Volunteer for Mountainfilm

Mountainfilm’s Volunteer Coordinator is available by email around March 1. During the winter months, please allow a few days for a response.

By email:
 

There are four main requirements for volunteering:

1. Submit the online volunteer application
2. Include a valid credit card number on your Eventive account
3. Show up with a great attitude
4. Complete your assigned shifts

Our volunteer application will remain open until all volunteer positions are filled. We encourage you to apply as early as you can as we prioritize schedules based on the date applications are received.

We do not provide lodging for volunteers. If you are traveling from out of town, we recommend that you make your lodging reservations in advance. Here are a few tips: 

• The Bivvi Hostel offers Mountainfilm volunteers a special 10% OFF discount on lodging for the festival. Check back here in January for the discount code.  
• Camping is also an option, but be aware that Telluride weather in May could be very cold, rainy or even snowy. Be sure to bring appropriate camping equipment. Reservations for the Town Park Campground open in the spring. Check the Town of Telluride Campground website for up-to-date information. 

You have the option to select your preferred dates/times to volunteer on the application. We will do our best to accommodate your requests; however, we cannot guarantee that you will be assigned your preferred shifts. Standard volunteer shifts are typically 4-8 hours long. Some festival shifts start at 7 AM. while other shifts end at 11 PM Plan on working a portion of each day during the festival weekend.

Volunteer positions are available in the following departments:

Field Crew: Mountainfilm’s Field Crew is responsible for setting up and breaking down all physical aspects of the festival. Every theater, social event and decoration about town is put together and then taken apart by the Field Crew. Field Crew volunteers may be asked to unload storage lockers, fill trucks with gear and supplies, haul equipment in and out of theaters, paint, bang nails, hang flags, climb ladders, set up tables and chairs, unload boxes of books and more. Strength, a great attitude and a willingness to work in all types of mountain weather are required. Some lifting of 50+ pounds may be necessary.

Hospitality: Mountainfilm Hospitality is open throughout the festival weekend for picking up passes, checking in guests, buying tickets, providing programs and information hub for the festival. Helpful and friendly volunteers that are great with customer service and comfortable with technology are invited to join the crew.

Rigging: Mountainfilm's Rigging Crew loads and unloads heavy equipment in and out of the theaters pre and post-festival and assists with other production duties as needed. Strength is, first and foremost, needed to be a rigger. Bring work gloves and wear good shoes, as this position mostly involves moving equipment around, heavy lifting and ladder work. Some lifting of 50+ pounds may be necessary.

Theater Build: Theater build volunteers will help with loading in or out tech equipment pre and post-festival. Bring work gloves and wear good shoes, as this position mostly involves moving equipment around, heavy lifting and ladder work. Some lifting of 50+ pounds may be necessary.

Special Events: Special events volunteers work on festival events including the Filmmakers Dinner, Gallery Walk, Ice Cream Social, Coffee Talks, Speakers Series and Closing Picnic. Event volunteers will help with food service and delivery, ice cream scooping, event cleanup, trash pickup, event setup and breakdown throughout the weekend. Events volunteers are energetic, outgoing and quick with a smile. Some lifting of 25+ pounds may be necessary.

Venue Operations: Venue Operations volunteers are assigned to Mountainfilm’s festival venues both indoor and outdoor. Duties may include ushering, answering questions, tidying of venues, trash pickup at our outdoor venues, greeting and smiling.

Pass Scanning: Pass scanning volunteers scan passes before attendees enter theaters. Scanning volunteers must be comfortable with electronics, communicating with guests, answering questions, and problem-solving. This is a position for someone detail-oriented and friendly. Advanced training on the scanning system is required. 

Communications: Communications volunteers support venue operations by fielding phone and radio calls, collecting lost and found, printing signage and more. Communications volunteers must be comfortable problem solving, running errands, and using electronics.

