Volunteer FAQ
APPLYING TO BE A FESTIVAL VOLUNTEER
VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENTS
VOLUNTEER SHIFTS, EXPECTATIONS AND SCHEDULING
GENERAL INQUIRIES
I WOULD LIKE TO APPLY TO VOLUNTEER, BUT I DO NOT HAVE INTERNET ACCESS. WHAT CAN I DO?
There are several different places you can access the TIFF09 Volunteer Application if you don’t have a computer or Internet access at home.
The Toronto Public Library system offers free Internet access at 99 branches throughout the city!
The Volunteer Office will also have a few computer stations available to volunteers without Internet access. Volunteers will be able to use these computers during designated drop-in hours (TBA) or by appointment. Volunteer Office staff and trained volunteers will be available to assist you during the specific drop-in or appointment times.
Additionally, you might want to consider using an Internet café for added convenience.
AFTER I SUBMIT MY ONLINE APPLICATION, WILL THERE BE ANY ADDITIONAL STEPS TO THE REGISTRATION PROCESS?
Yes, submitting the appropriate online application is just the first step!
Additional steps to complete your volunteer application may include attaching a current resumé to your personal Volunteer Hub account (sometime after your application is submitted and accepted, you will receive your account password and information on how to log in to your account to do this), scheduling and attending an in-person Volunteer Orientation Session to meet with staff and go through a quick interview process, and attending any mandatory training sessions.
HOW WILL I KNOW IF MY VOLUNTEER APPLICATION HAS BEEN ACCEPTED FOR THE FESTIVAL?
In most cases, the Volunteer Office will be
not sending a formal message to notify volunteers of their acceptance into the volunteer programme. We will, however, be in touch in the event that your volunteer application needs particular attention or if there are any concerns along the way. Please be sure to read and follow the directions and notices that are sent to you from the Volunteer Office to ensure a smooth application, registration and shift-selection process.
AFTER I HAVE SUCCESSFULLY REGISTERED AND MY APPLICATION HAS BEEN ACCEPTED, HOW DO I SIGN UP FOR SPECIFIC VOLUNTEER SHIFTS?
Shift assignment and scheduling will be done through your personal login on the Volunteer Hub! Simply browse, add and remove shifts* from your volunteer schedule in real-time by logging into your volunteer account!
All registered Festival volunteers will be notified in advance of when the shift selection process will go live online. (Please be advised that in almost every case, shifts will not be readily available to add to your volunteer schedule when you first activate your personal Volunteer Hub account).
*You may remove (or cancel) a volunteer shift up to 48 hours in advance of the shift taking place. For additional volunteer scheduling and cancellation policies, tips, details and instructions, please refer to your TIFF09 volunteer orientation materials.
DO YOU PROVIDE HONORARIUMS OR REIMBURSE EXPENSES?
All volunteers must arrange their own accommodation, travel and meals. TIFF is a not-for-profit charitable organization, and unfortunately we cannot provide honorariums or reimburse these expenses.
I LIVE OUTSIDE ONTARIO AND WOULD LIKE TO VOLUNTEER FOR THE FESTIVAL. IS THIS POSSIBLE?
We are an international film festival and we readily welcome qualified volunteers from every corner of the world and every walk of life! In the past, people from Vancouver, Montreal, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Seoul, Edinburgh, Dublin, Bern, Hamburg, Melbourne, Moscow and other far-flung places have come to Toronto just to volunteer with us. We are very proud of our out-of-province volunteers because of their extraordinary stories and their commitment to film and the Festival.
Like all volunteers, if you are coming to Toronto to volunteer for The Festival, our minimum volunteer requirements will apply (e.g., you must be at least 18 years of age; be proficient in the English language; submit a resumé with references; and successfully complete the registration process).
Please be advised that some components of the volunteer registration process will require you to attend an orientation or training session in person. Specific dates and times are to be confirmed; however, you can anticipate that these sessions will likely take place throughout the month of August up to the start of The Festival. If you discover that you will be unable to attend any mandatory sessions, please let us know. While we will make every effort to find suitable alternate arrangements, unfortunately we cannot guarantee placement for volunteers who are unable to complete the entire registration process.
WHAT ARE THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS TO BE A FESTIVAL VOLUNTEER? AM I QUALIFIED?
Most of the volunteer jobs at The Festival require fluency in English, basic customer-service skills, a friendly and professional demeanour, a willingness and ability to follow directions and abide by volunteer policies, and a commitment to making the Festival a wonderful experience for both public and industry guests. Other than that, an interest in film is always welcome!
