Northwest Film Forum (NWFF) is seeking a visionary and experienced Education Director to set the vision for the organization’s education programming for youth and adults. Reporting to the Executive Director and working closely with all aspects of the Film Forum team, the Education Director will oversee the education department, including the development of innovative, year-round, curated and guest curated educational offerings, workshops, special events, and festival events. They will oversee the development of resources and support services for education, drive participation, expand partnerships, grow mentorship programs, and further build NWFF’s reputation as a regional film hub for filmmakers. This strategically-minded, engaged, and detail-oriented candidate should be passionate about NWFF’s mission, vision, and current organizational trajectory.

Programs the candidate will be supporting and/or overseeing include:

• Year-round education programming for adults and youth, including summer camps, one-offs, and offerings during film festivals
• Remove the Gap Productions (RG Pro) – Our in-house film production company which removes gaps in race, gender, and sexual orientation within the film industry through job training and work opportunities
• Mentorship Programs – Development of workforce pipeline through RG Pro Production Intensives series and other mentorship opportunities
• Grantwriting & Sponsorships – Seeking new income streams for education department and programs
• Management – Seeking, onboarding, and managing new instructors, mentors, and assistants for workshops, mentorship programs, and summer camps
• Edit Lab and Gear Rental – Management of contractors, assistants, interns, and volunteers who will help with artist services and spaces
• Data Management – Oversight and maintenance of student and instructor rosters and data within organizational CRM system

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Key Responsibilities

Northwest Film Forum believes in coalition-building and horizontal models of collaboration and leadership. The candidate for this position will be self-motivated and able to work independently as well as work in close collaboration with a larger team. All Film Forum staff wear many hats and are comfortable working in a passionate, shared environment of collaborative decision-making and visioning.

Please note that all roles and responsibilities will be executed alongside other members of the NWFF team, where appropriate.

WORKSHOPS & VISITING ARTISTS

• Year-Round Programming:
  • Envision, develop, and produce a variety of film and media workshops that serve a range of demographics, professional levels, cultural identities, and creative approaches, with a focus on equity.
  • Schedule year-round education timeline for youth summer camps and adult programming on a quarterly basis.
  • Focus and grow our tentpole workshop series for adults, including Filmmaking Fundamentals for Documentary and Narrative.
• Film Festival Programming:
  • Work with Film Forum team to curate educational offerings during NWFF-run film festivals, including:
    • ByDesign Festival – Interdisciplinary design and architecture festival
    • Cadence: Video Poetry Festival – The only one of its kind in the region
    • Children’s Film Festival Seattle – Our largest festival of the year, for youth and adults
    • Local Sightings Film Festival: Pacific Northwest film and media festival; our second largest festival of the year
• Visiting Artists: Help curate special events and educational opportunities with visiting artists and filmmakers, as well as arrange travel, accommodations, and stipends as necessary, year-round and during festivals.
• Grantwriting & Sponsorships: Seeking new income streams for education department and programs.
• Management: Hire, onboard, orient, and set expectations for workshop instructors, as well as support in curriculum development.

PRODUCTION & MENTORSHIPS

• Remove the Gap Productions (RG Pro): Support NWFF’s in-house film production company which removes gaps in race, gender, and sexual orientation within the film industry through job training and work opportunities.
  • Work closely with RG Pro Lead Producer to manage and onboard apprentices and mentors, as well as create community among mentees.
  • Raise awareness of the program within the community, especially among diverse constituencies.
• RG Pro Production Intensives Workshop Series: Manage a foundational suite of workshops which serves as a prerequisite for young people 17-25 entering the RG Pro program.
  • Hire and manage instructors, mentors, and assistant facilitators.
  • Adapt and refine curriculum in collaboration with instructors and industry trends.
  • Maintain communication with and community between successive student cohorts through regular check in events.
• Mentorship Programs: Continue to develop workforce pipeline through RG Pro as well as grow other mentorship opportunities, in narrative and documentary formats.
• Gabriel Miller Gear Grant: Develop free gear rental program for underserved communities.