Transportation: This is a unique volunteer position for volunteers who would like to provide a friendly welcome to Telluride for our guests. This position requires a valid driver’s license and likely use of a personal vehicle. Volunteers will be picking up guests at various airports, predominantly Grand Junction, Montrose, Cortez and Durango and transporting them to their festival lodging location. Upon return, shuttle drivers will be picking guests up at their lodging location and returning them to the airport. Drivers will be reimbursed for gas/mileage according to the Federal nonprofit mileage reimbursement rate.

We aim to send volunteer schedules out around 10 days in advance of the festival. If you are available to volunteer the week before the festival, we will send you your schedule the first week in May. 

Because of last-minute changes, your schedule and shift times may change. We ask that all volunteers be flexible and patient as we work to update schedules as timely as possible. Contact the if you are concerned.

All communication will come from the Volunteer Coordinator or our volunteer software, Bloomberg (formerly InitLive). You will receive important updates, your schedule, and instructions to download the volunteer app as the festival weekend approaches. Please make sure to add and to your contacts so that our correspondence and your schedule do not end up in spam.

Volunteers can begin reserving festival programs on Monday, May 19. Please thoroughly review your volunteer schedule beforehand and do not reserve programs at times that interfere with your assigned volunteer shifts. Your volunteer schedule takes priority over any program reservation. If there are issues, we reserve the right to cancel your programs.

Shift information is located in your schedule. Please refer to your schedule in the Initlive app. Please arrive at least 10 minutes in advance of your shift start time.

Please dress in clean, comfortable clothes including your Mountainfilm t-shirt. We recommend that you bring a reusable water bottle to stay hydrated throughout the festival. It's a good idea to pack a bag with sunscreen, warm layers, as well as a rain jacket as the weather can be unpredictable in Telluride and Mountain Village.  

• Field Crew, Rigging and Theater Build: Wear work clothes that can get dirty and closed-toed shoes. You will be outside for some of your shift, so dress for weather at 9,000 feet in the spring.
• Filmmakers Dinner and other events: Wear your Mountainfilm t-shirt and dark pants. Please bring a backup black or white shirt to wear if you are providing bar or catering service. If you don’t own these items, then come as close as possible. For the Filmmakers Dinner, be sure to bring some warm layers.
• Base Camp Outdoor Theater: Dress warmly. A down jacket, hat and gloves are highly recommended. A headlamp is helpful.

Food is not provided for volunteers. In some circumstances, food may be offered and/or approved by your manager. It’s a good idea to pack a granola bar or snack for longer shifts. Please check in with your manager before consuming food while on your shift to make sure the timing is appropriate. And, wash your hands after eating food.

The weather at 9,000 feet is variable. It could snow, rain or be warm and sunny. Please check the weather forecast before you pack your bag or leave for your shift.

Yes! The majority of volunteer shifts take place during the festival from May 22 through May 26, 2025, but we have some volunteer shifts that begin before the festival and other shifts that are open after the festival. If you’d like to maximize your availability to participate in the festival, we recommend that you sign up to volunteer for shifts before and after the festival.

You can make reservations for festival programs with your pass beginning on May 19. Make sure that your reservations do not overlap with your volunteer shifts. If you don’t have a reservation for a program, but would like to attend, you can standby. Choose films showing at the Palm or High Camp. These are the largest theaters and the least likely to sell out. A sell-out is still possible at those venues, but the chances of getting into a show are better at the larger theaters. All programs at our outdoor Base Camp theater are free and open to the public. 

The volunteer meeting will be held in the evening on Wednesday, May 21 at the Sheridan Opera House.

Notify the volunteer coordinator by email as soon as possible to explain the situation that prevents you from attending the meeting. We understand that many of our volunteers travel from out of town and do not arrive by Wednesday evening.

To pick up your festival pass and t-shirt, go to our Hospitality center located at 122 S. Oak Street in downtown Telluride. Lost and found is also located here.

See the cancellation policy above.