Since 1991, Inside Out has presented Canada's largest queer film and video festival. Over 11 fabulous days, the Festival draws crowds of more than 30,000 to parties, directors' talks, panel discussions and screenings of more than 285 films and videos from Canada and around the world. This would not be possible without the devoted work of our volunteers.
Volunteering is a great way to meet people, get involved in your community, see movies and damn it, feel good! There are many ways you can volunteer your time and your skills to Inside Out:
Year Round Volunteering
Office Worker Bees: Provide admin support to our tiny hard-working office team. Tasks include data entry, mailing, filing, organising, writing etc. Generally shifts only available Mon-Fri during office hours. Programming: Assist the programming team with inputting and organising submissions and dubbing tapes. Mon-Fri during office hours.
Special Events: Help out at year-round screenings and special events: ushering, ticket-taking, setting-up, postering, guest list and generally lending a hand.
Committees: If you're "plugged in" to the community and are looking for a greater commitment with Inside Out you may be interested in joining one of the subcommittees of the Board of Directors. If you have a background in the focus of any of the committees, we would be interested in having you on board.
There are three sub-committees:
Fundraising & Special Events - This Committee works with the Executive Director to help identify and implement activities that will increase the fundraising capabilities of the organization. The Committee works on developing fundraising events year-round and during the Festival, assists with identifying and pursuing individual and corporate prospects for giving and helps create policy and guidelines for individual giving.
Marketing and Community Outreach - The Marketing and Community Outreach Committee identifies and develops marketing initiatives to assist in the promotion, through both advertising and publicity, of the annual Festival and other initiatives of Inside Out. In addition, the committee performs outreach to the diverse communities that make-up the greater queer community. The Committee raises awareness of the programs and services of the organization and during the Festival helps to market specific programs of interest to appropriate groups. The Committee also pays special attention on those communities that are traditionally under-represented at the Festival including ethno-racial communities, Aboriginal community and seniors (as identified in Inside Out's new 3-year Strategic Plan).
Human Resources - The Human Resources Committee of the Board of Directors is responsible for ensuring the necessary infrastructure is in place to support the paid staff and volunteers of Inside Out. This includes identification, recruitment and orientation of new Board and committee members, performance reviews for the executive director, reviews of job descriptions and committee responsibilities and succession planning.
If you're interested in YEAR-ROUND volunteering click here to fill out our online application form. We will contact you shortly based on your availability. Please feel free to contact us for more information at 416-977-6847 or inside@insideout.ca
Festival Volunteering
Theatres: Be in the action! Help out our Front-of-House team manage the queer crowds in and out of the theatres. Tasks include ticket-taking, ushering, handing out ballots and line management.
Parties/Special Events: Social butterfly? Help out at our Festival parties with guest list, set-up, serving and security.
Driving: If you have a valid drivers license and access to a car you can help us pick-up and drop-off guests of the Festival to and from the airport.
Billeting: Do you have a spare bed/room/house to offer a visiting filmmaker? Help us make our guests feel welcome by providing a homestay.
All Festival volunteers MUST attend an orientation session. The dates and times will be posted closer to Festival time
The Payback!
All Inside Out volunteers receive:
- A complimentary regular screening voucher for every shift
- An exclusive Inside Out t-shirt
- Your very own post-fest Volunteer Party
- Access to Inside Out Closing Night Gala Party
- The experience of working in a fabulous team putting together the largest queer film festival in Canada!
FAQ's
What's a "shift"? A shift is usually a four-hour stint on the job. Sometimes this will differ, for example, if you put up a Festival guest for one night you get one voucher; one airport pick-up may only take you two hours but you will get one voucher.
What does a "voucher" get me? For Festival volunteers a voucher will be given to you at the end of every shift by your staff contact. You then take that voucher to the box office to be exchanged for any regular screening ticket (or use 3 vouchers for a gala screening ticket). Year-Round volunteers will have their shifts tallied throughout the year and then made available to them at the box office in May.
What if I work the last weekend of the Festival? We trust that you will turn up for your shift and we want you to be able to use the vouchers you have earned so we make your vouchers available to you by the last Friday of the Festival so you can use them for something on the last weekend. They will be in an account under your name at the box office.
Is there a minimum time requirement? The minimum time commitment is generally one four-hour shift.
