Overview and Requirements
Volunteering for the VAFF is a wonderful way to give back to your community, meet new friends, and see amazing films and filmmakers. Each year, we look for volunteers to fill the roles listed below:
- Driver
- Event Set Up and Breakdown
- Office Support
- Panel Discussion Volunteer
- Party Staff
- Publicity
- Screening Venue Usher
- Venue & Party Manager
View Full Descriptions of our 2022 Volunteer Roles Here
Volunteer Requirements:
- For those who have volunteered before, you will need to complete a volunteer interest form every year.
- Age: The minimum age to volunteer at the VAFF is 15.
- Training: All volunteers are expected to attend a volunteer training session held prior to the Festival over Zoom on Thursday, October 27.
- Party Volunteers: All party volunteers must be at least 21 years old.
- Drivers: All drivers must have a valid driver’s license, agree to a DMV driving record check, be familiar with the local area, and be at least 25 years old.
Volunteer Interest Form
To facilitate the process of matching volunteers to the Festival needs this year, we ask all potential volunteers, even returning volunteers, to complete our yearly interest form. We ask you for your contact information, which roles you are particularly interested in, and your availability during the Festival weekend, November 2-6, 2022. Armed with your Interest Form answers, our Volunteer Coordinator, Jenny Gardiner will be in touch with you beginning the week of October 17, 2022 as we begin to assign roles.
Please note the following:
- Pay special attention to entering your email address correctly on our volunteer interest form. After submitting this form, you will receive an automatic confirmation from us. If you do not receive this confirmation within 24 hours of submitting your form, then you likely entered your email address incorrectly and we suggest you either re-apply or contact our Volunteer Coordinator at volunteer@virginiafilmfestival.org. Given the volume of applications we receive, if we receive an interest form with an invalid email, we will delete the entry from our database.
- Submitting an interest form does not guarantee you will be offered a role, as we tend to receive more applications than positions each year.
Tools for Volunteers
Once you have received confirmation that you will be a VAFF volunteer, you can use the Festival’s Volunteer Portal via the button below to check your schedule, record your volunteer service hours, and much more…anytime, and from any device.
Additional Volunteer Resources:
- VAFF Volunteer Training Manual
- Description of our Volunteer Roles
- List of VAFF venues with addresses and parking options
Volunteer Perks
VAFF Volunteers rock! As a way to say thank you, all of our volunteers will receive:
- Uniform: A complimentary VAFF Volunteer T-Shirt, volunteer badge, and lanyard.
- Thank You Event: Celebrate with fellow volunteers after the Festival wraps at a special private screening!
Please note: You are not considered a volunteer, thus do not qualify for the benefits above, until you are scheduled to work a shift.