Film Festival: 400 Young People at Work

Our partnership with the Venice Film Festival has lasted for more than thirty years. “We started in the early ’90s, and then, from the mid-’90s onward, almost without interruption,” says President Adriano Rizzi. The numbers give a sense of the scale of the operation. “In recent years, we’ve been employing around 400 people annually,” he continues. “In addition to these, there are about ten coordinators and theater inspectors, as well as another group of about ten people working behind the scenes.” The staff is divided among various departments. “We have about forty people working at the ticket offices and at access controls.” For several years now, ticket sales have been almost entirely online, but that doesn’t mean the work has disappeared: “There’s back-office work and providing information,” Rizzi points out. “Then there are about 150 people working in the exhibition halls—the so-called ushers—while another important service, employing nearly 100 people, is the most recent one linked to Venice Immersive, the section dedicated to immersive experiences and virtual reality held at the Lazzaretto Vecchio, which are very popular. This service requires staff for reception, escorting, and transportation. Finally, about 100 people are engaged in support work for press services: accreditation, hostesses for delegations, the switchboard, the front desk, and the coat check.”

A workforce that is, to a large extent, Venetian. “Most of the staff are local,” says Rizzi. “This is also due to logistical reasons: the Lido is easily accessible, but only to a certain extent, especially when screenings start very early or end late. That’s why we give priority to workers who live in the area or have support in the area.” The figures speak for themselves: 79% of the staff comes from the local area, mainly from the province of Venice, while 21% comes from outside the region.

But who are these 400 people, in terms of age? The answer confirms the impression one gets when watching the staff at work in the dining rooms and reception areas: they are mostly young—and very young. “Apart from a few roles, such as coordinators and hall supervisors, most are young and very young.” The most striking statistic concerns those under 25: 82% of the staff is under 25. Only 18% are over 25.

Consequently, this is an experience that is significantly renewed each year. About 60% of the young people are new to each edition. The turnover is therefore very high, precisely because most of them are young people who choose the Film Festival as a summer job. “It’s a combination of factors: it’s a special experience compared to typical seasonal jobs. It’s not particularly demanding, since it’s a ten-day commitment that involves working in a very attractive setting, gaining experience that—even if brief—looks great on a resume. As for the pay for 10 days, considering a newly hired young person working about 40 hours a week, it’s around 700 euros.”

This does not mean, however, that those who start out at the Film Festival cannot later turn that experience into something more permanent. Over many years of collaboration, CoopCulture has seen some young people continue their relationship with the cooperative. “Over the years, there have been people who, after working at the Venice Film Festival—as well as at the Biennale of Visual Arts—have continued to work with us, becoming part of the cooperative’s permanent staff.”