DO I HAVE TO KNOW A LOT ABOUT FILM TO VOLUNTEER FOR THE FESTIVAL?
You don’t need to be a film scholar to volunteer at The Festival, but it definitely helps to have an interest or background in film. Of course, you can count on learning plenty from the cinephiles who work and volunteer for The Festival!
I USE A WHEELCHAIR OR OTHER ASSISTIVE DEVICE. WILL FESTIVAL VENUES BE ACCESSIBLE TO ME?
All of our Festival venues are accessible, but some may require a bit of assistance, navigational or otherwise. Speak with the Volunteer Office if you would like to know more about accessible entrances and routes to our venues, and know that venue staff and volunteers are always ready to help guide you. If you need some assistance, please don’t hesitate to ask!
I’M 85 YEARS OLD. CAN I STILL VOLUNTEER?
Absolutely! There is no upper age limit for volunteering at TIFF. We’d love to have you join the programme.
We ask all of our volunteers to pay careful attention to the posted volunteer job requirements for each position, as some tasks will require lifting, standing for long periods of time, having specific experience on computer software programmes, etc. Ultimately, we rely on our volunteers to select the volunteer positions that will be a good fit for themselves and the volunteer team.
I’M 16 YEARS OLD. IT SAYS HERE THAT YOU MUST BE AT LEAST 18 IN ORDER TO VOLUNTEER FOR TIFF09. IS THERE ANY WAY I CAN STILL BE INVOLVED?
Most of the films that play at The Festival are brand new and may not have designated ratings at the time of screening. As a result, almost all films are restricted to audiences 18 years of age or older during The Festival. Unfortunately, we must extend this restriction to our volunteers, as younger volunteers would not be permitted to enter our theatre venues to volunteer.
HOW LONG IS EACH VOLUNTEER SHIFT?
The length of a volunteer shift will vary depending on any number of factors, including the tasks and duties of the position, the screening schedule, the venue set-up, appropriate changeover periods, staff schedules, etc. The average volunteer shift is approximately six hours long; most volunteer shifts are between four- to seven-hours long in duration.
Please note that, unfortunately, we cannot permit or accommodate adjustments (e.g., needing to leave earlier or arrive later) to our scheduled shift times. If you notice that you are not available for the full posted length of a shift you are requesting or scheduled for, you should remove the shift from your schedule (though you’re welcome to try to replace the shift with one that will work for you!).
WHAT SHOULD I WEAR WHEN I’M VOLUNTEERING?
All confirmed TIFF09 volunteers will receive a special Festival volunteer T-shirt to wear when they are working. Please treat this volunteer T-shirt like a uniform. As a security precaution during the 10 days of the Festival, wearing your TIFF09 volunteer T-shirt is mandatory at all times while on shift. However, we ask that you only wear your volunteer T-shirt while on duty as a TIFF09 volunteer. Please change out of your volunteer T-shirt at all other times during The Festival to avoid confusion. When The Festival is over, the T-shirt is yours to keep and wear any time you like!
Other than wearing a TIFF09 volunteer T-shirt, volunteers should always appear neat, tidy and clean. Please dress in a presentable yet comfortable manner, and always wear sensible shoes while on shift. Please also remember you may be asked to volunteer outside for at least part of your shift. We kindly advise all volunteers to come prepared and dress appropriately for the day’s weather!
If there is a specific dress code for an event that you are volunteering at (e.g., no blue jeans or running shoes), this will be communicated to you. Otherwise, neat and comfortable casual attire is the norm!
I’D LIKE TO VOLUNTEER WITH MY FRIENDS. CAN WE BE SCHEDULED TO WORK TOGETHER?
Because you request your schedule according to your own interests and availability, the easiest way to be scheduled for the same shifts as your friends is for all of you to coordinate which shifts you’ll be signing up for during the shift selection process, subject to the availability of the shift (some positions will have very limited availability and fill up quickly). It’s important to note, however, that while on shift, you may not always get to work together, as your Volunteer Captain or staff supervisor will assign you to a position where the need is greatest. The Volunteer Office is not able to guarantee that you will be scheduled with your friends.
WILL I GET TO WATCH THE FILMS WHILE I’M VOLUNTEERING?
For every shift that you volunteer, you’ll receive a Volunteer Reward Point Voucher that you can redeem at a TIFF Box Office for film tickets. We want you to use your vouchers to see some great films, before or after your shift. It is important to stress, however, that you should not expect to watch films while you are on shift.