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

• Cultural Sensitivity: Prioritize stories and creators that are told from authentic points of view while researching, to the best of their knowledge, that programmed films do not cause harm to BIPOC, LGBTQ+, disability, low-income, and/or other historically underserved or under resourced communities.
• Inclusive Programming: Ensure NWFF’s education programs and workshops include a wide range of perspectives, stories, creators, and educators, so that diverse students can see themselves reflected on-screen and throughout their workshops.

OUTREACH & MARKETING

• Community-Building: Establish and maintain relationships with peer organizations, community partners, including local filmmakers, nonprofit groups, educational institutions, government agencies, production companies, and other content creators.
• Copywriting & Coordination: Develop and maintain cohesive standards for workshop descriptions, in collaboration with educators and filmmakers.
• Marketing: Work with the marketing team to create effective marketing strategies and outreach plans for education and workshop promotion.

DATA & TRACKING

• Feedback: Provide insight and leadership on how NWFF can best meet the needs of film and media makers, by actively soliciting and listening to feedback from students and community members, then incorporate feedback in program design and evaluation
• Data Management: Oversight and maintenance of student and instructor rosters and data within organizational CRM system.
• Info Shares: Work with NWFF team to form cohesive structures for data management and documentation of educational programs.

Qualities, Qualifications, and Experience

• Ability to see, value, and adapt to cultural differences. Demonstrated and/or lived experience working with people of diverse ages, genders, sexualities, ethnicities, cultures, races, abilities, and socio-economic backgrounds, including those from society’s historically underserved by mainstream arts organizations.
• Passion for and dedication to NWFF’s history, mission, vision, values, and programs.
• Familiarity with and deep understanding of independent film and arts communities, especially those in the Pacific Northwest region and Seattle area.
• Experience with nonprofit organizations with multiple programs serving diverse constituencies in film, arts, and/or media.
• Lived commitment to and investment in racial and social justice and anti-oppression analysis.
• Familiarity with Adobe suite extremely helpful, including Photoshop, InDesign, Premiere Pro, or After Effects, and/or similar experience project managing projects in the Adobe suite.
• Experience with Google Suite extremely helpful.
• Ability to create or edit video and media, or project manage the work of other creators.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with excitement for working in a collaborative team environment.
• Self-starter, with an ability to multi-task and juggle distinct priorities and relationships gracefully.

Employment Information, Compensation, and Benefits

This staff position is 40 hours/week, $46,000-$50,000 annual salary range, and reports to the Executive Director. Flexible work schedule, plus access to filmmaking gear, computers, and workshops. After positive 3-month review, this position will be eligible for benefits, including 100% coverage of health, dental, and vision.

For the foreseeable future until pandemic restrictions and stay-at-home orders lift, this role will be remote. Candidate must be local to Western Washington area or willing to relocate when NWFF re-opens in Fall 2021. Due to the public nature of NWFF’s work and our diverse constituency, the hired candidate must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at that time.

Northwest Film Forum is seeking a strategically-minded, engaged, and detail-oriented Cinema Programming Coordinator who is passionate about NWFF’s mission, vision, and current organizational trajectory. The ideal candidate will have a passion for and familiarity with modern film programming, with diverse lived experiences and a proven track record championing diversity, equity, and inclusion in their work. They will have experience with public programming, event curation, film festivals, and a strong and varied network of relationships across arts, film, media, creative industries, and progressive social movements. The Cinema Programming Coordinator role will be key in supporting NWFF’s transition from a contract programmer to an in-house staff member who will work closely with the entire team.

