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CALIFORNIA FILM INSTITUTE

2026 Mill Valley Film Festival Assistant Theater Operations Manager

Location: San Rafael, CA (15 minutes North of the Golden Gate Bridge)

Status: Full-Time, Salary, Seasonal, Hybrid/Remote, onsite starting 9/21/26

Dates: 8/3/26 through 10/16/26

Salary: $1352 weekly

About CAFILM:

CAFILM supports its mission to celebrate film as art and education by presenting the annual Mill Valley Film Festival and DocLands Documentary Film Festival, exhibiting film year-round at the non-profit Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center in San Rafael, CA and Sequoia Cinema in Mill Valley, CA, and building the next generation of filmmakers and film lovers through CFI Education. 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 over 60,000 attendees. MVFF has a stellar reputation as a filmmakers' festival with a high-profile, prestigious, non-competitive environment celebrating the best in independent and world cinema in gorgeous Northern California.

About the Role

The Assistant Theater Operations Manager supports the Theater Operations Manager in overseeing all aspects of theater operations for the Mill Valley Film Festival. This position plays a key supervisory and logistical leadership role, ensuring that each venue operates efficiently, staff are properly supported, and festival standards are consistently maintained. Reporting directly to the Theater Operations Manager-and working in coordination with the Director of Operations-the Assistant Theater Operations Manager is a core member of the festival's management team, contributing to training, scheduling, workflow oversight, and venue execution.

Key Responsibilities

• Assist in designing, leading, and delivering comprehensive training sessions for all festival theater staff, with an emphasis on clarity, hospitality, and consistent execution of festival policies and procedures.
• Support and participate in staff supervision and scheduling, including helping develop, adjust, and communicate staffing plans for all venues.
• Collaborate with the Theater Operations Manager to develop and present "Theater Ops 101," an orientation that introduces festival workflows to cross-departmental teams (Programming, Membership, Development, PR/Marketing).
• Coordinate all special seating plans for VIPs, sponsors, filmmakers, and donors, exercising judgment around timing, logistics, and staff needs, in alignment with the Theater Operations Manager.
• Serve as a liaison with the Development Department, ensuring sponsor and donor expectations are met at each venue.
• Create, refine, and maintain detailed work schedules for theater staff across all festival venues including the Rafael Film Center, Sequoia, Lark, and BAMPFA.
• Work with the General Manager of Festival Operations to ensure staff needs-parking, meals, access, break plans-are aligned with festival procedures and venue requirements.
• Procure, manage, and oversee all essential theater operations supplies (signage, stanchions, flashlights, binders, clipboards, easels), ensuring adequate distribution and readiness across venues.
• Conduct regular check-ins with the Theater Operations Manager to assess workload, timelines, team communication, staffing needs, and operational flow.
• Use Asana to coordinate and track theater operations tasks and deadlines, ensuring alignment with the Festival GM and overall operations timeline.
• Collaborate with the Volunteer Manager to integrate volunteers effectively into theater operations support, including training, placement, and on-site workflow.
• Oversee post-festival inventory and organization, ensuring supplies are accounted for and returned to storage in an organized manner.
• Contribute to and submit a comprehensive wrap report and participate in post-festival debrief meetings.
• Lead or support on-site theater operations management at assigned venues when delegated, stepping into supervisory decision-making as needed.
• Perform additional duties as assigned by the Theater Operations Manager or Director of Operations.

Ideal Candidate Qualifications

• Thrives both independently and as part of a collaborative team
• Exceptionally organized, detail-oriented, and proactive
• Professional demeanor with a positive, solutions-driven approach
• Skilled communicator with strong written and verbal abilities
• Proficient in Excel, Word, FileMaker Pro, and Google Workspace
• Demonstrates grace under pressure, with strong problem-solving and leadership skills
• Proven ability to manage shifting deadlines and prioritize effectively
• Strong interpersonal and customer service skills
• Experience managing within a budget and making resource-conscious decisions
• Comfortable navigating multiple tasks and changing priorities
• Must have reliable transportation, a smartphone, and availability to work nights and weekends during the festival period

To apply, please submit:

• Your resume including two references

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.