Staff Opportunities

Join the team behind the Seattle Asian American Film Festival! We’re looking for passionate, dedicated individuals to help bring SAAFF to life. Explore available roles and apply to be part of our 2026 festival crew.

Help Make the Seattle Asian American Film Festival Happen!

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!

Open Roles

  • Community Relations Manager

  • Events Coordinator

  • Marketing Coordinator

  • PR Manager

  • Print Traffic Coordinator

  • Sponsorship Manager

  • Volunteer Manager

  • Webmaster

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

Community Relations Manager

The Community Relationship Manager conducts outreach and engagement with community organizations in order to fill co-presenter slots for film programs during the festival. They are the point-person for community co-presenters leading up to and during the run of the festival. The individual in this role will be asked to form sustained partnerships with community groups. Leading up to the festival, they will connect with select community groups and invite them to serve as community co-presenters for films tied to their mission, population served, or other factors. They will collect marketing and promotional assets, as well as coordinate in-person presentations for certain programs. Click Here To Apply

    • Spearhead outreach to community organizations based on alignment with planned film programs.

    • Create messaging that introduces the value of co-presenting to different organizations, as well as expectations for community co-presenter involvement.

    • Invite community organizations for co-presentations on specific programs.

    • Staying in communication with co-presenters, ensuring they are meeting promotional expectations such as sharing via e-news, social media, etc. leading up to the program.

    • Schedule community co-presenters to give a presentation about their organization during in-person film programs and coordinating their arrival.

    • Maintain regular communication with community co-presenters leading up to the festival.

    • Manage free program tickets for co-presenters for online and/or in person programs

    • Works with: Programming Team, Events Team

    • Assess community co–presenter parameters from other SAAFF staff members following the finalized festival program.

    • Outreach to community co-presenters 1-2 weeks after finalized festival program is shared internally

    • Confirm community co-presenters 1-2 months before festival

    • Monitor co-presenters for meeting promotional expectations in the 1-1.5 months prior to the festival

    • Serve as main point of contact for community co-presenters during the festival

    • Process free passes for co-presenters during the festival

Events Coordinator

The Events Coordinator is responsible for organizing and overseeing main events put on by the Seattle Asian American Film Festival. This involves working with venues, local businesses, artists, performers, sponsors and other vendors as needed for the events. Events include, but are not limited to Opening Night Party, VIP Party, fundraiser, C-ID Summer Series, and other film screenings. Click Here To Apply

    • Develop, implement, and maintain operation for events including room setup, admission ticketing procedure, audiovisual equipment and services, catering and food/beverage services, parking allocation, and coordination of security and custodial needs.

    • Develop event concepts, budgets, promotional materials and production/project and logistic schedules. 

    • Assist in development of event policies and procedures. 

    • Assist with the coordination of VIP visits and activities. 

    • Assist with vendor recommendations. 

    • Draft contracts with outside vendors and contractors. 

    • Coordinate with volunteers to respond to audience inquiries, while serving as an advocate for the festival.

    • Opening Night Party

    • VIP Party

    • Closing Night Party

    • Fundraiser: Cocktails & Karaoke

    • C-ID Summer Series

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

PR Manager

The Public Relations (PR) manager 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

Print Traffic Coordinator

Print Traffic Coordinator is in charge of collecting, organizing, and performing quality assurance on the film files submitted by filmmakers (both digital or physical files). Click Here To Apply

    • Knowing the necessary specifications to request from filmmakers

    • Collect and organize all film media sent by filmmakers

    • Upload all film files for any portion of the festival held online

    • Upload all promotional materials for Marketing to access

    • Oversee quality assurance of obtained and uploaded files for any technical issues

    • Interface with filmmakers about the collection of film materials and any issues

    • Communicate with the venue(s) about any specific asks or limitations

    • Prepare films to be played in accordance with programming at venue(s)

    Coordinates with Filmmaker Liaison

    • Collection of all film files up to two weeks prior to the festival

    • Print Traffic Tracking Sheet

    • Film Media Access Sheet

Sponsorship Manager

The Volunteer Manager 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

    • 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

Volunteer Manager

The Volunteer Manager 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

Webmaster

The Webmaster is responsible for maintaining and updating the Seattle Asian American Film Festival’s websites on both Squarespace (current site) and WordPress (archival content). This person ensures that all information is up to date across pages and works with team leads to publish new content. They will manage incoming web requests, oversee small updates, and track changes to maintain consistency across platforms. Click Here To Apply

    • Regularly review and update the SAAFF Squarespace website

    • Coordinate with SAAFF staff to collect content for new updates (programs, announcements, staff pages, etc.)

    • Manage and log web updates to maintain accuracy and consistency

    • Ensure proper archive management of past content through WordPress

    • Assign or delegate update requests as needed and follow through until completion

    • Document web updates for transparency and continuity

    • Festival season updates: program pages, ticket links, bios, sponsors

    • Mid-year campaigns: Summer Cinema, special events

    • Ongoing: Blog posts, news, staff changes, archive upkeep