Staff Opportunities

Join the team behind the Seattle Asian American Film Festival! We’re looking for passionate, dedicated individuals to help bring SAAFF to life. Explore available roles and apply to be part of our 2026 festival crew.

Apply Here

Help Make the Seattle Asian American Film Festival Happen!

A group of diverse people posing with two yellow lion dance costumes in front of a colorful Asian-inspired mural.

The Seattle Asian American Film Festival (SAAFF) is powered by a fully volunteer team. All staff positions are unpaid volunteer roles, but they come with incredible opportunities to gain experience, build community, and support Asian American independent film and arts.

If you’re passionate about storytelling, community engagement, or arts programming, we’d love for you to join us!

Open Roles

  • Copywriter

  • Festival Sponsorship Coordinator

  • Film Festival Operations Assistant (Print Traffic Coordinator)

  • Filmmaker Liaison

  • Finance Coordinator

  • In-House Designer

  • Marketing Coordinator

  • Public Relations (PR) Coordinator

How to Apply

Please fill out our staff application form to tell us about your interests and experience. If you have any questions, reach out to us at info@seattleaaff.org

Note: SAAFF is fiscally sponsored by Shunpike and cannot sign off on OPT or other visa-related employment paperwork.

Apply Here
Three individuals are standing and talking inside a room with large windows and a city street view outside. The woman on the left is in a black dress with long dark hair, holding a brown clipboard and a pen. The woman in the middle is wearing glasses and a black dress, holding a clipboard and a white purse, smiling. The man on the right is in a navy blue suit, with round glasses, holding a clipboard and writing.
Two women sitting at a booth promoting Seattle American Fire Festival, with signs encouraging social media follow and email sign-up, smiling and holding promotional items, with various flyers and a black tablecloth displaying the event logo.

Copywriter

The Copywriter supports the Seattle Asian American Film Festival’s written communications across all platforms. This role is responsible for developing compelling, clear, and mission-aligned copy that reflects SAAFF’s voice and uplifts Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander storytelling.

Working closely with the Marketing Director, Programming Team, Design Team, and Webmaster, the Copywriter helps shape how SAAFF communicates with audiences, filmmakers, sponsors, and community partners. This role ensures messaging is cohesive, engaging, and consistent throughout the year. Click Here To Apply

    • Write and edit blog articles that spotlight filmmakers, community partners, sponsors, and festival impact

    • Develop long-form storytelling pieces tied to festival themes and cultural moments

    • Draft and refine copy for e-newsletters, announcements, and campaign messaging

    • Write website copy for program pages, sponsorship pages, and special initiatives

    • Create social media captions in collaboration with the Marketing Team

    • Assist Programming Team with editing film descriptions and program notes

    • Maintain a consistent and engaging brand voice across all written materials

    • Proofread internal and external communications as needed

    • Festival lineup announcement

    • Filmmaker spotlight series

    • Sponsor and community partner features

    • Fundraiser storytelling campaigns

    • Summer Cinema blog features

    • Monthly or bi-monthly blog publishing schedule

Festival Sponsorship Coordinator

The Sponsorship Coordinator manages the planning and implementation of sponsorship strategy for monetary and in-kind sponsorships. This involves maintaining outreach and communications with sponsors, managing negotiations and sponsorship inquiries, and ensuring all partners we work with are aligned to our organization’s mission and value. They also will serve as the point person for sponsors during in-person events and parties. Click Here To Apply

    • Work closely with the directors and marketing team to complete the Sponsorship Kit

    • Outreach to and coordinate with potential sponsors for the annual film festival, the annual fundraiser, and any other major SAAFF events as needed

    • Maintain and update the sponsors database of local businesses and organizations

    • Track and ensure sponsorship deliverables are met by both the SAAFF teams and sponsors as agreed upon

    • Coordinate ads for sponsors in film festival program guide

    • Coordinate with the Finance Coordinator to ensure sponsorships are categorized properly with Shunpike

    • Coordinate pick-ups/drop-offs for any in-kind sponsorships with the Events Team

Film Festival Operations Assistant (Print Traffic Coordinator)

Print Traffic Coordinator is in charge of collecting, organizing, and performing quality assurance on the film files submitted by filmmakers (both digital or physical files).  Click Here To Apply

    • Knowing the necessary specifications to request from filmmakers

    • Collect and organize all film media sent by filmmakers

    • Upload all film files for any portion of the festival held online

    • Upload all promotional materials for Marketing to access

    • Oversee quality assurance of obtained and uploaded files for any technical issues

    • Interface with filmmakers about the collection of film materials and any issues

    • Communicate with the venue(s) about any specific asks or limitations

    • Prepare films to be played in accordance with programming at venue(s)

    Coordinates with Filmmaker Liaison

    • Collection of all film files up to two weeks prior to the festival

    • Print Traffic Tracking Sheet

    • Film Media Access Sheet

Filmmaker Liaison

The Filmmaker Liaison acts as a liaison between the Seattle Asian American Film Festival and the filmmakers.  This involves communication with filmmakers via email before the filmmakers, connecting filmmakers with the print traffic coordinator, and helping plan/coordinate Q&As.  They also will serve as the point person for filmmakers attending the festival.  Click Here To Apply

    • Act as a liaison between the Seattle Asian American Film Festival and filmmakers.

    • Maintain Past Filmmaker email list

    • Reach out to filmmakers we want to solicit that we’ve scouted.Reach out to filmmakers whenever there are issues with videos from filmfreeway.

