Staff Opportunities

Join the team behind the Seattle Asian American Film Festival. We’re always looking for passionate, community-minded folks to help bring SAAFF to life. Explore ways to get involved across our festival seasons.

Apply Here

Help Make the Seattle Asian American Film Festival Happen!

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The Seattle Asian American Film Festival (SAAFF) is powered by a fully volunteer team. All staff positions are unpaid volunteer roles, but they come with incredible opportunities to gain experience, build community, and support Asian American independent film and arts.

If you’re passionate about storytelling, community engagement, or arts programming, we’d love for you to join us!

Why Join SAAFF?

  • Community. Join a tight-knit team of artists, filmmakers, students, and professionals who genuinely enjoy doing this together.

  • Access to film and culture. Get into screenings, festival nights, and community events across Seattle's Asian American arts scene.

  • Mentorship. Learn from experienced directors and team leads who care about helping you grow.

  • Cross-team collaboration. Work alongside programming, design, marketing, and operations, and pick up skills well beyond your own role.

Open Roles

  • Copywriter

  • Festival Sponsorship Coordinator

  • Finance Coordinator

  • Marketing Coordinator

  • Public Relations (PR) Coordinator

  • Volunteer Coordinator

How to Apply

Please fill out our staff application form to tell us about your interests and experience. If you have any questions, reach out to us at info@seattleaaff.org

Recruitment Update: SAAFF is currently pausing active recruitment as we prepare for our upcoming festival and Summer Cinema series. We are still accepting applications and will be reviewing them for the 2027 festival season. Active recruitment will resume in September. We encourage you to apply and stay connected.

Apply Here

Note: SAAFF is fiscally sponsored by Shunpike and cannot provide support for OPT or H-1B visa-related employment paperwork.

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Copywriter

The Copywriter supports the Seattle Asian American Film Festival’s written communications across all platforms. This role is responsible for developing compelling, clear, and mission-aligned copy that reflects SAAFF’s voice and uplifts Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander storytelling.

Working closely with the Marketing Director, Programming Team, Design Team, and Webmaster, the Copywriter helps shape how SAAFF communicates with audiences, filmmakers, sponsors, and community partners. This role ensures messaging is cohesive, engaging, and consistent throughout the year. Click Here To Apply

    • Write and edit blog articles that spotlight filmmakers, community partners, sponsors, and festival impact

    • Develop long-form storytelling pieces tied to festival themes and cultural moments

    • Draft and refine copy for e-newsletters, announcements, and campaign messaging

    • Write website copy for program pages, sponsorship pages, and special initiatives

    • Create social media captions in collaboration with the Marketing Team

    • Assist Programming Team with editing film descriptions and program notes

    • Maintain a consistent and engaging brand voice across all written materials

    • Proofread internal and external communications as needed

    • Festival lineup announcement

    • Filmmaker spotlight series

    • Sponsor and community partner features

    • Fundraiser storytelling campaigns

    • Summer Cinema blog features

    • Monthly or bi-monthly blog publishing schedule

Festival Sponsorship Coordinator

The Sponsorship Coordinator manages the planning and implementation of sponsorship strategy for monetary and in-kind sponsorships. This involves maintaining outreach and communications with sponsors, managing negotiations and sponsorship inquiries, and ensuring all partners we work with are aligned to our organization’s mission and value. They also will serve as the point person for sponsors during in-person events and parties. Click Here To Apply

    • Work closely with the directors and marketing team to complete the Sponsorship Kit

    • Outreach to and coordinate with potential sponsors for the annual film festival, the annual fundraiser, and any other major SAAFF events as needed

    • Maintain and update the sponsors database of local businesses and organizations

    • Track and ensure sponsorship deliverables are met by both the SAAFF teams and sponsors as agreed upon

    • Coordinate ads for sponsors in film festival program guide

    • Coordinate with the Finance Coordinator to ensure sponsorships are categorized properly with Shunpike

    • Coordinate pick-ups/drop-offs for any in-kind sponsorships with the Events Team

Finance Coordinator

The Finance Coordinator supports the Seattle Asian American Film Festival’s financial record-keeping and operational processes. This role ensures accurate tracking of income and expenses across all festival programs and events. The Finance Coordinator works closely with the Sponsorship Manager, Grants Manager, and Operations Director to maintain financial transparency and compliance with the festival’s fiscal sponsor. They help prepare financial reports, assist with budgeting processes, and organize documentation for audits, grants, and sponsorships.  Click Here To Apply

