Melbourne International Film Festival 2014: Volunteer work experience
ARE you hungry for some work experience in Australia’s biggest film festival? Trinity College Foundation Studies students Yoda Lau and Jamie Goh break down the Melbourne International Film Festival’s volunteer role which features more than enough incentives for students to get behind.
Image supplied by Asha Holmes Publicity.
It wouldn’t be a Melbourne winter without the annual Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) which, this year, kicks off from July 31 to August 17. With a whole new variety of long-awaited and exclusive films from all over the world, MIFF will be bringing some of the year’s best and brightest features to Melbourne.
Featured films such as the Australian premiere of Listen Up Philip (starring Jason Schwartzman and Mad Men‘s Elisabeth Moss) to the much anticipated martial-arts epic, The Grandmaster (directed by world-reknowned director, Wong Kar-wai) have been already been announced with the addition of Richard Linklater’s highly ambitious film Boyhood and the critically acclaimed time travel rom-com The Infinite Man, also rounding out some of the festival’s must-see films.
However, watching amazing films isn’t the only incredible thing you can do there. MIFF is recruiting passionate volunteers who play a role in ensuring the success of the event, which is surely something that would entice students looking to gain work experience or for those looking to meet new people.
MIFF’s volunteer role is open to anyone over the age of 18 and if students already have similar experience in a previous voluntary role or in customer service, it will be looked upon favourably.
Image supplied by Asha Holmes Publicity.
As a volunteer, you will need to engage in different primary activities, including queue control, ticket scanning and cinema ushering. Also, you may be tasked with pre-festival administrative duties and other activities in relation to events organisation.
Although it may sound like hard work, the fruits that you reap from your labour will be huge. In addition to receiving a MIFF 2014 Volunteer T-Shirt and Volunteer Pass (which must be worn at all times on shift), MIFF volunteers will also receive an allocated amount of single session Admit One pass to book tickets to any session of the festival (excluding Opening and Closing Night and Special Events). So the more you work, the more films you’ll be able to see! All volunteers will also receive free access to the daily Volunteer Secret Screening.
Undoubtedly a rewarding experience, if you’re interested in applying to become a volunteer at MIFF, hurry and act fast as applications will close on Sunday, June 22!
To become a volunteer, register on the MIFF website where you can apply to be one. Applicants may be contacted the following week and will be asked to attend a group interview. Successful applicants will be notified via email by Monday, July 7.
All successful volunteers are required to attend a training session on the morning of Saturday, July 26, and complete a minimum of seven shifts (with each shift rounding out to approximately four-five hours), over the 17 days of the festival. MIFF will also require that students are confident in their ability to speak fluent English so as to communicate well to the general public.
For more information about the volunteer role at the Melbourne International Film Festival, check their volunteer FAQ section on the festival website.