FAQ: Volunteers

We ask potential volunteers to fill out our application form and attend an orientation session. We don’t hold any one-on-one interviews, but are happy to meet with new volunteers at the orientation sessions.

Thank you for applying! You can expect to hear from us in early February with information about next steps, orientation, and training.

Yes, all volunteers must be at least 18 years of age due to the restricted content of some of the Festival films. But we accept volunteers as young as 16 with parental consent.

Orientation sessions address Hot Docs history and practices, with special attention to:

a) What kinds of opportunities are available?
Hot Docs offers volunteers the chance to develop their skills, and offers roles in leadership, special events, industry, theatre operations, administration, marketing, and more.

b) What is the online scheduling system?
Our online scheduling system for volunteers is called the Volunteer Portal. You will receive access to the Portal after you attend an orientation session, where the basics of the system are reviewed.

c) What kinds of benefits are available?
For every completed shift, a volunteer will receive one or more vouchers. Vouchers are distributed at the end of each shift and can be redeemed for Festival tickets or at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers year-round. Other benefits may depend on the volunteer position. Please note that vouchers are not tickets and will expire at the beginning of the following year’s Festival. Expired vouchers cannot be used or exchanged.  

All new volunteers must attend one orientation session; volunteers will not be invited to participate in the Festival without attending.

Some positions may require additional training and are only open to returning volunteers. Training sessions will take place after the orientation sessions. While some sessions may not be mandatory, we recommend attending as it provides an on-site experience.

Following the sessions, training materials and manuals are posted on the Volunteer Portal. 

We ask all volunteers to complete a minimum of FOUR shifts with us during the Hot Docs Festival. Please note that pre-Festival shifts DO NOT count toward this minimum. You are welcome to complete more than four shifts, but we advise against doing too many (we want you to see films and have fun)! 

Most shifts are between four and seven hours, but they can vary! There are a few shifts that can go past seven hours in length.

There are limited volunteering opportunities before the Festival. Please note that pre-Festival shifts DO NOT count toward the four shift minimum all volunteers are required to complete. 

Most of these shifts are with our street marketing team and in our volunteer office. They are a great way to stack up some vouchers to use during the Festival!

The scheduling system we use does not limit you from signing up for two shifts in one day, but please be mindful of overlaps and travel time between locations.

Volunteers must wear their volunteer badge at all times. In addition, volunteers are provided with and must wear the official Hot Docs volunteer t-shirt, along with clean, appropriate, and tidy bottoms, and comfortable shoes while on shift. In cooler or inclement weather, volunteers are welcome to wear a sweater or jacket overtop, provided their t-shirt is visible and they are identifiable as volunteers. There are some exceptions to this rule, so it’s a good idea to double-check the dress code requirements in the “Additional Details” section for each shift. We also advised checking the weather, and coming prepared. 

Volunteers who arrive without their volunteer t-shirt, badge, or other dress code requirements may be asked to change or be dismissed from their shift.

No, we are not able to house the hundreds of volunteers who help out each year.

Yes! If you don’t know your schedule until a week or two in advance, we ask that you wait to claim shifts until your schedule is locked. While our system allows you to drop a shift up to 48 hours before start time, we ask that you only sign up for shifts you can commit to.

We only provide transit tokens for "Floater Volunteers," a special team that meets at the Volunteer Office and is then assigned based on what locations need assistance. All other volunteers are responsible for their own transportation to and from their shifts.

We offer many specialized volunteer roles in leadership, industry, marketing, special events, and more. These are usually offered to returning volunteers first before they are made available to new volunteers.

You should never expect to watch films on shift. There are some exceptional cases where you may be able to watch a film but note volunteers must confirm with their direct supervisor before leaving their post. Feel free to use your vouchers to check out films when you are not volunteering.

Volunteer opportunities at the Cinema are only available to volunteers who have participated in the Hot Docs Festival. Due to the overwhelming demand for shifts at the Cinema, we are only able to accept a small number of new year-round volunteers each year. We ask our Cinema volunteers to complete one year with the Festival before committing to year-round opportunities.