Programs the candidate will be supporting and/or overseeing include:

• Year-round cinema programming
• Four NWFF-run film festivals/events:
  • ByDesign Festival – Interdisciplinary design and architecture festival
  • Cadence: Video Poetry Festival – The only one of its kind in the region
  • Children’s Film Festival Seattle – Our largest festival of the year, for youth and adults
  • Local Sightings Film Festival: Pacific Northwest film and media festival; our second largest festival of the year
• Special events or screening opportunities
• Pre-screening introductions and post-screening talk-backs

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Key Responsibilities

FILM PROGRAMMING

• Year-Round Programming:
  • Curate, program, and book theatrical runs of new and repertory films for 2 screen cinema, for both in-person screenings and virtual programming.
  • Assist in listing Virtual programming on Eventive (or other digital platform).
  • Maintain and cultivate distributor relationships for theatrical bookings.
  • Review and assess all upcoming releases.
  • Negotiate MGs and percentage splits for all programmed releases.
• Film Calendar: Coordinate strategies and timelines for year-round film programming.
• Marketing: Work with marketing team to create effective marketing strategies and outreach plans for film promotion.
• Community-Building: Establish and maintain relationships with film directors, producers, distributors, sales agents and other content creators.
• Coordination: Coordinate communications plans with distributors and relay needs and assets from program partners to marketing team.
• Film Descriptions: Identify weak film descriptions and work with NWFF team to develop better copy text and marketing pullquotes.
• Cultural Sensitivity: Prioritize stories that are told from authentic points of view while researching, to the best of their knowledge, that programmed films do not cause harm to BIPOC, LGBTQ+, disability, low-income, and/or other historically underserved or under resourced communities.
• Inclusive Programming: Ensure NWFF’s film programs include a wide range of perspectives, stories, and creators, throughout the entire Programming Calendar.
• Visiting Artists & Eduaction: Help curate special events and educational opportunities with visiting artists and filmmakers, as well as arrange travel, accommodations, and stipends as necessary, year-round and during festivals.
• Info Shares: Work with NWFF team to form cohesive structures for data management and documentation of film programs.

FILM FESTIVALS

All film festival activities will be closely executed with other members of the Film Forum team.

• Research & Outreach: Seek out short and feature film submissions for each in-house festival’s unique mission and demographics.
• Submissions Review: Collaborate with NWFF team to review and judge submissions for all programs, including but not limited to feature films and short films.
• Festival Correspondence: Gather promotional materials and assets from distributors or artists, including high-res images, film details, posters, trailers, press kits, etc, as well as any needs during or after the festival, including awards notifications and return of print traffic or promotional materials.
• Festival Programs: Work with NWFF team to schedule screening blocks and events.
• Event Facilitation: Develop, organize, and facilitate or co-facilitate discussions, pre- and post-screening talkbacks workshops, trainings, roundtables, and other events to help bolster film programming (virtually, or in person as appropriate), year-round and during festivals.
• Wrap-Up Reports: Contribute to festival wrap-up report in conjunction with NWFF team within two weeks of every major in-house festival, including the development of festival best practice frameworks.

Qualities, Qualifications, and Experience

• Ability to see, value, and adapt to cultural differences. Demonstrated and/or lived experience working with people of diverse ages, genders, sexualities, ethnicities, cultures, races, abilities, and socio-economic backgrounds, including those from society’s historically underserved by mainstream arts organizations.
• Passion for and dedication to NWFF’s history, mission, vision, values, and programs.
• Familiarity with and deep understanding of independent film and arts communities, especially those in the Pacific Northwest region and Seattle area.
• Experience with nonprofit organizations with multiple programs serving diverse constituencies in film, arts, and/or media.
• Lived commitment to and investment in racial and social justice and anti-oppression analysis.
• Familiarity and experience in Adobe suite, Google suite are not required but helpful.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with excitement for working in a collaborative team environment.
• Self-starter, with an ability to multi-task and juggle distinct priorities and relationships gracefully.

Employment Information, Compensation, and Benefits

This staff position is 20 hours/week, $18-$20/hour, and reports to the Executive Director and Artistic Director. Flexible work schedule, plus access to filmmaking gear, computers, and workshops. After positive 3-month review, this position will be eligible for benefits, including 100% coverage of health, dental, and vision.

For the foreseeable future until pandemic restrictions and stay-at-home orders lift, this role will be remote. Candidate must be local to Western Washington area or willing to relocate when NWFF re-opens in Fall 2021. Due to the public nature of NWFF’s work and our diverse constituency, the hired candidate must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at that time.