Sign-ups
are closed for this year.
If
you have already signed up to volunteer, and have attended one of the WEEK A meetings, you may send in your
shift availability using this form.
Now in its eleventh year, the Festival depends on the
hard work of local volunteers for its success.
Volunteers helped make the Festival a great experience for
audience members and filmmakers and speakers. Last year, over 200 people — from
students to grandparents — volunteered for the festival. They helped 30,000
ticket-holders enjoy films from around the world and from right here in Wisconsin.
(approximate)
2009 Wisconsin Film Festival schedule:
Thursday, April 2 | 3:30 pm – 1:30 am
Friday, April 3 | 3:30 pm – 1:30 am
Saturday, April 4 | 9:30 am – 1:30 am
Sunday, April 5 | 9:30 am – 11 pm
Volunteers work in four- to six-hour shifts, and should
plan to work at least two shifts.
What do volunteers do?
The official staff of the Festival is small (two),
and it’s
the volunteer teams who keep the theaters running smoothly during the four-day
Festival.
- we sell tickets
- answer questions
- help people find seats
- introduce films and filmmakers
- get each screening started on time by coordinating with
the theater projectionist
- make sure each film has the right sound volume and runs
smoothly
- assist with panels and Q&A sessions with filmmakers
- hand out and collect audience award ballots
- do it all over again for the next film in the schedule!
You work a lot, ideally committing to at least ten hours
of volunteering during the Festival, over two or more shifts.
In exchange, you become a core part of the Wisconsin Film
Festival, see Festival films, meet the filmmakers, and learn how a festival works
behind the scenes. It’s also a great way to connect with other volunteers
and community members who share your passion for great movies.
Email and web access
You are strongly encouraged to have access to email and the web. Important communication
about volunteer assignments and activities will be given to you via email and
the Festival website.
Volunteer benefits
In exchange for your hard work at the festival, you’ll receive the
coveted volunteers-only t-shirt. We wear these during the event to identify ourselves
as festival crew, and it’s yours to keep.
You’ll also receive four ticket vouchers for
festival films. You swap them for film tickets at the box office, and we recommend
doing this as early as possible, because films have been selling out quickly.
These vouchers can be used by other people, and in any combination (four different
films, or all for one film).
Training sessions
We hold meetings before the festival to present the
information you’ll need to be a volunteer. To accommodate people’s
schedules, we arrange for two pairs of meetings.
You must attend one meeting during WEEK A and one
meeting during WEEK B. This is true for returning volunteers as much as for
first-timers—we rely on the experiences of those folks who worked at past
festivals to help us improve our procedures for 2009.
Sign-ups
are closed for this year. These meetings are limited to those people who have
already signed up.
WEEK
A — Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St.
(please attend one of
the WEEK A meetings)
Sunday, March 1 | 4 pm – 6 pm
Monday, March 2 | 6 pm – 8 pm
WEEK B — Memorial
Union, 800 Langdon St.
(please also attend one of the WEEK B
meetings)
Sunday, March 29 | 4 pm – 6 pm
Monday, March 30 | 6 pm – 8 pm
Schedule
Between the WEEK A and WEEK B meetings, we’ll
create the schedule of volunteer shifts for all of you. We divide up the weekend
into shifts of roughly four to six hours. You’ll
have an opportunity to share with us what days and times work best for you. We
ask that you work at least two shifts — many
people work much more!
If you apply to volunteer, please be sure to arrange
your schedule so that you can attend these meetings and are available during
the Festival.
Fine print
The Wisconsin Film Festival is a public program of the UW Arts Institute, a nonprofit,
tax-exempt unit of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. To successfully accomplish
our mission of educational outreach, support for independent filmmakers, and
service to the community, we ask volunteers to commit to the following:
| a) |
Volunteers must be at least 18 years of age. |
| b) |
All volunteers are responsible for their own
transportation, lodging and meals in Madison for Festival activities. |
| c) |
Volunteers understand that they are freely
donating their time and expertise to the Wisconsin Film Festival. |
| d) |
Please note that acceptance of your application
makes you an official volunteer and that you will be covered by the State’s
liability protection program so long as you perform your duties within the scope
of the description provided above. Since volunteers are not covered by
the state’s worker compensation program, however, you are encouraged to
maintain your own health insurance. If you should be injured during the
course of your volunteer activities and the injury results from the negligence
of a University employee or agent, you would have the legal rights to seek compensation
from the negligent party or property owner. |
Thank you!
Meg Hamel, director
volunteer@wifilmfest.org
608-262-9009
toll-free 877-963-3456 |
twitter.com/wifilmfest
2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 | 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999
