Northwest Film Forum

Northwest Film Forum runs on the industry and creativity of our volunteer corps. Volunteers made us. And if no one volunteered ever again... well that'd break us... break our fragile filmic hearts. Almost anyone can volunteer here. All it takes is a commitment to come in at least two days or nights a month and an understanding that working here isn't at all like working for a conventional movie theatre, on a conventional production team, or in a conventional office environment.

Our cinemas operate with an entirely volunteer projection and box office/concessions staff, and our office runs smoothly with the aid of daytime volunteer help.

Our most regular volunteer opportunities are evening box office staff, daytime office workers, and special events volunteers.  Shift availability may vary, but chances are there's a spot for you in our ranks.

We expect our volunteers to be proactive and confident contributors to the overall tenor and functioning of this organization. Volunteering at the Film Forum is a great opportunity for anyone interested in learning more about movies and/or making films on a budget, and a great way to meet fellow filmmakers and cinephiles. And of course there are the free/discounted movies, and credit earned toward free equipment rentals and workshops.

Ready to get involved?
We'd love to know your schedule, interests and cinematic obsessions. Please fill our our volunteer questionnaire and email it to volunteer@nwfilmforum.org, or call 206.329.2629 between 10 and 6 Pacific for more information. We are always in need of help in our offices and our cinemas, and we treat - and reward - our volunteers very well.  Thanks for your interest!

Rewards!

We do all we can to make our volunteers feel appreciated. Active volunteers with a regular weekly shift get unlimited free entry to our regularly priced movies.  And every hour you work gets you a $5 credit toward equipment rentals and workshops. Once again, email volunteer@nwfilmforum.org or give us a call at (206)329-2629 for specifics.

Read our volunteer & intern ticket policy here

Current Volunteer Opportunities at Northwest Film Forum

Film Festival Website Design

Office Volunteers
A very important reliable point person that is the first to greet community members as they enter the building.  Should have a working knowledge of our current programs and classes.  Answer phone, light cleaning responsibilities.  Important that this person feels comfortable asking staff for tasks that need to be done and can work independently.  Shifts are Monday-Friday and are 4 hours in length, 10am-2pm and 2pm-6pm.  Speak with our volunteer coordinator about acquiring a shift, volunteer @ nwfilmforum.org
 

Box Office & Concessionaires
Our box office staff is hugely important, as they have the most direct contact with our patrons.  This job includes customer service, working a cash register, selling concessions and light clean up duties.  Volunteers should have a basic understanding our our movie calendar and what the organization does, and should be friendly and extremely reliable.  Shifts are weekend afternoons (varies, usually 12pm-4pm) and every evening (6pm-10pm).  Email the volunteer coordinator (volunteer @ nwfilmforum.org) if you are interested.

NWFF Street Team
Want to rack up some extra hours towards workshops and free movies without having to keep a regular office or box office shift?  The Street Team is for you!  This job requires 4 hours a week, but the hours are flexible to fit into your schedule.  Street Team members stop in the NWFF office once a week to be given posters, postcards, calendars, programs—whatever needs to get out into the city.  Street Team members are the public face of the Film Forum, bringing those printed materials around to coffee shops and other locations in the area.   Email the volunteer coordinator (volunteer @ nwfilmforum.org) if you are interested.
 

Website Manager and Developer
Northwest Film Forum seeks a talented, independent person with experience in web page development and back-end website management for writing (and possibly engineering) new webpages and troubleshooting problems for 4-10 hours per week. Candidates must be skilled in Ruby on Rails. The work environment is creative, fast-paced, casual and hard-working.  Email volunteer @ nwfilmforum.org if interested. 
 

Northwest Film Forum offers a limited number of office, production, and exhibition internships each and every quarter. Interns work (very) independently on specialized projects and, depending on the position, are required to commit at least 10-15 hours per week for two month increments. No experience is necessary, but all interested parties are required to send a resume. Please email volunteer@nwfilmforum.org or call 206.329.2629 to discuss.

Internships currently available
 

Facilities Internship

This internship gets you into the knitty gritty of what makes a venue stay alive. It is a physically active internship involved in improvement projects around the house, not one for the desk-job-lover. We have a fabulous intern already covering some of the bases and we need another in order to help us get a few more key and general projects done over the summer.

A good fit for this internship is someone who:
Ideally (but not required) has some experience in construction, carpentry, painting or Jack/Jill-of-many-trades. Can work independently (with support) and occasionally with others as projects require.

Must be able to lift at least 50 lbs.

For more details contact our volunteer coordinator at: volunteer@nwfilmforum.org. Deadline: Position is open until filled.