    • Respond to emails from filmmakers and help find an answer.

    • Coordinate with the Print Traffic Coordinator.

    • Submissions Window Opening

    • Submissions Window Closing

    • Submissions Acceptance Notification 

    • Filmmaker Brunch

      • Main driver and organizer for this

        Saturday Morning of SAAFF

        Should start preparing at least 2 months before.

    • SAAFF VIP Happy Hour

      • Help with this event

Finance Coordinator

The Finance Coordinator supports the Seattle Asian American Film Festival’s financial record-keeping and operational processes. This role ensures accurate tracking of income and expenses across all festival programs and events. The Finance Coordinator works closely with the Sponsorship Manager, Grants Manager, and Operations Director to maintain financial transparency and compliance with the festival’s fiscal sponsor. They help prepare financial reports, assist with budgeting processes, and organize documentation for audits, grants, and sponsorships.  Click Here To Apply

    • Track income and expenses related to festival operations, grants, sponsorships, and events

    • Maintain organized digital files of receipts, invoices, and financial documents

    • Coordinate with Shunpike (our fiscal sponsor) to ensure proper categorization of expenses and income

    • Support the creation of financial reports for internal review, grants, and sponsor requirements

    • Work with the Sponsorship Manager to confirm proper recording of sponsorship funds and in-kind contributions

    • Help prepare budgets for events and programs in collaboration with Operations and Events teams

    • Support any financial compliance tasks required by funders or sponsors

    • Assist in reconciling event income (e.g. box office sales, fundraising proceeds, merchandise)

    • Annual Festival Budget preparation (Fall/Winter preceding the festival)

    • Tracking financials during the film festival (Spring)

    • Preparing financial data for annual grant reports and final reconciliations (Spring/Summer)

    • Support for annual fundraiser reconciliation (typically held in January)

    • Periodic budget check-ins for summer events like C-ID Summer Cinema

In-House Designer

The In-House Designer works supports the Seattle Asian American Film Festival’s year-round branding and visual communication efforts. This role is responsible for creating graphic assets that align with SAAFF’s mission, enhance our storytelling, and promote programs across digital and print platforms. Working closely with the Art Director, Design Team, and Marketing Team, the In-House Designer ensures a consistent visual identity across all touchpoints. Click Here To Apply

    • Design graphics for social media posts, stories, and paid ads across platforms (Instagram, Facebook, etc.)

    • Create and update print and digital materials such as flyers, posters, signage, and postcards

    • Develop key visual assets for events (Opening/Closing Night, Fundraiser, Summer Series, etc.)

    • Maintain and evolve the visual style guide and templates for consistent branding

    • Collaborate with the Marketing team to brainstorm and execute creative campaigns

    • Provide graphics for press kits, sponsorship decks, and other outreach materials

    • Help prepare assets for website updates, film guide layout, and merch as needed

    • Assist with photo/video curation or light editing, if capable

    • Main festival design/theme

    • Film Festival visual assets

      • Opening Night Party + Signage

      • Film promo on social media

      • Film Festival Poster + Signage & Badges

      • Program Design + Postcard

      • Closing Night Party

      • International Examiner Magazine Spread

      • Product/merch mockups

    • Summer Series graphics

      • Summer Series Poster + Signage

      • Promo graphics for social media

      • Event photography

    • Event flyers and signage

    • Social media templates

    • Merchandise mockups

Marketing Coordinator

The Marketing Coordinator supports the Seattle Asian American Film Festival’s marketing and promotional efforts throughout the year. This role helps plan and execute marketing campaigns, collaborates with team members across departments, and assists in maintaining SAAFF’s brand presence. The Marketing Coordinator helps ensure timely promotion of events, programs, and news through digital channels, print materials, and community partnerships.

This role is ideal for someone interested in gaining hands-on experience in nonprofit arts marketing, project coordination, and campaign planning. Strong organizational skills, communication, and attention to detail are essential. Click Here To Apply

    • Support development and execution of marketing plans for festival and year-round events

    • Assist in writing and editing marketing materials including emails, flyers, and social media copy

    • Help coordinate timelines and deliverables across marketing, programming, and events teams

    • Collect and organize content (photos, videos, quotes) for marketing use

    • Contribute ideas for social media campaigns and community engagement

    • Help track marketing deadlines and maintain the team calendar

    • Assist with distribution of promotional materials to partners and venues

    • Provide support during major events for marketing needs (signage, program guides, merch, etc.)

    • Festival promotional timeline (Spring)

    • Annual fundraising event marketing

    • C-ID Summer Cinema promotions (Summer)

    • Website content updates as needed

Public Relations (PR) Coordinator

The Public Relations (PR) Coordinator oversees communication with media personnel and curates publicity for the Seattle Asian American Film Festival. This involves developing press releases prior to publication, managing media inquiries, seeking interview opportunities, and cultivating relationships with broadcast and online media. Click Here To Apply

    • Develop press releases for the annual film festival and other major SAAFF events

    • Add SAAFF events to local, online calendars (i.e. City of Seattle, Parent Map, and EverOut)

    • Strategize and work with press industry (newspapers, radio shows, television broadcasting, blogs, and podcasts) to promote the annual film festival and other major SAAFF events in various media outlets

    • Work closely with Filmmaker Liaison and programming team to coordinate interviews between SAAFF staff/filmmakers and external press teams

    • Compile a press kit from all the documents provided by the filmmakers

    • Compile and archive all press mentions and interviews of the festival each year to be uploaded to the website