Volunteers IFFR 2008

Every year the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) works with many volunteers. As a volunteer you get a unique experience behind the scenes of the biggest cultural event of the Netherlands.

What can you expect as a volunteer?
The International Film Festival Rotterdam is a busy period in which you work intensively and cooperate with nice colleagues in an informal working environment. In return for your efforts you get a Crewpass, and with that you can get tickets for film screenings. Besides this you get food and drinks during your shifts, discount consumption tickets, the official festival t-shirt, the catalogue, a welcome gift and invitations for several volunteer film screenings and parties.

What do we expect from you?
As a volunteer we expect you to be available during the festival period (23 January till 3 February 2008) and work a minimum of ten shifts. This year you can schedule your own shifts. In so doing so you are able to determine your own working days and times! At the end of December you will be invited by e-mail to schedule your shifts online. Availability before the festival can be an advantage. Furthermore we expect from volunteers that they are representative and able to speak Dutch well. As a volunteer you are the face of the festival. You have to arrange your own accommodation during the festival. Travel expenses are not compensated. When you are living abroad, we ask you to send us your accommodation and flight information in advance so we can be sure you are able to volunteer.

How do I apply?
1. New volunteers
When you are older than 16 years and you didn’t volunteer for the last two editions of the festival, then fill out the online application form.  AVAILABLE AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE

2. Returning volunteers
If you have volunteered for the festival in the last two years, you will receive an e-mail mid November with a personal code and password. With this information you can log on to a special part of the website. There you will find a personal application form which you can fill out and send to us, if you want to volunteer for the International Film Festival Rotterdam again this year.

For both new and returning volunteers the online application form is designed in such a way that your information is dealt with correctly and processed in an efficient manner. This works fully automatic so please do not send us personal e-mails with your application information. In the application form you can fill out your address and contact information and your preferable volunteer job. Furthermore we are interested in your knowledge of languages and other skills like a driver’s license. We also ask you to attach a (short) CV to your application form with some more information about your background. Returning volunteers can indicate whether or not they would like to have the same volunteer job as they had last year.

First meeting
In November, December and January new volunteers will be invited in small groups by us for a meeting at the festival office in Rotterdam (Karel Doormanstraat 278-B), to get acquainted with each other. You will be approached by us, so also in this case you don’t have to contact us yourself. If you worked for the festival before and you want to do a different volunteer job than the last time, there is a possibility you will be invited for a meeting about your new volunteer job as well.

Volunteer jobs
There are a large number of different volunteer jobs. Below you will find an overview of these jobs with a short job description. For non-Dutch speaking volunteers not all volunteer jobs are suited, as speaking Dutch fluently is required for some jobs. But don’t worry; there are enough interesting jobs available! Below you will find an overview of the volunteer jobs with a short job description, suitable for non-Dutch speaking volunteers.

We are mainly looking for ‘zaalwachten’ (screening attendants) and ‘publieksbegeleiders’ (customer care assistants). For the other jobs we only need a very limited number of volunteers , since these jobs require more specific knowledge, skills and experience. Therefore it is advisable to mark several volunteer jobs when you fill out the application form.

The activities of volunteers can be split up into an audience-related and a guest-related part.

A. Audience-related volunteer jobs
- Zaalwachten (screenings attendants)
Checking tickets at the entrance of the auditorium and/or handing out and taking in short surveys for the audience award. Besides this, ‘screenings attendants’ are responsible for good crowd control in and around the auditorium.

- Publieksbegeleiders (customer care assistants)
Guiding visitors and guests in De Doelen.

- Paper Tigers
Taking care of the distribution of festivalposters, programmes and film reviews to all festival locations.

- Festivaldagkrant koeriers (daily festival newspaper courier)
 Taking care of the distribution of the Daily Tiger to all festival locations.

- Bouwploeg (construction team)
Building up and breaking down festival locations and decoration. The ‘bouwploeg’ mainly works before and after the festival.

- Merchandise
Selling IFFR merchandise like t-shirts and the catalogue to audience and guests. Merchandise starts five days before the festival.

- Kantoorondersteuning (office support)
Before the festival these volunteers help out at the office with mailings and other tasks. In this job your shifts can be scheduled from mid January.

- Garderobeploeg (cloak room team)
 Taking in and handing out jackets, coats, bags, etc. in the wardrobes of several festival locations. Also providing general information about the festival to audience and guests.

B. Guest-related volunteer jobs
For these jobs, a small number of volunteers are needed. These volunteers must have specific competences and need to speak several languages. Besides this, availability during the whole festival period is crucial.

- Service Center
Volunteers provide service to festival guests and assist for example with the usage of computers, printers, faxes, etc.

- Guest desk
Volunteers look after the welcoming and guiding of guests, providing them with information about the festival.

- Press desk
Volunteers look after the welcoming and guiding of (inter)national press. The volunteers coordinate the contacts and interviews between journalists and film directors. Besides this, they provide press with information about the festival and films, both verbally and with press materials. In this job you start before the festival and work whole days. Knowledge about film related press is preferred.

- CineMart desk
Volunteers look after the welcoming and guiding of CineMart guests. Besides this, they provide the guests with information about the festival and CineMart.

- Accreditation desk
Volunteers look after the welcoming and guiding of guests, providing them with information about the festival and the festival passes.

- Video library
Volunteers lending and registering of tapes and DVD’s to industry representatives.


Summary
What do we expect from you?
- You are available during the International Film Festival Rotterdam (23 January till 3 February 2008) and work ten shifts;
- You are motivated and representative;
- You speak and understand Dutch reasonably well;
- You arrange your own accommodation during the festival.

What can you expect?
- A festival Crewpass, if you work ten shifts;
- Food and drinks during your shifts and discount consumption tickets;
- The official festival T-shirt, the festival catalogue and a welcome gift;
- Inivtations for several volunteer parties and special film screenings;
- An exciting and busy period in a great city!


APPLY AS NEW VOLUNTEER? HERE YOU FIND THE ONLINE APPLICATION FORM!


Contact information:

Volunteers Coordination
Matthijs van Burg & Adam Verhaar
E-mail: volunteers@filmfestivalrotterdam.com
Tel: 010-8909090

Postal address:
International Film Festival Rotterdam
P.O. Box 21696
3001 AR Rotterdam

Visiting address:
Karel Doormanstraat 278-B
Tel: 010-8909090
Fax: 010-8909091