Volunteer Roles

Each year, around 120 passionate volunteers join the Movies that Matter team to help bring the festival to life. With nearly 20,000 visitors and numerous international guests, volunteers are essential to the smooth running of the event. This year, we’re also looking for people to lend a hand, and we’d be thrilled to have you join us! 

In the registration form you can indicate which roles suit you and why. We do our best to put you in the best role for you. See all available volunteer roles in alphabetical order in the dropdown menu below. 

Questions or remarks? Please contact vrijwilligers@moviesthatmatter.nl.

Available Volunteer Roles A-Z

  • Wed 20 to Sat 30 March in The Hague  

    For during the festival, we are looking for assistants to welcome volunteers on site.   

    Tasks: You will manage the volunteer desk and be available for a large part of the festival days -and evenings-to receive your fellow volunteers, direct them to the right place and brief them, or link them to the location managers. You manage the crew catering volunteers and ensure a nice gathering place for volunteers and crew.   

    Skills: you have good communication skills, can manage and delegate well, are hospitable and love working with lots of nice people.   

    Extra: are you interested in this position? Then it would be great if you could be present for the setup on Wednesday 19 March and/or Thursday 20 March.

    After filling out the registration form, send a short motivation to vrijwilligers@moviesthatmatter.nl.

  • Tues 18 March to Thu 20 March daytime in The Hage
    Sat 29 March in the evening in The Hague
    Sun 31 March daytime in The Hague      

    We are looking for builders and movers to help with the set-up and take down of the festival. Do you enjoy rolling up your sleeves and working hard? Then this is the right role for you.

    Tasks: you will assemble counters, set up exhibitions, and assist in organising the various festival spaces.

    Skills: you are handy, enjoy working with your hands, and are ready to get things done.

    Extra: please note when filling in your availability that this role mainly applies before and after the festival. If you indicate this as your preferred role, it is therefore handy if you are available in The Hague during the day from Tuesday 19 to Thursday 22 March and on Saturday (evening) 30 and Sunday 31 March. 

  • Wed 19 March – Mon 31 March in The Hague 

    Tasks: the car service drivers take care of transporting our guests, staff and, where necessary, other transport before, during and after the festival. You bring guests to and from Schiphol Airport in your own car or a rental car, and take care of transporting materials to and from Amsterdam.   

    Skills: you have a driving license with at least 3 years‘ driving experience. You are flexible in your time, representative and service-oriented. You don’t mind getting up early and have a great sense of responsibility. You transport international guests so it is useful if you speak English. In connection with the sometimes early or late working hours and being on call flexibly, you preferably live in The Hague or nearby. It is nice, but not necessary, if you have your own car at your disposal.    

    Extra: the car service role can generally not be combined with other volunteer roles. You can visit films for free after your shifts with your Crew Pass. Working hours for drivers differ from regular festival working hours. A separate schedule will be made by the transport coordinators.

  • Wed 19 – Sat 29 March in The Hague 

    Tasks: during the festival you will provide your fellow volunteers, crew members and festival guests with a delicious lunch, snacks, drinks and help with the dinner catering.  You help with the shopping, prepare lunch You keep the crew area cosy and tidy. You will always do this together with one or two other volunteers. Are you assigned between 17:00 – 21:00? Then you will help the caterers with dinner: keeping the dinner list up to date, serving drinks on the tables, tidying up in between and cleaning where necessary. 

    Skills: you are communicative, hospitable, service-oriented and like an organised space. Some hospitality experience is of course nice but not necessary!

  • Wed 19 and Thu 20 March at the EYE Film Museum, Amsterdam
    Mon 24 to Fri 29 March in Theater aan het Spui and Filmhuis Den Haag 

    The education team is looking for enthusiastic volunteers to assist on weekdays between 08:00 and 15:30. The education screenings will take place at the Eye Film Museum on Wednesday 19 and Thursday 20 March in Amsterdam. The education screenings in The Hague will take place from Monday 25 March to Friday 28 March.  You will be assigned your tasks on the day by the education staff.   

    Tasks: you will welcome students and teachers, encourage students to participate in fringe programme activities, and assist with a variety of other tasks. As an education volunteer, you’ll have the chance to experience much of the programme in the theaters. 

    Skills: you are good at motivating others, enjoy taking initiative, and have a welcoming attitude. Experience with or an affinity for (secondary) school students is a plus.

    Extra: if you are helping in The Hague, you should be available for at least two days, preferably more. If you’d like to help at the screenings at the Eye Film Museum, it would be great if you live in Amsterdam and can be there on both days.

  • Fri 21 March to Sat 29th March in The Hague

    Tasks: you will welcome guests and the audience at Filmhuis Den Haag. You will greet people at the entrance, direct them to the correct screening rooms if needed, and answer any questions. Before your shift, you will go over the day’s schedule to be fully informed about the planning. This way, you can answer questions about screenings, special programs, premieres, receptions, or additional programs at both locations. Additionally, you may be asked to assist with other supporting tasks as needed.

