PTFF News Archive > May 2005 Newsletter
1. 2005 passes now on sale
2. Kids film camp
3. Open casting call
4. Website redesign
5. Farmers Market
6. Did you know...?
7. PTFF recommends Mad Hot Ballroom
8. List of open volunteer leader positions
1. 2005 passes now on sale. Pass brochures are mailing this week for the 6th annual Port Townsend Film Festival to be held Friday through Sunday, September 23-25. Advance purchase festival passes, which provide access to all screenings, Q&A sessions and panel discussions on a first-come, first-seated basis, are available now for $150. The price jumps to $175 on July 1 for non-members. If you don't receive the pass brochure by the end of next week, give us a call at 360-379-1333 and we'll send you one. Passes can also be purchased online at www.ptfilmfest.com.
2. Kids Film Camp. New in 2005 is the Kids Film Camp. Now your children can enjoy the film festival and you need not worry about finding childcare. PTFF has partnered with Firefly Academy Preschool, located downtown on Washington Street near Taylor, to offer a fun and educational film camp for children 2 - 12. At $40, the pass entitles your child up to ten hours of film camp child care. For more details and registration, email filmcamp@ptfilmfest.com or call 360-379-1129.
3. Open casting call. Nearly 300 amazing volunteers comprise the Port Townsend Film Festival family each year. The festival could not happen without them. A variety of positions are now open, ranging from beer garden baristas, theatre ushers, summer raffle hawkers, set designers, writers. Most immediately, the festival needs "heralds" (people to distribute pass brochures and posters) and "ambassadors" (greeters to represent the festival at various public events such as the Farmers Market). We also need team leaders who will help to organize certain aspects of our film extravaganza. A complete list of team leaders is included at the end of the newsletter. Volunteers enjoy a variety of benefits as well as the satisfaction gained from helping to stage one of Port Townsend's favorite festivals.
4. Website redesign. Jon, Carrie, and Suzanne at Wind's Eye Design is redesigning the Port Townsend Film Festival website to give new oomph to the festival's community and creative spirit to cyberspace. All the information you ever wanted to know about PTFF (and then some) will be at your fingertips. For instance, want to become a member, buy a pass, or become a volunteer? All you'll have to do is click on links on the home page. Want to know who is involved, how the festival got started, what films were shown during the first festival and every year since, what videos are available for checkout through our film library program? It will all be there. As we move closer to September, programming information will be revealed, including the identity of our special guests. The new website should be online the first week of June. (Note that "should be;" things sometime happen...)
5. Farmers Market. Nita Hughes, our new wonderful Marketing Assistant, is organizing PTFF's table at the weekly Port Townsend Farmers Market each Saturday from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm, starting June 4. Come by Uptown Port Townsend on Tyler Street between Lawrence and Clay, right in front of the Community Center, and visit us. Stick around. Volunteer.
6. Did you know ...? Did you know that the Port Townsend Film Festival office is home to scores of past festival films on video and DVD that members can check out for free? Why not become a PTFF member today? Call 360-379-1333 for details.
7. PTFF recommends. Well, if you've already seen Star Wars, Episode III once or twice (or are just plain sick of the series) and if you're not enamored with full-length cartoons (although Madagascar is getting good buzz), wait a little while for Mad Hot Ballroom, a documentary about eleven-year-old New York City public school kids' journey into the world of ballroom dancing. Says the Internet Movie Data Base: "Told from their candid, sometimes hilarious perspectives, these kids are transformed, from reluctant participants to determined competitors, from typical urban kids to `ladies and gentlemen,' on their way to try to compete in the final citywide competition. Providing unique insight into the incredible cultural diversity that is New York City, this film profiles several kids from three schools (out of 60) at this dynamic age, when becoming that `cool' teenager vies for position with familiar innocence, while they learn the merengue, rumba, tango, the foxtrot and swing." This documentary had a meteoric ride on the festival circuit, so fast, in fact, that it picked up a distributor right after its first showing at Sundance in January and was quickly pulled from festival screenings. Otherwise, we'd be showing it in September. For dance-crazy Port Townsend-ites, this is the summer movie to end all summer movies. Coming soon to the Rose. You'll leave the theatre dancing.
8. List of open volunteer leader positions. If you want to help the 6th annual Port Townsend Film Festival be the success that festivals 1 through 5 were, please read carefully the volunteer opportunities listed below to find the perfect fit for your skills.
Casting Call for 2005 PTFF Volunteer Leaders Immediate Needs
Assistance needed beginning in late May and throughout the summer.Heralds. Distribute festival brochures and posters in Kitsap (Kingston, Suquamish, Poulsbo, Silverdale, and Bainbridge Island) and Clallam Counties (Sequim and Port Angeles.) Skills needed: a sense of adventure and a valid driver's license.
Festival ambassadors. Staff the festival table at the Food Co-op and Farmer's Market, communicating with the public, answering questions, and selling PTFF memberships, passes, raffle tickets, etc. Skills needed: the gift of gab.
