Overview: TIFF
Thank you for your interest in volunteering for the 2009 festival. Our volunteer recruitment process is now complete and the online application is now closed.
Please join us next year!
Thank you for your interest in volunteering for the 2009 festival. Our volunteer recruitment process is now complete and the online application is now closed. Please join us next year!
The Volunteer Office engages outgoing, dedicated and enthusiastic individuals to support one of the world’s most celebrated cultural events: the Toronto International Film Festival.
As a not-for-profit cultural organization, TIFF has always depended on the generosity of our diverse team of volunteers. We are grateful for the considerable contributions made by our volunteers every year and know that we could not launch the Festival without their dedication and support. If you want to join a devoted team of vibrant, fun-loving film enthusiasts, please consider joining the volunteer team as we set out to transform the way people see the world!
WHAT DO FESTIVAL VOLUNTEERS DO?
Over the course of 2008, more than 2,000 individual volunteers supported TIFF, contributing just over 59,000 hours of service to activities throughout the organization. While opportunities vary from year to year, Toronto International Film Festival volunteers are involved in almost every department leading up to and during the ten days of the Festival. With such a diverse selection of volunteer opportunities, the volunteer programme has something to offer almost everyone.
Our volunteers can most often be seen on the front lines of the Festival in a customer-relations capacity – answering questions, directing patrons or industry delegates, tearing tickets, checking passes, helping to set up and run various activities, and greeting Festival attendees at our many theatre venues. A smaller number of our volunteers also work in a more administrative capacity – assembling press kits, assisting with volunteer registration and data entry, acting as interpreters, distributing marketing materials, working at an information desk, providing technical set-up or strike support, or welcoming international guests to Toronto when they arrive at the airport.
Get Involved: The Festival
WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS TO VOLUNTEER AT THE FESTIVAL?
All prospective Festival volunteers (new and returning) must:
- be eighteen years of age or older
- apply to volunteer by completing the Festival’s online application form and attend a mandatory volunteer orientation session to complete the initial registration process
- appropriately maintain her or his own personal volunteer account on the Volunteer Hub (first-time users will be sent login information for their Volunteer Hub account after the Festival’s online application has been processed and accepted)
- submit a current resumé and telephone contact information for three references
- commit to completing a minimum of four shifts (limit one shift per day; individual shift lengths will vary)
- be prepared to attend all mandatory training sessions, where applicable (training session dates and times are determined and communicated to the appropriate volunteers some time after the initial registration process is complete)
- have good English-language comprehension and strong communication abilities and skills
- be friendly, helpful team players who are supportive, respectful and professional when working with a diverse and talented group of volunteers and staff.
APPLYING TO VOLUNTEER FOR THE 2009 FESTIVAL
We welcome new and prospective volunteer applicants interested in volunteering for the Festival. All new volunteers are required to apply online. Applications are accepted based on our minimum volunteer requirements (as noted above) and additional applicable skills, knowledge and experience. Please note that the number of new volunteers accepted in a given year is dependent upon the number of positions that are available.
RETURNING VOLUNTEERS
Previous Festival volunteers in good standing (i.e., volunteers with a solid attendance and performance record) who have volunteered at the Festival in 2007 or 2008 are considered returning volunteers for the 2009 Festival volunteer programme. Our returning volunteers will have already been contacted by email and invited to complete their online registration for the Festival. If you are a returning volunteer and have not yet been contacted, please contact the Volunteer Office as soon as possible. If you volunteered for the Festival prior to 2007, you will need to re-apply as a new volunteer (please see above for directions).
VOLUNTEER NEWSLETTER
We strongly encourage all prospective and active volunteers to subscribe to the Volunteer Newsletter! It's the only way to receive updates about our year-round and seasonal volunteer activities, volunteer recruitment information and other exciting news from TIFF and our community partners.
If you have any questions, we encourage you to check the Festival Volunteer Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page! For any questions not answered in the FAQ, please contact the Volunteer Office.
HOW DO I CONTACT THE VOLUNTEER OFFICE?
You can contact the Volunteer Office by email at volunteers@tiff.net or by calling the Volunteer Hotline at 416-934-5846.Our regular business hours are 10:00am to 5:30pm, Monday to Friday, excluding holidays. Please note that we are generally not equipped to be a drop-in office (unless otherwise announced). If a meeting is necessary, appointments can be made with Volunteer Office staff. Extended Festival Volunteer Office hours and drop-in hours will be available and announced to our registered 2009 Festival volunteers closer to the Festival.
Special thanks to NBC Universal Canada for their support of the Toronto International Film Festival Volunteer Programme.