The Leiden International Film Festival depends on its volunteers, and that means we depend on you!
Volunteer application for LIFF 2024 is closed. The application for LIFF 2025 will open in July 2025.
What can you expect from us?
LIFF cannot happen without its amazing volunteers! Although the work is unpaid, we will do everything we can in order to make your experience as a volunteer as great as possible. As part of the volunteer team, you will meet many new people and you will experience the festival from a completely new perspective.
What you receive as a LIFF volunteer:
- Lunch, dinner, and (non-alcoholic) beverages during your shifts.
- A festival T-shirt and festival badge.
- Discount on vouchers for drinks outside of your shifts on the festival locations Trianon and Kijkhuis.
- Free film tickets if you work three shifts or more. The number of tickets will be determined before the festival based on the number of shifts you signed up for and cannot be changed during the festival, even if you sign up for more shifts last-minute. These tickets are your personal reward for your valuable contribution to LIFF and cannot be used by other people.
Leading up to the festival we organize a volunteer meeting to welcome everyone and provide you with all the information you’ll need. After the festival, a volunteer evaluation will take place, followed by drinks and a film quiz!
What do we expect from you?
We expect our volunteers to sign up for at least three shifts, be on time for their shifts, be friendly towards visitors and co-volunteers, and to be able to communicate with our visitors in Dutch and/or English.
Volunteer positions
LIFF is open to everyone! If you have doubts about certain positions or if you are curious about your options, please send us an email at [email protected].
You’ll check entry tickets, ask people to rate the movie, clean the theatres after the screenings, and make sure that people fill up every seat in every row when a screening is sold out.
You’ll sell film tickets on site to the people who haven’t bought tickets online. Your shifts will be around the same time as the box office is open (between 10 AM and 10 PM).
If you want to work behind the bar during the festival, join the hospitality team! In this position, you will sell drinks and snacks to thirsty and hungry visitors. You can work quickly and precisely, and can calculate well.
You’ll be responsible for managing the volunteers on location, greeting and accommodating visitors and guests, and making sure the location is clean. You are available for at least 25 hours during the festival and have managing experience, as well as a basic understanding of the Dutch language.
Visitors will come to you with all their questions about the festival and/or to buy their LIFF souvenirs. Are you precise in your job and do you know how to chat with customers? This is the job for you!
The leaflet distributors take care of distributing festival posters, flyers and program booklets at various locations in Leiden. This work mainly takes place before the festival, which gives you plenty of time to watch a movie (or two) during the festival! It is a plus if you have a fondness for adhesive tape and are not afraid to enter any establishment, determined to leave behind some flyers or a poster. This position is often combined with another volunteer position during the festival.
You’re on standby for all kinds of tasks. The ideal position if you are familiar with the festival, have access to a bike, and know your way around Leiden!
Looking for ways to enrich your portfolio and attend all kinds of events during LIFF? Apply for the position of LIFF photographer by sending an email with a small portfolio to our head of photography Wilke.
Update: the photography team for LIFF 2024 is full.
You enjoy constructing and breaking down our set-up at the different locations. You have a good constitution and don’t mind lifting heavy things. Construction will often happen during the day, prior to any events, and at night, when the events are over.