* * * *
This information is kept online to
be helpful to anyone interested in volunteering for 2007. A special email list
is maintained for annoucements about volunteering; you can sign on to that list
by sending a blank email to this
address.
* * * *
The Wisconsin Film Festival (WFF) invites you to
become a Festival volunteer in 2006. Now in its eighth year, the
Festival depends on the hard work of local volunteers for its success.
Last year, over 120 people—from students to grandparents—volunteered
for the festival. Volunteers helped 24,000 ticketholders enjoy more than 150
films from around the world and from right here in Wisconsin. Volunteers helped
make the Festival a great experience for audience members and filmmakers and
speakers such as Mark Moskowitz (Stone Reader) who said our Festival
is “one of the best film festivals you’ll ever go to” or Chris Gore (Film
Threat, IFC Ultimate Film Fanatic), who called WFF "my favorite
regional film festival."
The staff of the Festival is small, and it’s the
volunteer teams who keep the theaters running smoothly during the four-day Festival.
- we
take tickets
- answer questions
- help people find seats
- get each screening started by coordinating with the theater projectionist
- introduce some films
- assist with panels and Q&A sessions with filmmakers
- do it all over again for the next film in the schedule
Volunteers work
a lot, ideally committing to at least ten hours of volunteering during
the Festival.
In exchange, volunteers become a core part of the
Wisconsin Film Festival, see some Festival films, meet the filmmakers, and learn
how a festival works behind the scenes. It’s also a great way to connect with
other volunteers and community members who share your passion for great movies.
The information here will help you become part of
the team!
It’s a big responsibility. We do it well, and it’s
one of the reasons that the Wisconsin Film Festival has become a respected regional
event, and has grown so quickly in a short time. Because we depend on you, there
are some commitments we ask you to make: commitments of time, reliability, professionalism,
and enthusiasm.
2006 VOLUNTEER INFORMATION
WELCOME!
if you’re a returning volunteer,
WELCOME BACK!)
We welcome applications from community members and students age 18 and over.
Priority is also given to Wisconsin residents. Priority
for volunteering at the Memorial Union Play Circle will be given to UW-Madison
students.
2006 Wisconsin Film Festival Schedule:
Thursday, March 30: 4 pm – 1 am
Friday, March 31: 3 pm – 2 am
Saturday, April 1: 10 am – 2 am
Sunday, April 2: noon – 10 pm
Most volunteer shifts will be scheduled during these
time slots. See below for pre-Festival activities and meetings.
Volunteer schedule
A few weeks before the Festival, we’ll start scheduling volunteers into
time-slots over the Festival weekend. If you want to volunteer, please arrange
to free up time during the Festival. We divide up the weekend into shifts of
roughly four to six hours. You’ll have an opportunity to share with us what days
and times work best for you. We ask that you work at least two shifts — many
people work much more!
Pre-Festival: For early applicants and/or
returning volunteers, pre-Festival assistance is welcome. Activities
may include distributing Festival promotional materials (Feb. 20–March
30) or assisting with customer service at the Box Office during the first week
and last weeks of advance ticket sales (March 4–11 and March 27–29).
Mandatory volunteer meetings
We hold meetings before the festival to present the information you’ll need to
be a volunteer. To accommodate people’s schedules, we arrange for two pairs of
meetings. You must attend one meeting during Week A and one meeting during
Week B. This is true for returning volunteers as much as for first-timers—we
rely on the experiences of those folks who worked at past festivals to help us
improve our procedures for 2006!
Week A: Saturday, February 25 (12 pm to 2 pm)
OR
Sunday, February 26 (12 pm to 2 pm)
Week B: Monday, March 27 (7:30 pm to 9 pm)
OR Tuesday, March 28 (7:30 pm to 9 pm)
Week B meetings are at 1101 Humanities (corner of University
and Park).
If you apply to volunteer, please be sure to arrange
your schedule so that you can attend these meetings and are available during
the Festival.
Email and web access
You are strongly encouraged to have access to email and the web during February
and March 2006. Important communication about volunteer assignments and activities
will be given to you via email and the Festival website.
Volunteer benefits
In exchange for your hard work at the festival, you’ll receive a coveted
volunteers-only t-shirt. We wear these during the event to identify ourselves
as festival crew, and it’s yours to keep. All volunteers receive a Festival
poster as well as additional benefits to be announced at the first volunteer
meetings.
You’ll also receive four ticket vouchers for festival
films. You swap them for film tickets at the box office, and we recommend doing
this as early as possible, because films have been selling out quickly. These
vouchers can be used by other people, and in any combination (four different
films, or all for one film).
Fine print
The Wisconsin Film Festival is a public program of the UW-Madison Arts Institute,
a non-profit, tax-exempt unit of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and System.
In order to successfully accomplish our mission of educational outreach, support
for independent filmmakers and service to the community, we ask volunteers to
commit to the following:
| a) |
Volunteers must be at least 18 years
of age. |
| b) |
All volunteers are responsible for their
own transportation, lodging and meals in Madison for Festival activities. |
| c) |
Volunteers understand that they are
freely donating their time and expertise to the Wisconsin Film Festival. Only pre-approved
expenses incurred by volunteers in the course of their activities will be
reimbursed after the Festival. |
| d) |
Please note that acceptance of your
application makes you an official volunteer and that you will be covered by the
State’s liability protection program so long as you perform your duties within
the scope of the description provided above. Since volunteers are not covered
by the state’s worker compensation program, however, you are encouraged to maintain
your own health insurance. If you should be injured during the course of
your volunteer activities and the injury results from the negligence of a University
employee or agent, you would have the legal rights to seek compensation from
the negligent party or property owner. |
After reading the Volunteer Information, if you have
questions about volunteering, please email Meg Hamel at volunteer@wifilmfest.org or
call (877) 963-FILM.
Thank you!
Meg Hamel, interim director,
and Cressida Hanson & Nate Bice, WUD Film Committee |
