How to Volunteer at The Food Film Festival & Food Film Fest Events
Check our calendar for upcoming events near you
Read through the information on this page and if any of this seems like the kind of work that gets you jazzed, apply to volunteer!
Sit tight and wait for either an invitation to come volunteer or a notice that we’re fully staffed up. We can’t always invite everyone out, so please know that applying is not a guarantee that you’ll be working with us.
What is expected of Volunteers
Above all: professionalism, smiles, and enthusiasm. We work extremely hard to put this festival together and like working alongside people who bring joy, not stress!
Otherwise, our volunteers can (and will) have several jobs over the course of an evening, The most common duties include:
Front of House
Reporting to the House Manager, front of house volunteers will be responsible for guest check-in including scanning tickets and checking IDs. Also, volunteers will assemble and distribute gift bags.
Ushering
Reporting to the Theater Manager, ushers will help general admission guests find seats in the theater as well as make sure VIP guests are seated in the appropriate section.
In-theater Service
In-theater food and beverage service is what makes The Food Film Festival & Food Film Fest events unique. Reporting to the in –theater service manager and/or the Festival Chef, volunteers will serve guests tasting portions of the food and drink featured in each film during the screening of the films. This is one of the most important roles at our events.
General Clean Up
Lots of delicious food and drink creates a lot of trash – we’ll need your help to assist with collecting disposables, cleaning up in-theater and generally keeping our event space tidy.
Culinary Volunteers
We are always looking for culinary volunteers to assist the Festival Chef and guest chefs with kitchen set-up, prep, plating, service, and breakdown. To qualify as “culinary” you must be currently enrolled in, or graduated from culinary school. Past guest chefs have included Bill Telepan, Brad Farmerie, Amanda Cohen, Angie Mar, and more.
Photography Volunteers
We also look for photo volunteers who are looking to gain some experience with event photography and build their portfolio. Photo volunteers report to the Assistant Volunteer Coordinator and will work with a small photo team and a lead photographer. Expect to capture any of the following:
Sponsorship integration
Scenery details
General party / people / candids
VIPs / people / candids
Food close-ups
Culinary action
There are no qualifications for photography volunteers in terms of training, but we do require a sample of your work before we can officially invite you to volunteer.
Perks!
We provide all volunteers with a shift meal before the action gets underway (something simple & awesome, like pizza).
We provide you with cool Food Film Fest t-shirts and bandanas.
It’s work, but it feels like play - our team operates very much like a family and we do our best to take care of our volunteers and make sure they feel valued. Expect to have fun and be appreciated for your work!
Hours & Time Commitment
Shifts can be long (5-7 hours) but if you have other obligations and can’t be present for the whole shift, let us know! We love and value our volunteers and will try to work with you as best we can.
Most events happen in the evening, however, time of day will vary depending on the event.
Connect with past volunteers
Our volunteers tend to have a lot of fun and make friends while working our events. Connect with past and recurring volunteers on our dedicated volunteer Facebook page.
