San Francisco Cinematheque’s internships provide opportunities to learn about nonprofit arts administration, archives, communications, and organizational operations while supporting the work of a small, low-resource arts organization. Interns receive guidance from SFC staff and gain practical experience through defined projects and responsibilities.
Our internships are intended to:
- Provide hands-on experience with the operations of a small nonprofit arts organization
- Offer training and guidance in arts administration, archives, communications, and organizational systems
- Encourage engagement with Cinematheque’s screenings, publications, archives, history, and community of artists and audiences
Internships are unpaid and generally require approximately 5–7 hours per week for a minimum commitment of six months, unless otherwise indicated. Internships are open to students and non-students alike. Course credit may be available through some educational institutions, but enrollment in an academic program is not required.
SFC staff work remotely, and internships are primarily remote experiences. Interns must have access to their own computer and reliable internet connection. Availability to work synchronously with staff during the scheduled work period is preferred or required depending on the position. Local interns may attend Cinematheque screenings and events as an optional benefit.
Learn more about San Francisco Cinematheque, its mission, and its history on our About and History pages.
Application instructions are included with each internship description below. Unless otherwise indicated, please submit a resume and cover letter to sfc@sfcinematheque.org and include the name of the internship in the subject line.
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Archives Internship — Position Filled
On-Call Volunteers
ARCHIVES INTERNSHIP
Current Status: POSITION FILLED
This description represents the types of archival projects and activities undertaken by interns at San Francisco Cinematheque. There is not currently an opening for an Archives Internship. Individuals interested in future archival opportunities are welcome to contact SFC to express their interest, but please note that we may not be able to respond individually while the position is marked filled. Any future openings will be announced separately.
Archives Description
San Francisco Cinematheque’s physical archives consist of Artist Files, Institutional Files, Curatorial Research Files, books, periodicals, distribution catalogs, still-image files, and Special Artist Collections. These materials document the curatorial, administrative, publishing, and cultural history of Cinematheque, as well as the organization’s engagement with experimental and avant-garde film culture at the regional, national, and international levels.
SFC’s digital archives include text, video, image, and other digital materials collected through the organization’s curatorial and publishing activities, as well as materials digitized from physical collections. These materials include publicly accessible online collections as well as digital files that are not yet available to the public.
Position Description
Under the guidance of Cinematheque staff, Archives Interns assist with the organization, preservation, description, digitization, and access of physical and digital archival materials.
Archival projects vary depending on current organizational needs, available collections, and the interests and experience of the intern. Projects may focus on physical collections, digital files, online archival resources, historical research, or a combination of these areas.
Work may involve:
- Assessing and organizing physical collections
- Determining appropriate arrangement and description of archival materials
- Rehousing collections and preparing materials for improved storage and access
- Creating collection inventories, folder lists, finding aids, and other descriptive records
- Organizing Artist Files, Institutional Files, Curatorial Research Files, and Special Artist Collections
- Organizing and describing digital files derived from digitized paper, photographic, audiovisual, and mixed-media collections
- Renaming and arranging digital files according to established procedures
- Creating metadata for physical and digital materials
- Entering and maintaining records in online archival systems and databases
- Creating online collections from digitized materials
- Assisting with the maintenance and development of SFC’s public-facing digital archive
- Updating historical records relating to Cinematheque’s programs, publications, artists, and activities
- Assisting with digitization and digital-preservation projects
- Preparing digital materials for preservation, storage, or online access
- Conducting research related to artists, collections, publications, programs, and the history of San Francisco Cinematheque
- Assisting with transcription, data organization, and other documentation projects
- Supporting the development of archival procedures and organizational documents, such as deeds of gift, digitization policies, collection guidelines, and archival mission statements
Some projects may involve working with physical materials, while others may focus entirely on digital files and online systems. Depending on the project, work may be performed remotely or through an onsite arrangement in San Francisco.
Qualifications
- Interest in archival work, special collections, digital archives, or cultural heritage materials
- Interest in the history of experimental and avant-garde film, independent cinema, media arts, or related cultural practices
- Strong attention to detail and organizational skills
- Excellent written communication skills
- Ability to follow established procedures and work carefully with detailed information
- Ability to take direction and work independently where required
- Familiarity with basic archival principles and ethics
- Familiarity with spreadsheets, databases, cloud-based file systems, or online content-management systems
- Familiarity with archival standards or descriptive practices, such as DACS, Dublin Core, LCSH, or Getty AAT, is helpful but not required
- Enrollment in or recent completion of a Master’s program in Library and Information Science, Archives, Museum Studies, or a related field is welcome but not required
Knowledge of Bay Area experimental film history, independent cinema, visual arts, or non-institutional artistic practices is welcome but not required.
Position Details
Archives Internships are unpaid and generally require approximately 5–7 hours per week for a minimum commitment of six months, unless otherwise indicated. The schedule and specific responsibilities are determined according to the project and the intern’s availability.
Most work is performed remotely, although projects involving physical collections may require or permit onsite participation in San Francisco. Depending on the project, interns may work synchronously or asynchronously with Cinematheque staff.
When an Archives Internship becomes available, applicants should submit a resume and letter of interest to sfc@sfcinematheque.org. Please include “Archives Internship” in the subject line.
ON-CALL VOLUNTEERS
SFC welcomes inquiries from individuals interested in providing occasional, event-based assistance at public screenings. On-call volunteer activities may include:
- Selling memberships and merchandise
- Distributing program notes
- Assisting with box office
- Event setup and breakdown
- General audience and event support
These opportunities are offered on an as-needed basis and are in person in the San Francisco Bay Area. To express interest in future event-volunteer opportunities, please contact sfc@sfcinematheque.org.