Emerging filmmakers building practical experience in a collaborative production environment

NextGen at HIFFInternships · Apprenticeship · Practice

Experience should
open a path.

A developing programme for people ready to learn through responsibility, observation and supervised festival work.

An internship becomes meaningful when the participant can name what they learned, who guided them and what they are now prepared to do.

HIFF is developing NextGen as a practical bridge between interest and experience. The programme may serve students, apprentices, workshop learners and early-career creatives from varied educational routes. Every future opportunity will define supervision, responsibilities, time commitment, learning outcomes, accessibility and any compensation or benefits before applications open.

No internship or placement is currently open. Roles will be published only after the festival operating plan and participating partners are confirmed.

Emerging filmmakers receiving hands-on cinema camera mentorship on a production set
HIFF visual study · Supervised production learning
02 / Practice with purpose

Mentorship in the room

The first professional set should teach more than where to stand.

NextGen is being designed around visible guidance: participants understand the creative reason behind a task, work within a safe and defined scope, receive feedback, and leave with language for the skill they have begun to build.

Read the access commitment
02 / Experience areas

Learn by contributing

Six ways to enter
the festival process.

01

Festival Production

Run-of-show support, venue coordination, guest flow and supervised event operations.

Opportunity scope · TBA
02

Programming Support

Research, metadata, screener administration and the discipline of handling film information responsibly.

Opportunity scope · TBA
03

Media & Storytelling

Photography, interviews, short-form editorial, social coverage and careful archive creation.

Opportunity scope · TBA
04

Technical & Screenings

Projection support, media checks, sound coordination and accessible exhibition workflows.

Opportunity scope · TBA
05

Guest & Audience Experience

Accreditation, filmmaker hospitality, audience guidance, accessibility and front-of-house practice.

Opportunity scope · TBA
06

Creative Post-Production

Supervised editing, caption preparation, motion assets and delivery of festival media.

Opportunity scope · TBA
03 / The learning contract

What every opportunity should make clear

Respect the person.
Define the work.
Name the learning.

01Supervision

A named role or team responsible for guidance, feedback and safe escalation.

02Scope

Tasks, schedule, location, physical requirements and expected preparation described in advance.

03Development

Specific skills, observation opportunities and portfolio or reference outcomes where appropriate.

04Fairness

Transparent selection, privacy, accommodations and clear disclosure of paid, stipend, volunteer or credit status.

04 / The pathway
Discover

Read a complete opportunity profile.

Apply

Share experience, interests and access needs.

Learn

Work with supervision and real responsibility.

Reflect

Receive feedback and document the learning.

Continue

Leave with a clearer next step.

Current status

NextGen applications are not yet open.

Future roles, eligibility, locations, capacity, dates and partner involvement will be announced through official HIFF channels.