Please note: this internship is only available to current students registered on a degree scheme in the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences at Lancaster University. If you apply for this role the information within your application will be shared with the recruiting organisation.
The Bay International Film Festival (TBIFF) is a not-for-profit company established in 2023 to promote independent cinema and cultural exchange in Morecambe Bay. We organise an annual international film festival featuring diverse films from the UK and around the world, alongside Q&A sessions, workshops, and community events. Our primary mission is to provide access to cinema for all members of society, regardless of socio-economic background, through free tickets and community screenings. Operating with charitable and educational purposes at our core, we aim to foster cultural understanding, support local youth through media training programmes, and establish Morecambe as a recognised hub for independent cinema in the North West.
Help make The Bay International Film Festival accessible to D/deaf, hard-of-hearing and international audiences. This is a brand-new role, created as part of our commitment to making cinema accessible to everyone, and you will help shape how we deliver it.
The internship has two parts. First, you will create closed captions for nine short films (1 hour 49 minutes in total) screening at our festival from 22 January to 7 February 2027. Some of these films already have subtitles, which you will turn into full captions with speaker and sound descriptions. Introductory training in captioning and captioning software will be provided.
Second, you will research, test and set up live captions and live translation for 13 post-screening Q&A sessions, so that audience members can scan a QR code and follow along on their own phones in their own language. You will compare free and paid tools (including Google Translate and AI-powered services), recommend the best set-up, and train a festival volunteer to run it on the day.
Because this is a new role, we are looking for a proactive person who enjoys investigating, testing technical ideas and proposing solutions. The internship is fully remote, including all meetings, so you can be based anywhere (within the UK) during the internship dates.
What We Offer:
- Training in closed captioning and captioning software
- Practical experience in digital accessibility and inclusive event practice, a growing area across the creative and cultural sectors
- The chance to shape a new access service that real audiences will use
- Mentorship from the festival team
- Fully remote, flexible working
- Free access to festival screenings
- A valuable addition to your CV/portfolio in the creative industries
Please submit a CV (maximum of two sides) and a Cover Letter (maximum one side) both tailored to the role.
Preferred Start Date: 4 January 2027
End Date: 7 February 2027
Interview Date: 14 or 15 December (online)
Working Hours / Pattern: 30 hours in total. Hours are flexible and fully remote, worked between 4 January and 7 February 2027. Most of the work happens in January before the festival, with fewer hours during the festival itself (29 January – 7 February). Weekly hours will be agreed flexibly with the intern, with regular online check-ins.
Location: Entirely remotely in the UK
FHASS Students: CV & Cover Letter Appointment
You can book a 20 minute appointment with the Employability Officer for the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences for queries you may have about your CV and / or Cover Letter. If you have a CV and / or Cover Letter you would like reviewing please upload to your booking at least 24-hours before the appointment time.