Venue Manager

SFFILM is looking to bring on a team of energetic, experienced venue managers for our 2026 San Francisco International Film Festival, which will take place April 24 – May 4, across multiple venues in the Bay Area. The Venue Manager ensures the seamless operations of their assigned festival screening venue, from providing welcoming and friendly customer service to staying on top of multiple departments and moving parts while keeping a timely run-of-show.

For each screening, the position oversees and executes preparations, set-ups, house openings, screening turnarounds, and nightly organization and breakdowns. Above all, our venue managers should bring an energetic, commanding presence to our theaters.

This is an hourly, temporary role onsite at the festival from April 24 – May 4, 2026. Strong preference will be given for candidates that have fully open availability to work these dates. The role also includes paid hours in the days leading up to the festival and post-festival for required training and wrap.

Seasonal staff are expected to be based in the Bay Area or be able to provide their own housing during the contract dates.

Hourly rate: $20/hour, eligible for overtime

• Oversee all operational needs to keep screening venues running smoothly and on time, and ensuring all festival policies are being followed, creating a welcoming and consistent experience for festival attendees
• Act as main driver to ensure programs are staying on schedule including opening doors, starting films, ending Q&As, and clearing and cleaning houses in a timely manner
• Work closely with on-site tech and projection staff with frequent and clear communication to call shows, check content, adjust lighting and volume, and prep the house for patron entry and exit
• Confidently lead house staff and coordinate with box office cashiers to achieve smooth and efficient front-of-house experience. This includes line management, ticket sales, timing of patron ingress and egress, resetting reserves and cleaning house for following shows, and staying up to date on house capacity and ability to release rush tickets.
• Manage the process of selling rush tickets to a standby line, making decisions about available seats and clearly communicating to staff and patrons
• Communicate to venue patrons with clarity, warmth, and kindness, to create a pleasant experience for those waiting in line
• Work with staff from all departments involved with the Festival, to understand and be flexible to their needs during screenings while also maintaining attention to best operational practices
• Supervise teams of shifting volunteers, delegating tasks, distributing benefits, and evaluating volunteers at the end of their shifts
• Ensure patrons with accessibility accommodations have a positive experience by understanding all accessibility protocols and communicating them clearly; must be confidently able to set up accessibility devices for patrons when needed
• Complete daily screening reports, tracking information such as exact start times and ticket sales and records of any incidents
• Act as an escalation point for customer service situations, and follow through reporting incidents to the proper Operations leads.
• Writes a wrap report at the close of the festival that synthesizes their experience and thoughts on successes and improvements for the following year.
• Able to lift at least 40 lbs.
• Other duties as assigned.
• Flexible Schedule is required.

• Ability to quickly learn and retain information from trainings
• 1-2 years prior venue/house management experience.
• 1-2 years working and thriving in forward facing, fast paced customer service oriented environments.
• Managerial or supervisory experience a plus
• Strong organizational and coordination abilities.
• Ability to stay energized while working on your feet all day
• Must live in Bay Area or secure own housing for the duration of this employment

SFFILM is deeply committed to Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion (DEAI) in both its internal management and external programming. Since 2018, the organization has actively been working in collaboration with two Advisory Boards focused on accessibility and inclusivity and officially began work with a DEI consultant in 2019 to further invest in and build on that work. Candidates are invited to discuss their interest and involvement in DEAI practices in their cover letter, and ask us more about our DEAI process in their interview.

SFFILM, in accordance with federal and state law, is an equal-opportunity employer. SFFILM does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy/childbirth, medical condition, disability, age, ancestry, marital status, citizenship or veteran status. This nondiscrimination policy covers all candidates, staff members, interns, and volunteers.