Press Officer
Press Officer
Thank you for your interest in working with BFMAF. Applications for this role have now closed. Please sign up to our newsletter to hear about our opportunities and Festival announcements.
Overview
Job Title: Press Officer (Fixed-term part-time contract, 10 hours a week)
Salary: £27,000 per annum pro rata
Reports to: Communications Manager
Works closely with: Communications Manager and Festival Director
Contract Period: November 2024 – April 2025
Purpose of the Post
Ahead of the 20th Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival (BFMAF), taking place in Berwick-upon-Tweed, 27 – 30 March 2025, BFMAF would like to employ a Press Officer to develop an integrated implementation of our public relations campaigns.
The purpose of the post is to have a dedicated member of staff responsible for liaising with and organising press trips and coverage for the Festival. This is to support both the lasting legacy of the Festival and ticket sales in the Festival lead-up period.
About Us
THE UK’s FESTIVAL FOR NEW CINEMA & ARTISTS’ MOVING IMAGE
Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival (BFMAF) is the UK’s foremost festival for new cinema and artists’ moving image. BFMAF presents a diverse programme of screenings, events, workshops, and exhibitions each year.
Motivations
BFMAF presents adventurous and risk taking cinema from around the world. It creates a platform that seeks to empower people and provide a generous place for the exploration of ideas and new perspectives.
“A work in progress”, leading through collaboration, the Festival has a resolute commitment to the mutual development of the artists, audiences, filmmakers, and programmers that make the festival possible.
The Festival enacts pluralist ideas of contemporary cinema, its history, and its curation; and continually works towards testing the boundaries of what a festival can be.
Programming selects from a broad range: short, medium, and feature-length films encompassing arthouse, documentary, genre cinema, artists’ moving image, sound or live, installation-based or performative works of cinema. BFMAF prefers world/UK/European premieres, and freshly restored archival titles.
Location
The Festival is based in England’s most northerly town, Berwick-upon-Tweed. In the setting of rural north Northumberland, on the border with Scotland; BFMAF is continually inspired by its borderlands, river, and coastal location.
Support for Artists
Internationally, BFMAF is recognised as a platform for the best artists’ moving image and new cinema – particularly for underrepresented filmmakers, places, and communities.
In the UK & Ireland, we support the careers of artists, filmmakers, programmers, and critics. Locally we are valued as an unique cultural asset in the North of England, with international reach, and as an active part of the community and calendar of Berwick-upon-Tweed.
BFMAF strives to understand and work towards optimal exhibition conditions for artists and filmmakers’ work within the resources and contexts it has available. In evaluating this, the accessibility of audiences and communities that it is involved with – locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally are of utmost consideration.
Main Responsibilities
- Identify key campaign moments and write up to six press releases/short press announcements in the lead up to and after the Festival.
- Lead on identifying suitable critics and publications.
- Attend regular meetings with the Communications Manager and Catalogue Editor.
- Providing regular information to local, UK-wide and international press to encourage attendance.
- Approval and provision of press passes.
- Maintaining press contacts using the Festival database, Filmchief.
- Manage communications via Filmchief and the press inbox.
- Updating our existing press list, and building relationships with new publications and press contacts across commissioning editors and writers.
- Identify and coordinate key contacts for supported Festival attendance, including Early Career Critics, working with Guest Services to manage their trips.
- Work with the Festival Director and Programming team to identify and pitch suitable films for reviews and interviews.
- Brainstorm ideas for complementary advertising, listings and general marketing opportunities with the Communications Manager.
- Ensuring Festival is included in relevant listings.
- Attend the Festival.
- Coordinate interviews between press and attending filmmakers over the Festival period.
- Coordinate and respond to ad-hoc needs of press attendees over the Festival period.
- Manage communications and participate in contingency planning around unexpected events.
- Send film screener links and relevant materials for publication to interested press and manage embargos as needed.
- Work with the support of the Communications Manager on the creation and dissemination of a Press Kit.
Person Specification
Essential
- Strong and clear written and oral communications skills, including excellent and accurate copywriting.
- Excellent time and workload management with the ability to work under pressure to tight deadlines.
- Up to date knowledge of IT with experience of using email, Google Drive applications and databases.
- Strong visual sensibility, with attention to detail when providing high-resolution images for digital and print publication.
