CinefestOZ, Australia’s largest destination film festival, is calling for passionate and enthusiastic people to volunteer as movie crew for screenings and events across the South West.
The festival takes place in the towns of Augusta, Margaret River, Dunsborough, Busselton and Bunbury from August 22 to 26.
Proudly supported by community partner Rio Tinto, the movie crew are the heart and soul of the festival with more than 300 volunteers in 2017.
Volunteers help out with a range of positions from the volunteer board, interns gaining work experience and community members, many of whom sign up year after year.
Rio Tinto’s general manager Gaby Poirier said being a part of the movie crew was a great experience for community members, including many from the FIFO community.
“We are proud to have a great volunteering culture at Rio Tinto,” he said.
“Supporting the movie crew initiative enables us to further promote volunteering in the communities where many of our FIFO employees live, including their friends and families.”
CinefestOZ chief executive officer Malinda Nixon said the professionalism and dedication of the movie crew helped earn the festival a reputation as the friendliest film festival in Australia.
Ms Nixon said the volunteers were ambassadors and the backbone of the festival.
“Their smiling faces greet our audiences and their local knowledge helps create the hospitable festival atmosphere,” she said.
“Without the volunteers, who fill a wide variety of integral roles, CinefestOZ, a not-for-profit event, could not operate.
“With over 40 events and more than 150 screenings, we depend on volunteer support and value everyone who gives up their time.”
CinefestOZ movie crew can volunteer for wide range of roles including film hosts at screenings and side bars, event crew, festival promotion, usher and cinema presentation, bar attendants, hospitality crew and VIP hosts and drivers.
Each volunteer gets a movie crew polo shirt, the opportunity to attend at least one general screening, attend the after-party, and at the end of the festival receives a gold star.
The movie crew gold star badges are worn with pride by our returning movie crew, some have been with the festival from the beginning and will earn their ninth star at this year’s festival.
Aspiring movie crew are encouraged to visit cinefestoz.com and read the movie crew info pack, then follow the prompts to register.