations. Film festival experience strongly preferred.

This is a full-time temporary role from March 1 – May 10, paid at a rate of $17 per hour. This role has the expectation of some overtime pre-festival, with a high volume of overtime expected during the SFFILM Festival (April 21-May 1).

Covid-19 Safety: Seasonal staff at the 2022 SFFILM Festival may be required to engage in public-facing roles and thus are required to provide proof of vaccination for employment. 

Remote Work Accommodation: Seasonal staff are expected to be based in the Bay Area, however if your contract begins before March 1, 2022, SFFILM may be able to accommodate fully remote work prior to that date. Remote work policies are subject to change based on city and state recommendations around COVID-19 safety.

Responsibilities

  • Coordinate creation and disseminating welcome packs for all Festival Guests. 
  • Staff the guest services desk in the Hospitality Suite during the Festival to welcome and facilitate all guests.
  • Selects and hires all interpreters needed for the festival’s international guests.
  • Collaborate with volunteers in pre-festival activities and during festival screenings.
  • Acts as a liaison between Guest Office, Programming, Operations, Transportation, Development, Theater and other Staff. 
  • Coordinate Industry Day communications and activities as instructed by the Guest Office Manager.  Industry Days is a two day in-person event providing networking and panel discussions for 100+ filmmakers. 
  • Oversee poster distribution before and throughout the festival. 
  • Support Guest Office Manager with festival benefit management for all guests,  assisting with ticket requests and group sales. 
  • Coordinate the creation and dissemination of Industry Delegate Guide
  • Support Guest Office Manager to ensure a representative from Programming or Guest Office are present for screenings with guests in attendance to liaison between Guests, Programmers, Theater Operations, and other Staff.
  • Support all expense reconciliation post-festival and coordinate the Guest Office wrap report. 

Qualifications

  • FileMaker Pro, Microsoft Word and Excel
  • Strong organizational and communication skills; friendly and welcoming demeanor.
  • Post-Festival follow-up, including written final wrap report.
  • Ability to juggle multiple tasks at once. 
  • Creative problem-solving skills.
  • Ability to be welcoming and comfortable interacting with people with vastly different backgrounds and roles.
  • Previous Guest/Artist Relations or Film Industry experience; Film Festival experience required.
  • Knowledge of foreign languages is a plus.

SFFILM is proud to be part of a wider film festival circuit and shares many seasonal staff with other festivals. We have been paying close attention to conversations and feedback from film festival staff directly and via social media. We have created policies and practices that address these concerns including increasing hourly rates and providing overtime, abiding by a Code of Conduct since 2018, and creating more flexible remote work policies to prioritize staff health and safety during COVID-19.

SFFILM is deeply committed to Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion (DEAI) in both its internal management and external programming. Since 2018, the organization has actively been working in collaboration with two Advisory Boards focused on accessibility and inclusivity and officially began work with a DEI consultant in 2019 to further invest in and build on that work. Candidates are invited to discuss their interest and involvement in DEAI practices in their cover letter, and ask us more about our DEAI process in their interview.

SFFILM, in accordance with federal and state law, is an equal-opportunity employer. SFFILM does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy/childbirth, medical condition, disability, age, ancestry, marital status, citizenship or veteran status. This nondiscrimination policy covers all candidates, staff members, interns, and volunteers.

Guest Office Manager

Overview

The Guest Office Manager supervises the budget and department responsible for all communication and arrangements for visiting guests at the SFFILM Festival (including filmmakers, speakers, industry, and jury). Must have excellent communication skills, as well as experience in guest/artist relations, budget management, and staff oversight. Film festival experience is required. 

This is a full-time temporary role from February 14 – May 10, paid at a rate of $24 per hour. This role has the expectation of some overtime pre-festival, with a high volume of overtime expected during the SFFILM Festival (April 21-May 1).

Covid-19 Safety: Seasonal staff at the 2022 SFFILM Festival may be required to engage in public-facing roles and thus are required to provide proof of vaccination for employment. 

Remote Work Accommodation: Seasonal staff are expected to be based in the Bay Area, however if your contract begins before March 1, 2022, SFFILM may be able to accommodate fully remote work prior to that date. Remote work policies are subject to change based on city and state recommendations around COVID-19 safety.

Responsibilities

  • Supervises all activities of the Guest Office department, including managing and allocation of tasks to Filmmaker Liaison(s) and Guest Office Assistants.
  • Manage department budget, working closely with the Director of Programming, to ensure hospitality expenses remain within budget.
  • Oversee communications for all festival guests, including personal itineraries, updating invitations and welcome letters, creating and disseminating welcome packs, and overseeing SFFILM Guests website.
  • Oversee accommodation for all festival guests, including liaising with multiple hotels, assigning accommodations to guests, maintaining master hotel grid, and overseeing airfare reimbursements.
  • Ensure all festival benefits are available to filmmakers, assisting with ticket requests and communication with producers/studios/distributors, and overseeing internal holds are efficiently managed. 
  • Manage all guest check-in for the duration of the festival. 
  • Project Manage Industry Days on behalf of Programming with support from other departments. Industry Days is a two day in-person event providing networking and panel discussions for 100+ filmmakers. 
  • Oversees the creation and dissemination of Industry Delegate Guide
  • Ensure representatives from Programming or Guest Office are present for screenings with guests in attendance to liaison between Guests, Programmers, Theater Operations, and other Staff.
  • Work with the Development team on hospitality partnerships and guest-related in-kind donations and with the Transportation department to ensure smooth overall communication between Guest Office and Transportation.
  • Support Tech Manager to schedule virtual events throughout the festival. 
  • Works with the Special Events Manager and Development to manage guest invitations to receptions, dinners, and other guest hospitality.
  • Ensure full reconciliation of expenses for the Guest Office are completed before the end of contract, along with a complete wrap report. 
  • Work with the Programming Team to ensure Thank Yous are dispatched upon the festival’s conclusion to key constituents.

Qualifications

  • Excellent communication skills.
  • Experience in budget and staff management.
  • Ability to juggle multiple tasks and competing timelines.
  • Excellent decision-making and creative problem-solving skills.
  • Ability to be welcoming and comfortable interacting with people with vastly different backgrounds and roles.
  • Previous Guest/Artist Relations or Film Industry experience; Film Festival experience required.
  • Proficient in Microsoft Office suite and experienced in database usage (FilemakerPro preferred).
  • Proficient in Squarespace website creation and management.
  • Knowledge of foreign languages is a plus.

SFFILM is proud to be part of a wider film festival circuit and shares many seasonal staff with other festivals. We have been paying close attention to conversations and feedback from film festival staff directly and via social media. We have created policies and practices that address these concerns including increasing hourly rates and providing overtime, abiding by a Code of Conduct since 2018, and creating more flexible remote work policies to prioritize staff health and safety during COVID-19.

SFFILM is deeply committed to Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion (DEAI) in both its internal management and external programming. Since 2018, the organization has actively been working in collaboration with two Advisory Boards focused on accessibility and inclusivity and officially began work with a DEI consultant in 2019 to further invest in and build on that work. Candidates are invited to discuss their interest and involvement in DEAI practices in their cover letter, and ask us more about our DEAI process in their interview.

SFFILM, in accordance with federal and state law, is an equal-opportunity employer. SFFILM does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy/childbirth, medical condition, disability, age, ancestry, marital status, citizenship or veteran status. This nondiscrimination policy covers all candidates, staff members, interns, and volunteers.

Programmer

This position is no longer accepting applications.