We're hiring a Festival Coordinator

Location: Durham, NC

Salary: $15,000

Reports to: Artistic Director

Type: Independent Contractor



To apply:

Send your resume, three references, and a note that tells us about one event you ran and one thing that went wrong during it

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Send materials to film@hayti.org with Festival Coordinator in the subject line.


About the work

Hayti Heritage Center exists to gather, preserve, and propel Black culture, creating spaces where artists can create without apology, and serve as a bridge for communities to connect.


The Hayti Heritage Film Festival is one of the longest-running Black film festivals in the South. The 2027 edition runs four days under the theme Disrupt the Notion, with a focus on Black film and Southern Black filmmakers in particular.


The role

The Festival Coordinator quarterbacks the festival. The Artistic Director sets the vision and selects the films.

This is a build-it role, not a maintain-it role. Much of what you need will not exist yet. You will create it.


What you own

  • The master timeline. Every deadline from every function.
  • Volunteers. Recruit, schedule and train roughly 50 to 70 shifts across three venues.
  • Hospitality. Guest artist and filmmaker logistics, green rooms, and the filmmaker reception.
  • Run of show. A written plan for every block at every venue
  • Vendors and suppliers. Quotes, bookings, and delivery for everything that is not technical.
  • Press and publicity. Press list, press kit, and local media follow-through in collaboration with our Marketing Director
  • Community partnerships. Local business and hospitality relationships that connect festivalgoers to Durham.
  • Data collection. Attendance, surveys, and grant reporting measures.


What we are looking for

Required

  • You have run events with moving parts and real deadlines. Festival experience is a major plus, but not a requirement.
  • You are organized and have excellent communication skills.
  • You are comfortable with spreadsheets and learn new software quickly.
  • You can work evenings and weekends in February, and be on site in Durham throughout the festival.


Helpful

  • Ticketing platform experience.
  • Volunteer management experience.
  • Connection to Durham's Black arts community.
  • Film festival or performing arts background.


What this job is not

  • Not a curatorial role. You will not select films.
  • Not a technical role. You will not run projection.
  • Not a 9-to-5. The hours concentrate sharply around the festival.


Time commitment and pay

$15,000 total. Payments are weighted to match the workload rather than split evenly, so you are paid most in the month you work most.


The hours are not evenly distributed. November through December run about 10 to 20 hours a week. January rises to around 25. February is heavy: roughly 30 hours a week leading in, and closer to 60 during festival week.