- Meticulous proofreading skills.
- Demonstrable interest in independent film and visual arts, and supporting the work of artists, filmmakers and critics alike.
- Confident, personable attitude with the ability to communicate with a wide range of people.
- The ability to deal confidently, courteously and discreetly with all levels of the media and the public (both in person, over the phone and on email) with experience of building successful relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.
- Good understanding of the changing media landscape.
- A confident and professional manner, with an interest in connecting people.
- Ability to work independently and use initiative.
- Contribute to BFMAF’s understanding of equality, diversity, and work with knowledge of company policies including Dignity at Work, Safeguarding and Code of Conduct.
- Work within BFMAF’s policy around environmental responsibility.
Desirable
- Experience working with film and/or visual arts festivals.
- Prior experience creating and managing dynamic, wide reaching and inclusive press campaigns.
- Ability to commute to our office in Berwick-upon-Tweed.
How to Apply
Please send your application via the online Press Officer Application Form providing:
- A motivation letter (up to 1 A4 page or about 500 words) letting us know:
- Your specific interests in the Press Officer role and Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival at this time;
- How your experience, skills and knowledge match up with the person specification and job description;
- A CV that demonstrates how you fit the person specification and job description.
- Details of one referee, who will be contacted should a job offer be made.
- Completion of an Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form.
We understand that women and people of colour can avoid applying for jobs if they do not feel they meet each criteria listed. If you feel you do not fulfil the entirety of the person specification, we still strongly encourage that you apply.
We are especially interested in hearing from people with strong writing and communication skills.
Please contact us at hr@bfmaf.org to discuss the role and any aspects of your application.
Application Deadline: 10:00 Monday 04 November 2024
Interviews: Friday 08 November 2024, online. Questions will be provided in advance.
Terms and Conditions
This job description is a guide to the nature of the work required. They are not wholly comprehensive or restrictive and do not form part of the contract of employment.
We’re willing to consider reasonable proposals for flexible and hybrid working for
individual roles, to be formally agreed in advance and recorded
as a note to signed contracts.
Equal Opportunities
Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival is a Disabled led organisation committed to developing positive policies and working practices which promote Equal Opportunities and prohibit unlawful or unfair discrimination.
In recognition of these aims, we particularly encourage applications from people from the Global Majority (global majority refers to people who are Black, Asian, Brown, dual-heritage, indigenous to the global south, and/or have been referred to as “ethnic minorities”); Disabled people; and others who have experienced barriers or discrimination at work.
According to provisions in the Equality Act 2010 we will implement a ‘tie-break’ provision at interview stage if two or more candidates are equally qualified for the role and one has protected characteristics that are under-represented within our team. Where possible we will recruit the candidate with the under-represented protected characteristic(s).
Access Support
Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival is Disabled led and welcomes Access Riders from candidates. We are keen to support reasonable adjustments requested during application and recruitment processes e.g. submitting an audio or video recording as equivalent to a written application, or asking for extra time at the application or interview stage.
Currently a Festival employee receives support via the UK Government’s Access to Work (AtW) scheme. This funds practical support at work for people with a disability, health or mental health condition. We are happy to support applications from others who are eligible.
If you have any access needs, or barriers to access that you would like to discuss, please do not hesitate to let us know either before applying or as part of your application. Contact: hr@bfmaf.org
Terms
Holidays: 36 days annually, pro rata to contract. This includes days taken during BFMAF Christmas Holiday between 24 December 2024 and 2 January 2025. Apart from company holidays, all other holidays must be agreed in advance with the Festival Director.
TOIL: This contract does not accommodate time off in lieu. Any additional hours/days for required work outside the agreed hours must be discussed and agreed in advance with the Festival Director and monitored via the timesheet. Additional hours will be paid via monthly payroll.
Notice period: The employee may terminate the employment agreement with 1 month’s written notice, unless otherwise negotiated with the employer.
Probationary period: One month
Location: Our office is in Berwick-upon-Tweed but remote working is possible.
Type of contract: This is a fixed term contract for work to be undertaken between November 2024 and April 2025. Exact dates will be agreed prior to starting work and will be agreed in the contract.
Press Officer Application Form
Equal Opportunities Form
Press Officer Job Description PDF