    • Track income and expenses related to festival operations, grants, sponsorships, and events

    • Maintain organized digital files of receipts, invoices, and financial documents

    • Coordinate with Shunpike (our fiscal sponsor) to ensure proper categorization of expenses and income

    • Support the creation of financial reports for internal review, grants, and sponsor requirements

    • Work with the Sponsorship Manager to confirm proper recording of sponsorship funds and in-kind contributions

    • Help prepare budgets for events and programs in collaboration with Operations and Events teams

    • Support any financial compliance tasks required by funders or sponsors

    • Assist in reconciling event income (e.g. box office sales, fundraising proceeds, merchandise)

    • Annual Festival Budget preparation (Fall/Winter preceding the festival)

    • Tracking financials during the film festival (Spring)

    • Preparing financial data for annual grant reports and final reconciliations (Spring/Summer)

    • Support for annual fundraiser reconciliation (typically held in January)

    • Periodic budget check-ins for summer events like C-ID Summer Cinema

Marketing Coordinator

The Marketing Coordinator supports the Seattle Asian American Film Festival’s marketing and promotional efforts throughout the year. This role helps plan and execute marketing campaigns, collaborates with team members across departments, and assists in maintaining SAAFF’s brand presence. The Marketing Coordinator helps ensure timely promotion of events, programs, and news through digital channels, print materials, and community partnerships.

This role is ideal for someone interested in gaining hands-on experience in nonprofit arts marketing, project coordination, and campaign planning. Strong organizational skills, communication, and attention to detail are essential. Click Here To Apply

    • Support development and execution of marketing plans for festival and year-round events

    • Assist in writing and editing marketing materials including emails, flyers, and social media copy

    • Help coordinate timelines and deliverables across marketing, programming, and events teams

    • Collect and organize content (photos, videos, quotes) for marketing use

    • Contribute ideas for social media campaigns and community engagement

    • Help track marketing deadlines and maintain the team calendar

    • Assist with distribution of promotional materials to partners and venues

    • Provide support during major events for marketing needs (signage, program guides, merch, etc.)

    • Festival promotional timeline (Spring)

    • Annual fundraising event marketing

    • C-ID Summer Cinema promotions (Summer)

    • Website content updates as needed

Public Relations (PR) Coordinator

The Public Relations (PR) Coordinator oversees communication with media personnel and curates publicity for the Seattle Asian American Film Festival. This involves developing press releases prior to publication, managing media inquiries, seeking interview opportunities, and cultivating relationships with broadcast and online media. Click Here To Apply

    • Develop press releases for the annual film festival and other major SAAFF events

    • Add SAAFF events to local, online calendars (i.e. City of Seattle, Parent Map, and EverOut)

    • Strategize and work with press industry (newspapers, radio shows, television broadcasting, blogs, and podcasts) to promote the annual film festival and other major SAAFF events in various media outlets

    • Work closely with Filmmaker Liaison and programming team to coordinate interviews between SAAFF staff/filmmakers and external press teams

    • Compile a press kit from all the documents provided by the filmmakers

    • Compile and archive all press mentions and interviews of the festival each year to be uploaded to the website

Volunteer Coordinator

The Volunteer Coordinator recruits, trains, and schedules festival volunteers. They are the point-person for volunteers during the run of the festival. The individual in this role will be asked to form sustained partnerships with many student groups, arts organizations, and professional networks in Seattle. Leading up to the festival, they will recruit and schedule volunteers for the multi-day event, as well as conduct training on providing exemplary customer service to our diverse audiences. They also follow up with administrative responsibilities, such as updating key documents and keeping records on past participants. This role is significant in introducing local volunteers to independent films that uplift the voices of the Asian diaspora, building intercultural relationships through art and community. Click Here To Apply

    • Spearhead outreach to student organizations, community groups, and other sources of locally-based volunteers

    • Update the Volunteer Handbook, Volunteer Interest Form, and other training materials that reflect the needs, values, and interests of SAAFF

    • Recruit volunteers for specific roles, based on festival needs

    • Conduct training with volunteers that review festival roles and expectations, as well as foster connections between participating volunteers

    • Schedule volunteers (and possibly staff members) based on their availability

    • Maintain regular communication with volunteers leading up to the festival

    • Serve as the main contact for volunteers throughout the festival, as well as for volunteer inquiries during the year

    • Volunteer Interest Form

    • Outreach to organizations

    • Volunteer Trainings

    • Volunteer/Staff Schedule

    • C-ID Summer Cinema