Volunteer

The Philadelphia Film Festival is an 11-day celebration of independent and international films. Last year, we screened Academy Award nominated The Broken Circle Breakdown, crowd-pleaser About Time, the groundbreaking Blue is the Warmest Color, and dozens more films from around the corner and across the globe. PFF Volunteers help in the day-to-day operations of the festival, working at venues and special events. Becoming a PFF Volunteer is a great way to hang out with cinephiles like you, meeting new people, and get some free movie tickets in the process.

PFF23 Volunteer Positions include:

Theater Operations // Greeters & Ushers

The Theatre Operations Volunteers operate each theatre, from ticket scanning to crowd control. They are prepared to assist hundreds of people with their exceptional customer service skills – showing them where to line up, helping them into the venue, to their seats, and with their questions.  Each venue will have a volunteer manager that will help coordinate tasks and liaise with the festival staff.  While films are playing, greeters and ushers may be asked to help with other tasks such as ballot counting and distributing materials to local businesses.  

Box Office

Box Office Volunteers assist patrons at all of our venue locations for cash and credit card sales, while working with online, on-site ticketing software. If you are able to multi-task while keeping cool, efficiently handle and reconcile sales sheets, and work with computers – you are the perfect person for this position!

Special Events

Special Events volunteers will help with setup and décor, breakdown and wrap up of festival events, as well as greeting, ticketing, tracking, and directing patrons in attendance. As we will be serving alcoholic beverages at most events, these volunteers must be 21 years of age or older- no exceptions. Special Events may come up after the Program Guide is published. If you are interested, you will be notified of Special Events opportunities.

Membership

Volunteering to work at the Membership Table entails enthusiastically explaining Philadelphia Film Society Membership Opportunities to patrons. Volunteers must learn the levels and prices of PFS Membership and be able to communicate the benefits of membership.  For more information, contact Membership Coordinator Alyssa Kaminski at AKaminski@filmadephia.org

Hospitality

If you have an outgoing personality, a car with an excellent driving record, and know your way around the city - this may be the job for you! Hospitality & Transportation volunteers assist our Guest Services Director in getting festival guests and filmmakers to and fro during their stay in Philadelphia. In this position, you will become very familiar with places such as Philadelphia International Airport, 30th Street Station, local hotels and restaurants, and famous personalities. (*We reserve the right to screen all volunteers applying for this position.)

Training

All volunteers are encouraged to attend a Volunteer Training Session. At training, volunteers will get an overview of the responsibilities and benefits of being a Philadelphia Film Festival Volunteer, and have the opportunity to sign up for shifts during the Festival. Volunteers interested in helping with Box Office or Membership are REQUIRED to attend training.

Volunteer Training Sessions are scheduled for the following dates:
Saturday, September 27 (9:30am-11:30am)
Sunday, September 28 (9:30am-11:30am)
Saturday, October 4 (9:30am-11:30am)
Sunday, October 5 (9:30am-11:30am)
Saturday October 11 (9:30am-11:30am)

This year, all Volunteer Training Sessions will be held at the PFS Roxy Theater (2023 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA). 

Click below to sign up for a Volunteer Training Session

Every year, the Philadelphia Film Festival draws a group of dedicated and extremely valued volunteers to help sell tickets, run venues, and assist guests.  Now, we have a variety of one-time and year-round volunteer opportunities for festivals, outreach and assistance at the newly re-opened PFS Theater at the Roxy.  Volunteering for the Philadelphia Film Society gives you the chance to join the ever-growing Philadelphia film community, meet new people, and see amazing films for free.

Current PFS Year-Round Volunteer Opportunities:

PFS Street Team

 The PFS Street Team is a new but crucial team of PFS volunteers.  The Street Team is responsible for getting the word out about our programs and events.  You would have to pick up materials, which may include postcards, flyers, programs, or posters, and distribute them in your chosen neighborhood.  It’s a quick and easy way to rack up volunteer hours and free tickets right in your own backyard.

Passport to World Cinema

The PFS/UArts Passport to World Cinema Screenings are monthly screenings of acclaimed international films at the Gershman Y.  Past screenings have included the documentaries Stories We Tell, and The Act of Killing, in addition to a variety of other movies from all over the world.

The PFS Theater at the Roxy

 Volunteering at the PFS Theater at the Roxy would give you a chance to see movies and help out all year long. The PFS Theater at the Roxy is an first-run independent movie theater in the Rittenhouse neighborhood. Volunteers at the theater would assist in directing patrons and answering questions, and are encouraged to engage with guests and discuss the films as theaters empty.  Volunteers at the PFS Theater at the Roxy would be able to watch the films playing during their shifts.  So far, films at the PFS Theater at the Roxy have included The Wolf of Wall Street, The Fault in Our Stars, Snowpiercer, and Hateship/Loveship.