As MTFF moves beyond its initial three-year cycle, its focus now turns to establishing long-term financial stability, sustainability, and growth. The role will be initially voluntary for 6 months, but our aim is to provide a small salary/honorarium for each AFD role in 2026, if funds allow. Longer term we aim for AFD roles to be salaried part time roles.

Core Areas of Responsibility
1. Filmmaker Experience and Care - Lead on how filmmakers experience MTFF, from acceptance through to awards night and beyond. Building meaningful, engaged relationships with filmmakers and other film festivals prior to the festival to increase MTFF visibility and submissions.
2. Volunteer Leadership and Festival Delivery - Own the recruitment, training, coordination and wellbeing of MTFF's 'on-the-ground' volunteer team. Volunteers are the backbone of MTFF and this role is responsible for ensuring they thrive.
3. Audience and Community Engagement - Lead on how audiences and the local community experience MTFF. This role ensures MTFF is rooted in place, not just in film culture.
4. Live Festival Leadership - Act as one of the senior leadership presences during the festival weekend. This is where the role's people skills are most critical.
5. Creative Contribution and Festival Development - Contribute to the creative evolution of MTFF. The role is about shaping what MTFF feels like, not just delivering what already exists.

The Assistant Festival Director, Experience and Engagement also:
Is expected to watch and rate approximately 75 percent of all submitted films (on a voluntary, unpaid basis)
Is responsible for helping build the 'on-the-ground' team from existing volunteers
Is responsible for the completion of post festival filmmaker surveys and FilmFreeway reviews
Produces a post festival Experience and Engagement report for the Festival Director and Board.