Programs / Undergraduate Program

Internships

    San Francisco Cinematheque

    Internships with San Francisco Cinematheque

    Start date: Ongoing

    San Francisco Cinematheque

    INTERNSHIPS with SAN FRANCISCO CINEMATHEQUE

    Founded in 1961, San Francisco Cinematheque is a non-profit media arts presenter dedicated to the cultivation of the international field of non-commercial artist-made cinema through curated exhibitions (presented publicly and online), an annual film festival, through the creation of publications and online resources documenting the field, and by maintaining a publicly accessible research archive. Through our work San Francisco Cinematheque inspires aesthetic dialog among artists, stimulates critical discourse around the field and encourages appreciation of artist-made cinema across the broader cultural landscape. For complete information on our programming and work, please see www.sfcinematheque.org

    GET INVOLVED! San Francisco Cinematheque’s internship program has always been, and continues to be vital to our success and vibrancy within the Bay Area’s cultural landscape and to our international position Our internships allow participants to develop professional-level responsibilities, receive training and guidance from our knowledgeable staff, and strengthen the capacity of a high-impact, low-resource non-profit arts organization. Interns should be interested in working in a non-profit arts environment and possess strong communication and computer skills. An interest in avant-garde and experimental media is preferred, but not required.

    In seeking interns, we aspire to:

    ● provide opportunities for arts administrative and curatorial training within a small non-profit media arts organization
    ● provide a comprehensive understanding of Cinematheque’s administrative and curatorial initiatives
    ● encourage a passion for our mission via engagement with the wealth of Cinematheque’s cultural resources, including our public screenings and online exhibitions; annual film festival; our physical and online archives; our publications; and the vibrant community of artists, enthusiasts and organizations who support us.

    All internships are unpaid and require a minimum of 5–7 hours per week and approximately a 4–6 month commitment (unless otherwise indicated). We are able to give course credit for internships through many educational institutions but it is not required that applicants be pursuing course credit to intern with Cinematheque.

    NOTE for 2021/2022: Cinematheque’s San Francisco office space is currently closed. All staff are “working from home.” Until further notice, Cinematheque internships will be remote work experiences, with all communication taking place online and/or by telephone. Staff/intern Interactions can be either synchronous or asynchronous (or a combination of the two) depending on individual needs, schedules and timezones. 2021/2022 Internships are available to any interested parties worldwide. Due to the remote nature of our current Internships, Cinematheque is unable to provide work computers to applicants.

    To apply for an internship, please submit a cover letter and resume to sfc@sfcinematheque.org. Please include the name of the internship in the subject line.

     

    CURATORIAL/FILM FESTIVAL INTERNSHIP

    Start Date: ASAP
    Minimum Commitment: To be determined based on schedule and availability. A commitment through the 2022 presentation of the CROSSROADS film festival (projected as June 2022) is ideal.
    Desired Availability: 5–7 hours/week on a schedule to be determined. Currently all work will be done remotely. Availability to work synchronously with staff (at a schedule to be determined) is strongly preferred. Keeping in mind this preference for synchronous work, this Internship is open to any interested party,regardless of geographical location.

    Cinematheque’s Curatorial/Film Festival internship is ideal for those interested in learning about contemporary international avant-garde cinema, about film festival curatorial and administrative processes and about non-profit arts administration in general. This position will work closely with Cinematheque’s Artistic Director and Technical Directors on all aspects of planning and executing CROSSROADS 2022* and will also support Cinematheque’s year-round online and theatrical programming.

    *CROSSROADS is Cinematheque’s annual film festival celebrating recent artist-made film, video andperformance cinema. Founded in 2010, each year CROSSROADS presents a diverse lineup of contemporaryavant-garde/experimental film/video work from the international community. In its twelve years of existence,CROSSROADS has emerged as a significant international film/video showcase, having become a choice festivalfor filmmakers to premiere and screen work, and a destination festival for engaged curators, film enthusiasts,like-minded filmmakers and loyal community members. CROSSROADS 2022 is projected to take place in Juneas a hybrid online/cinema space festival (venue to be determined), public safety policies permitting.

    Curatorial/Film Festival internship responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
    ● Management of film submission databases
    ● Correspondence with filmmakers and artists
    ● Management of print traffic and digital video file transfer and storage
    ● Assist with tracking and analyzing web analytics for online programs
    ● Text compilation, copy editing and design proofing of program guide, online texts and web pages
    ● Organization and management of filmmakers’ party in conjunction with Cinematheque staff and Board
    ● Additional assistance to Festival and Artistic Director as needed
    ● Additional general administrative support

    Preferred Skills and Abilities:
    ● A sense of professionalism with regard to representing the organization
    ● A strong interest in contemporary and historic experimental/underground/avant-garde cinema
    ● An enthusiasm for developing relationships with artists, festival sponsors, audiences and other segments of our community
    ● Strong attention to detail and organization
    ● Working knowledge of basic administrative applications and “cloud platforms” including email, Google Workspace Dropbox, WordPress and/or Vimeo
    ● Ability to take direction but also work independently where required
    ● Previous administrative or management experience a plus

    To apply for this internship, please submit a cover letter and resume to sfc@sfcinematheque.org. Please include the name of the internship in the subject line.