Volunteering is the act of serving others or a cause without receiving payment for their time and services. It is an altruistic activity and benefits both people and organizations. Volunteers have the opportunity to contribute their expertise and develop their skills at the same time. The experience of volunteering is good to add to your resume and demonstrates your participation in the community.
My volunteering began at the young age of 20 when I volunteered for a Run for Charity. A strong track record as a volunteer led to several paid positions of Volunteer Coordinator for arts and film festivals in Toronto. As a Volunteer Coordinator, I was able to impact the lives of many volunteers and successfully execute events with people power. I thoroughly enjoyed coordinating volunteers for festivals.
There are many perks associated with volunteering. It is an exciting, but equally tiring experience, and well worth it. You get to see celebs first hand and find out more about what goes on behind the scenes when a film is being made. Those in the film industry include: actors, actresses, assistant directors, directors, directors of photography, producers, production assistants and screenwriters. Being a volunteer for a film festival gives you the chance to meet any of these film industry professionals. Many volunteers have used their experience volunteering at festivals as a launching pad for their careers.
Why volunteer for a film festival? Let me share some benefits of volunteering:
- Free film screenings
- Food and drinks
- Fun factor
- Access to industry professionals
- Skills development
- Making new friends
- Building your experience
- Parties
A film festival brings a certain kind of energy and excitement at the same time. Some festivals may attract "A" list Celebrities and smaller film festivals may have the appearance of just one "A" lister.
Those who are volunteering get a sneak peak into this world and if they are lucky, get to network with these industry professionals in their volunteering duties.
How do you choose which film festival to volunteer for? Here are some suggestions to get you started:
- Decide what genre of film interests you
- Ask friends for recommendations of festivals
- Apply to volunteer at a few festivals
- Lastly, it's important to decide the level of commitment of volunteering you intend to take on. The options are:
- Pre-festival
- During festival
- Post festival
All volunteering commitments bring forth valuable and memorable experiences.
I worked my first film festival in 2006 and still get together with the former staff and volunteers today. In early September 2011, I attended a dinner reunion of staff and volunteers. During the Toronto International Film Festival 2011, I also was a guest at the Cocktail Reception for ReelWorld Indie Film Lounge and enjoyed meeting all the industry professionals. I would have never had all these experiences years later, if I didn't commit to volunteering for my first festival in 2004. Take the first step, and sign up to volunteer today. You'll be happy you did and get ready to have the time of your life!
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