Guest assistant (BFI Flare Film Festival)

Closing date for applications: 24th November 2025

Salary: £31,554 per annum

Contract: Fixed-term, 3rd February 2026 – 3rd April 2026

From coordinating guest lists to supporting travel, hospitality, and screenings, help bring an inclusive film festival to life and deliver an outstanding experience for filmmakers.

The British Film Institute is a cultural charity, a National Lottery distributor, and the UK’s lead organisation for film and the moving image. We believe society needs stories. Film, television and the moving image bring them to life, helping us connect and understand each other better. We share the stories of yesterday, search for the stories of today, and shape the stories of tomorrow.

We are looking for a guest assistant to work closely with filmmaker and industry services manager and guest coordinator in delivering an excellent festival experience to all attending filmmakers, including hosting and briefing them for their film screenings. This involves liaising directly with short filmmakers with regards to arrangements for them to attend the festival including travel and accommodation bookings, ground transport and hospitality, coordinating guest lists for screenings and making appropriate arrangements for film screenings. BFI Flare is our long-running LGBTQIA+ festival, with a growing audience in London and on BFI Player, and one of the most inclusive film events of the BFI’s annual calendar.


Responsibilities

• Remain the key contact for all short filmmaker guests, leading in all of festival arrangements from sending initial scheduling information through to briefing and hosting them for screenings
• Ensuring the festival database is accurately updated with all relevant details regarding festival guests – including intros and Q&As with visiting filmmakers, hospitality details, special requirements, and any other screening or special arrangements
• To be helpful and anticipate filmmaker guest needs for their visit to London to present their work

Knowledge, skills & experience

• Demonstrable work experience, including live-event experience, gained within a cultural organisation either in a paid or voluntary capacity
• An appreciation of, and passion for LGBTQIA+ arts and culture
• Demonstrable experience in information and data management

A full list of responsibilities and minimum requirements can be found in the job description.


Benefits

• 25 days annual leave (rising to 30 with service) + bank holidays + the option to buy up to 5 extra days of annual leave
• Additional paid time off between Christmas and New Year
• BFI pension scheme with 5% employer contribution
• BFI Childcare Scheme, where we contribute to childcare costs for children up to the age of 14
• Enhanced pay for Maternity & Paternity leave
• Complimentary tickets to BFI Southbank & IMAX screenings and events
• Free BFI Player subscription + discount on BFI DVDs, books, merchandise, and film tickets

Plus many more, which can be found in our Working at the BFI information pack on our website.


Additional information

Depending on the volume of applications, you may be asked to complete a small task or attend a pre-interview screening call to further to assist the hiring team in shortlisting for this role. In this instance, interview dates may be subject to change. Interviews will be held on Wednesday 17 December 2025.

We support diversity and inclusion, and as an organisation recognise that we need to address under representation within our teams. As such we strongly welcome and encourage applicants from our under-represented groups; who identify as D/deaf and disabled and/or are Black and Global Majority. We guarantee a place at the first stage selection process to our under-represented groups who meet our minimum requirements.

Please state in your application that you found this role through Creative Access.