Year-round positions
Positions that perform activities throughout the year.Editor/Writer. Responsible for reviewing all festival publications for editorial consistency; write some articles about the festival for the media, both print and broadcast; assist in the development of the official festival program. Skills needed: ability to write great lead sentences and an eagle eye. Guest services. Responsible for arranging transportation for festival guests to and from Sea-Tac as necessary and finding lodging for festival guests, either through commercial or private means, and assigning it as appropriate. Skills needed: problem-solver with a high tolerance for changing needs
Film Library coordinator. Organize and maintain the Institute's video library of films for use by Institute members. Skills needed: detail oriented and the ability to make occasional friendly phone call reminders to members to return films to the library.
Pre-Festival positions
Positions that perform their activities mostly prior to the festivalArt director. Work closely with the executive director and core volunteer staff to give the festival a "look" that is both attractive and enhances the festival's imagery based on its poster and previous graphics; includes street and theater decorations and working with the Main Street program's retail window contest. Skills needed: imagination and a fondness for palm trees.
Awards Breakfast chair. Under the direction of the Special Events chair, pull together site arrangements with appropriate pomp and circumstance. Work closely with the Jury chair to coordinate the event with the program. Skills needed: a compulsive sense of detail that translates into elegance.
Farmers Market coordinator. Oversee staffing and organization of a table at the Farmers Market on a weekly basis through the summer and right up to the festival. Staff at table is responsible for answering general questions, selling passes, memberships and raffle tickets as applicable. Also sign up volunteers and act as goodwill ambassadors. Skills needed: Ability to coordinate people, make certain they have the materials and information they need.
Film 2880 assistant (new). Assist the project's director Peter Wiant with administrative detail necessary to running the contest and all follow-up activities. Skills needed: ability to be a happy schlepper with an orientation to detail.
Food Venue coordinator. Work with downtown food vendors to provide easily-prepared and served snacks and meals that festival-goers can eat between films or while waiting in line; also, coordinate food vendors at the high school. Skills needed: a knowledge of good fast food and an understanding of the realities of restaurants.
Local Promoter. Under the direction of the Marketing chair and assistant chair, responsible for publicizing the festival and overseeing the distribution of flyers and posters on the Olympic and Kitsap Peninsulas and Whidbey Island. Skills needed: creative marketing skills.
Raffle coordinator. Organize raffle of passes and other gifts at the PTFF table at the Farmers Market and other venues throughout the summer. Skills needed: garrulous sales ability to inspire others to sell, sell, sell.
Trainer. Coordinate volunteer training prior to the festival, working closely with team leaders to provide appropriate and consistent instruction to volunteers. Skills needed: knowledge of how adults learn and a desire to understand all the workings of a film festival.
VIP Reception chair. Under the direction of the special events chair, coordinate reception for approximately 200 guests by locating and working with servers, caterers and providing the required magic to honor our films, creators and connoisseurs. Skills needed: A sense of elegance and the ability to delegate and coordinate.
Festival Positions
Positions that perform their activities primarily during the festivalBeer garden manager. Staff and train servers for the annual festival beer garden on Taylor Street, working closely with the Port Townsend Brewing Co. and the Washington State Liquor Control Board. Skills needed: attention to detail and an understanding of and a solemn commitment to following the state liquor laws.
Film Dispatcher. Responsible for obtaining films from the Film Assembler after they have been given their final screening and preparing them for return to their producers or exhibitors in a timely fashion. Skills needed: attention to detail
Film Handler. Responsible for transporting film and videos from the assembly location to the appropriate venues and back. Skills needed: muscle and a sense of direction, and a good watch.
Merchandise manager. Working closely with the marketing coordinator and the festival's graphic designer, select designs for merchandise to be sold during the festival; oversee staffing of the merchandise booth during the festival. Skills needed: knowledge of retail clothing.
Merchandise assistant. Working closely with the Merchandise manger, assist with the various duties involve in selecting and selling festival merchandise. Skills needed: same as above.
Theatre Managers. Working closely with the projectionist, responsible for audience management at each venue. Responsible for waiting-line maintenance, seat patrons in specified order, and clean-up between screenings. Consistency of procedures among all venues is paramount to the festival's success. Skills needed: the temperament of a master sergeant, even a drill instructor in some instances, but with a velvet exterior.
Theatre Set-up (High School and Pope Marine Park). Working with assigned high school staff, designated electricians and sound operators, prepare the High school for conversion into a movie theatre. Similarly, prepare the Pope Marine Park Building to also serve as a theatre, covering windows, mounting screen, working with the YMCA for use of their carpet and Centrum for the use of their chairs. Skills needed: a knowledge of the various crafts involved in putting on a show, attention to detail, and the ability to work with lots of different people with different ways of working.
Transportation director. Responsible for arranging for transportation between downtown Port Townsend and the Uptown venues during the festival. Skills needed: safe driving record and the compulsiveness of a dispatcher.
Festival jobs such as ushers, ticket sellers and takers, hospitality center volunteers are also open now. Check our website www.ptfilmfest.com and click on "volunteers." A specific call for these jobs will also be made again closer to the festival.