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Volunteer
"At Telluride, one is perpetually grateful for the thoughtfulness of the scheduling, the simplicity of the pass system, the professionalism of the staff, and most of all for the insistence of the Festival to go against the grain of what is hip and fashionable. Telluride has stubbornly remained a unique alternative to the sheer bigness and commerciality of other festivals. It has somehow all worked, and in a great twist, become hip and fashionable and the best, I believe, of all the world’s film festivals."
Sure, there’s the pleasure of rubbing shoulders with the film elite. But plenty of elbow grease goes into producing the four-day Telluride Film Festival. That’s where you might come in — hard-working, problem-solving, movie-loving, people-pleasing, get-your-hands-dirty volunteers make the show happen. The Telluride volunteers are the nuts and bolts of the endeavor; we literally could not do it without them. What kind of talents can we use? Carpenters to build benches. Ushers to finesse the crowds. Food servers. Muscles to haul gear. Your first step is to apply — we’ll figure out where to harness your talents.
For those who want the fullest ‘behind-the-scenes’ adventure, we select 8-10 eager applicants as production apprentices for an intensive month of preparation in Telluride. Remember the elementary school gym that transforms into an galactic movie palace? That takes many hands and long hours. Carpentry, rigging, painting and other production skills — apprentices acquire a real hands-on view of assembling a world-class event from the ground up. More information and the Production Apprentice Application Form are available below.
Past volunteers get first crack at positions for the next festival. Be warned: that leaves few spots for newcomers. First-time workers are primarily chosen by matching your skills to our needs. Help your cause by applying early. Witness the charm of a unique film event while contributing the sweat that pulls it off. Volunteer. As Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland exclaimed: "Let’s put on a show!"
There are 2 ways to get on board:
STAFF: We require our staff to work 30+/- hours over the course of the 4 days of the festival as well as the few days before and after. In exchange, our staff receives a festival pass, admission to some of the festival special events, access to our clubhouse serving 3 delicious meals (+snacks!) a day, great festival schwag and the fun that comes with working with great people.
VOLUNTEER: In addition to the 30+/- hour/full staff option, it is also possible to volunteer for the festival, working less than the full staff option (usually between 6-15 hours). Volunteering in this category ranges from helping out answering the phones to catering our events to serving food in our staff clubhouse and more. For each 3-hour shift, volunteers receive one ticket for showings at our big 3 venues: the Chuck Jones Cinema, the Galaxy and the Palm Theater.
Although positions are offered first to returning staff members, we welcome applications from new candidates. The decision to accept and assign staff depends on dates of availability, specific skills and overall enthusiasm for working long hours with a smile.
The 2008 Volunteer Application Form may be downloaded here. (PDF)
The 2008 Production Apprentice Application Form may be downloaded here. (PDF)
"There are two components of any great undertaking like Telluride: hard work and love. But only the love must show..."
"Telluride has the world’s best film festival staff."
"Telluride's production apprentice program was simply one of the happiest times of my life. The rewards are profound and immediate when making something worthwhile from the ground up with your hands, and the month of work was hardly without its moments of mischief. I guarantee that no one appreciates four days of SHOW more than the people who are putting it on."