Guest Coordinator

Salary: £5,200 (£130 per day for 40 days)

Open City Documentary Festival is looking for a Guest Coordinator to join their team for the 2024 edition of the festival.

About us

Open City Documentary Festival celebrates the art of non-fiction, creating an open space in London to nurture and champion the art of creative documentary and non-fiction filmmakers. The festival sits within the Department of Anthropology at UCL.

The fourteenth edition of the festival will take place from 24 – 30 April 2024.

Main purpose of the job

There will be two Guest Coordinators working alongside each other to oversee the planning and delivery of all Guest & Filmmaker services in the lead-up to and throughout the festival. Together they will produce a communications timeline, ensuring that all information about the festival is relayed to guests in a clear, organised and friendly manner. With a focus on guest liaison and administration, the post holder will be the main point of contact for their assigned guests.

Additional details

The successful applicant will join the other Guest Coordinator already in post to deliver all guest communications for our 2024 festival.

The position holder must be available to work the full dates of the festival 24 – 30 April, including the weekend. Flexible working hours will be required during the festival dates.

Dates summary

• w/c 19 February: 3 days a week
• w/c 8 April: 4 days a week
• 22 – 30 April – Full-time inclusive of all festival dates
• 2 days wrap up to be taken after the festival

Duties and responsibilities

Working together, the Guest Coordinators will act as the main point of contact for filmmakers and invited guests before, during and after the festival. They will:

• Arrange accommodation and travel for attending filmmakers, speakers, and invited delegates.
• Keep the guest budget document up to date with all expenditure and income. Work with the Producer to reconcile the guest budget after the festival.
• Assist with cultural partner communications in regard to attending filmmakers.
• Book translators for Q&As where required.
• Create and distribute guest schedules for the festival
• Create and distribute welcome packs for guests with all relevant information about benefits, screenings and events.
• Contribute to the creation of venue packs with information on attending talent for Venue Coordinators.
• Manage complimentary filmmaker tickets requests and ensure the guest list is kept up to date.
• Manage complimentary ticket requests for partners, sponsors and stakeholders including sending invites and updating the guest list.
• Work with Festival Producer to plan and execute guest hospitality during the festival including breakfasts, lunches and other hospitality.
• Send invitations and oversee opening and closing night guest lists.
• Ensure any last minute changes to the guest list are communicated to Venue Coordinators.
• Oversee creation of guest and team badges.
• Attend weekly meetings, provide progress updates as required, and contribute to daily schedules.
• Oversee the set-up and daily running of the Guest Office as part of the Festival Hub acting as the main point of contact for guest queries throughout the festival.
• Assist with hospitality and networking including daily happy hours, as required.
• After the festival, write a wrap report and send thank you emails to filmmakers.
• Any other duties that are within the scope, spirit and purpose of the job, as requested by the festival team.

Person specification

Essential criteria

• Prior experience working within the documentary/film industry, i.e. a film festival environment or other related cultural organisation.
• Experience liaising with filmmakers and/or artists.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills and ability to communicate effectively via email and in person.
• Strong attention to detail and a proactive approach to checking the accuracy of information.
• Proven ability to plan, prioritise and manage a varied workload and competing deadlines.
• Experience of monitoring and delivering a budget.
• Experience of working on large-scale projects in an administrative capacity.
• Good knowledge of Microsoft Office programs including Excel.

Desirable criteria

• Experience within a guest services department in a film or arts context.

Applications

As part of London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong.

We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates currently underrepresented in UCL’s workforce and within the cultural sector. These include: people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds, disabled people and LGBTQ+ people.

To apply please complete this form and send a CV to info@opencitylondon.com with the subject line “Guest Coordinator Application 2024”.

Interviews will be held on 26 January.

The closing date for this position is 12/01/2024 at 11:59