California Film Institute

2026 Mill Valley Film Festival

Festival Box Office Representative

Location: Mill Valley & San Rafael, CA (15 minutes north of the Golden Gate Bridge)

Status: Seasonal-Part-time, In Person

Dates: September 2 – October 13 OR September 14 – October 12

Compensation: $22/hour

About CAFILM:

The California Film Institute (CAFILM) supports its mission to celebrate film as both art and education by presenting the annual Mill Valley Film Festival and DocLands Documentary Film Festival. It also exhibits films year-round at the non-profit Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center in San Rafael, CA, and at Sequoia Cinema in Mill Valley, CA. Additionally, CAFILM builds the next generation of filmmakers and film lovers through its CFI Education initiative. Founded in 1978, the Mill Valley Film Festival is a world-renowned 11-day event held every October, screening over 200 innovative US and international films for more than 60,000 attendees. The festival is known for its high-profile, prestigious, non-competitive environment that celebrates the best in independent and world cinema.

Dates:

• Early Team: August 31 – October 12, 2026
• Festival Team: September 14 – October 12, 2026 Locations: San Rafael, Mill Valley, Larkspur, and Berkeley, CA

About the Job: We are looking for friendly, composed, and cinema-loving individuals to join the Box Office team for the 48th Mill Valley Film Festival (October 1-11, 2026). This is a fully in-person, customer-facing position-ideal for people who thrive in a fast-paced environment and can provide excellent service even under pressure. Some team members will begin as early as September 2 to support pre-festival ticketing operations when tickets go on sale. The rest of the team will join us starting September 15 for the full run of the Festival. Training will be provided and includes an overview of festival policies and our Agile Ticketing System (POS).

Key Responsibilities:

• Selling tickets, memberships, and possibly merchandise at box office locations
• Checking in Members and issuing passes
• Resolving customer issues with professionalism and care
• Process internal ticket requests and ensure accuracy in order fulfillment
• Providing clear and helpful in-person guidance to patrons
• Assisting with Will Call organization and distribution
• Monitoring ticket inventory and communicating with Box Office Managers on sellouts and low-ticket warnings
• Keeping box office areas tidy, organized, and welcoming
• Supporting daily box office set-up and breakdown (opening/closing procedures)
• Collaborating with Theater Operations and Front of House teams to ensure smooth patron entry and badge validation

What We're Looking For:

• Strong in-person customer service skills
• Ability to stay calm, courteous, and solutions-oriented under pressure
• Detail-oriented with solid organizational habits
• Reliable and punctual with the ability to follow meal and rest break policies
• Experience handling cash and using POS and/or ticketing systems (Agile Ticketing experience a plus)
• Team players with a passion for film and events
• Preference for people based in the Bay Area

Our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Commitment:

We strive for a culture where people feel like they are valued, can bring their whole selves to work free of oppression, injustice, harassment or discrimination, and that they experience belongingness through a common purpose. We are taking steps to ensure that the California Film Institute is a safe and equitable space for staff members, filmmakers and audiences alike by incorporating inclusivity, diversity and accessibility measures into our business plan and tangible KPIs to hold ourselves accountable to serve and engage diverse audiences through our work. We are also working to examine racial justice internally in order to drive self-discovery and best inform how we can change practices and utilize our voice and position within the community.

CAFILM is an equal opportunity employer to all. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment. Our policies prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on age, race, color, gender, gender expression, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, military or veteran status, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.