Programmer (BFI Festivals)

The closing date for applications: 23:59 on Tuesday 17th December 2024

First interviews: Tuesday 7th January 2025 

Salary: £34,602 - £40,545 per annum

Fixed Term Contract: until 31st March 2026 (potential of a further 1-year extension)

The BFI’s Festival Team is seeking a programmer to join the team to deliver a programme that is diverse, informed and cine-literate to a wide range of audiences for our Festivals.

Our Film Programmer (BFI Flare) will work across both LFF and Flare, the 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.

Key responsibilities include: 

• Be a key member of the programme team, supporting the artistic vision of the festivals and think creatively about welcoming existing and new audiences to a wide range of work 
• Work alongside the internal programme team and selection committee to devise and deliver a programme that meets the box office and audience targets and upholds the BFI’s commitment to dialogue and debate around the moving image   
• Actively engaging in all elements of the programme including film selections, public programmes, writing for festival publications, hosting Q&A’s and events

We are looking for candidates who have:

• Significant professional experience of film and event programming for audiences in a film festival, cinema, or closely related cultural industry 
• Experience in scheduling film programmes and events 
• Knowledge of a broad range of international cinema and historical film 
• The ability to identify potential audiences and make programme selection beyond the realm of personal taste. 
• A passion for and significant previous experience programming for LGBTQIA+ cinema and cultural events 
• Demonstrable knowledge of a broad range of international cinema and historical film with a particular speciality across LGBTQIA+ works

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

About the BFI

We are 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.

At the BFI you’ll enjoy benefits such as excellent support for working parents, 25 days annual leave (plus bank holidays and additional paid time off at Christmas), tickets to BFI festivals and events plus many others.

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 first interview to our under-represented groups who meet our minimum requirements.

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

Further details about the role, the BFI and our benefits can be obtained by visiting www.bfi.org.uk/about-bfi/job-opportunities.