    Skills: you are hospitable, communicative, and enjoy welcoming people. You have a good command of both Dutch and English.

  • Sat 22 March to Sat 29 March in The Hague 

    Tasks: you will accompany moderators and guests who come to give an introduction or follow-up talk to a film. You receive the guests prior to the film. You pick up tickets at the festival desk and facilitate the preliminary discussion between moderators and guests, making sure everyone gets to the film on time.   

    Skills: you have a good command of Dutch and English (multiple languages would be an advantage), you are hospitable, flexible (sometimes a guest will run late!)  and a good problem solver and time keeper.   

    Extra: for this position, we like to work with volunteers who have worked with us before. 

    Are you interested in this position? Then send a short motivation to vrijwilligers@moviesthatmatter.nl after completing the application form.  

    NB: In addition to host, always indicate a second preferred role!   

  • Fri 21 March to Sat 29 March in The Hague  

    Audiences and guests come to the information desk with questions about the festival and everything that goes with it. In addition, the information desk is a meeting place for hosts, the attendants of our guests and moderators. The desk is also used at some times to welcome guests for premieres and other special programmes.

    Tasks: you will be the face of the festival, speaking to guests and visitors to the festival. You provide information to visitors where necessary and welcome guests.  

    Skills: you are representative, communicative, service-oriented and have a good command of the Dutch and English languages. You are interested in the festival guests and visitors, and read up on the festival, the films and the in-depth programme beforehand. 

  • Between Mon 11 March and Wed 20 March in Amsterdam  

    Tasks: you will help with festival preparations at the Movies that Matter office in Amsterdam. Among other things, you make the festival passes and help send out the festival newspapers.  

    Skills: you like office work, are service-oriented and proactive.  

    Extra: when filling in your availability, keep in mind that this work takes place prior to the festival. If you indicate this as your preferred role, please fill in your availability in the period between Mon 10 and Wed 19 March in Amsterdam. The exact dates are to be decided. 

  • Between Mon 24 Feb – Fri 21 March 

    To reach new people with our important films, we are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to promote the festival. Can you help promote Movies that Matter at your school, university, or organisation? Or are you a neighbourhood hero and know all the local spots where you can hang a poster or leave flyers?  We’re also looking for a few crafty people who can make banners that we’ll use to promote the festival. And maybe you’ve got other great ideas to attract new audiences to the festival? Then we’d love to have you on the promo team!

    Tasks: promote MTMF at your school, university, or organisation with posters, emails, talks, message boards.  Anything that works at your place of work/study. Hang posters and flyers in your neighbourhood in The Hague, Delft, Leiden, Zoetermeer, Rotterdam et. Join a flyer team in the week before the festival. Get crafty and create banners that we can use for promo.  

    Skills: you are creative and enjoy doing promotional tasks. You should be able to effectively communicate the festival’s message, whether through face-to-face conversations, emails, or talks at your school, university, or organization.  You are enthusiastic, proactive and enjoy taking initiative. You are flexible (read under Extra) in your time. 

    Extra: When filling in your availability, keep in mind that this work takes place prior to the festival. If you indicate this as your preferred role, we want to ask you to be available in the period below. We will contact you about the exact dates.  

    • Posters and promotion rounds start around the first weeks of March
    • The flyer teams will work from March 17 to March 21
    • The creative team is flexible in the period between Feb 24 and March 9 

  • Fri 21 March to Sat 29 March in The Hague

    The runner is present during a day shift or an evening shift to be assigned to whatever is needed at that moment.

    Tasks: for example, you will assist with picking up lunch and keeping the staff room tidy. You alternate volunteers who go on break, help with the audience award during busy times, and assist with small setup changes. You will also carry out other tasks as needed at the moment.

    Skills: you are flexible, patient, and service-oriented. It’s helpful if you are in reasonable physical condition, as the tasks may vary.

     Extra: keep in mind that the level of busyness can vary greatly. If there’s nothing to do for a while, that’s actually a good sign – it means everything is going according to plan. Be prepared for the quiet moments, and consider bringing a book with you.

  • Fri 21 March to Sat 29 March in The Hague   

    As a screening attendant, you are responsible for ticket checks and crowd control.

    Tasks: You scan the tickets, guide guests to their seats, assist with setting up materials for the post-screening discussions in the hall, and clean up the hall afterward. At times, you will help with workshops and other festival events. During the end of (a selection of) films, you will collect votes for the audience award via a tablet.

    Skills: you are presentable, communicative, enjoy acting quickly, and can maintain a good overview. You can be firm when necessary and have a good command of the English language.

    Extra: before your first shift, you will receive a detailed explanation and a scanning training from the location manager. You will also assist visitors in voting for the audience award via a tablet, for which you will receive instructions in advance.

  • Fri 21 March to Sat 29 March in The Hague   

    When you are scheduled as stand-by, you are on the reserve list for that day or evening shift. You will be called if there are last-minute cancellations, illnesses, or emergencies. If you haven’t heard anything up to one hour before the start of your shift, the shift is canceled.  

    Skills: you are flexible and available for any possible shifts.