Some theatre positions may permit you to be inside the theatre while a film is screening, but in most cases you will be there to perform a specific task (not to watch the film); you will need to rotate your positions and report back before the screening is finished. If the Theatre Representative determines that it is possible, occasionally you may be permitted to see one of the screenings while volunteering – but this will be an exception to the rule, and must never, ever be expected.
WILL I GET TO MEET CELEBRITIES?
Most Festival volunteers will be able to tell you about a celebrity sighting or two during the course of their volunteering, but it’s unlikely that you’ll get to meet your favourite star. Our volunteers are world-renowned for their friendliness and professionalism. Festival guests are happy to know that our volunteers are here to put on a world-class film festival, not to approach them for autographs or photos while they are busy working.
It’s natural to be excited when you spot someone who is famous, but making inappropriate requests of Festival guests or being distracted by celebrity talent to the point of compromising your volunteer duties is considered a serious breach of the volunteer agreement and will lead to immediate dismissal from the volunteer programme.
I’M AN ACTOR OR A FILMMAKER. WILL VOLUNTEERING HELP ME NETWORK WITH INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS?
In keeping with The Festival’s expectations of professionalism, our volunteers are not permitted to engage in self-promotion of any kind while on duty. Please, no handing out business cards, resumés or scripts while you’re volunteering. Doing so would be contrary to your volunteer agreement and will be grounds for immediate dismissal from the volunteer programme.
I HAVE VERY SPECIFIC AND SPECIALIZED SKILLS OR SERVICES THAT I WOULD LIKE TO OFFER AS A VOLUNTEER. HOW DO I SIGN UP FOR THE “SPECIALTY” SHIFTS AND/OR FOR POSITIONS WITH “MORE RESPONSIBILITY” OR “IMPORTANCE”?
We believe that the wealth of experience and skills that our volunteers bring to the Festival is both wonderful and impressive. That said, we consider all of our volunteer positions valuable and important to the smooth running of The Festival.
We want our volunteers to have a positive attitude and realistic expectations about the types of volunteer opportunities that are available. Well-meaning prospective volunteers have previously inquired about jobs such as writing press releases, coordinating special events or parties, or interpreting for dignitaries, to name but a few. These types of tasks and positions are generally not available to our volunteers because their level of responsibility requires that they are handled exclusively by TIFF staff. This is not to undermine the special expertise or capabilities of our volunteers, but these boundaries and limitations are in place to protect the interests of the Festival and our volunteers at large.
Whether you are clicker-counting patrons as they enter a screening, helping to proofread the film schedule board at the Festival office or simply acting as cone guard outside a busy venue (to prevent a traffic issue), we want you to take pride in a job well done, knowing that even the simplest or smallest duties fit into a bigger picture of importance to the Festival.
CAN I VOLUNTEER TO BE A MAKEUP ARTIST OR STYLIST FOR FESTIVAL GUESTS?
We’re sorry, but The Toronto International Film Festival does not offer volunteer opportunities of this nature.
I WORK FROM 9:00AM TO 5:00PM ON THE WEEKDAYS. DO YOU HAVE VOLUNTEER SHIFTS AVAILABLE IN THE EVENINGS AND ON WEEKENDS?
Yes, we have many volunteer shifts that take place in the evenings and on the two weekends of the Festival! However, these are commonly the most frequently requested shifts due to volunteer availability. After your volunteer application has been accepted, we recommend signing up for your shifts on the Volunteer Hub as early as possible during the shift selection process (dates and timelines for these processes will be announced to all of our registered volunteers).
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF BEING A TIFF09 VOLUNTEER?
Volunteering at The Festival gives you access to great rewards like vouchers for film tickets (good for both TIFF09 and selected screenings at TIFF.Cinematheque), selected TIFF09 merchandise, a ticket to a fabulous volunteer appreciation party, and access to a world-class film festival. Best of all, you'll get to meet other people who share your passion for film, you might get to learn a new skill (or practise an old one) and you’ll be part of one of the most important public film festivals in the world!
HOW DO I CONTACT THE VOLUNTEER OFFICE?
You can contact the Volunteer Office by email or by calling the Volunteer Hotline at 416-934-5846.
Our regular business hours are 10:00am to 5:30pm, Monday to Friday, excluding holidays. Please note that we are generally not equipped to be a drop-in office (unless otherwise announced). If a meeting is necessary, appointments can be made with Volunteer Office staff. Extended Festival Volunteer Office hours and drop-in hours will be available and announced to our registered volunteers closer to The Festival.