Kaboom Animation Festival
Each year, the Kaboom Animation Festival presents an international program of bold, creative, and innovative animation across various competitions, themed programs, and Expanded Animation, complemented by the Kaboom Industry Days—a platform for networking, inspiration, and knowledge exchange for Dutch and international animation professionals. By giving space to previously unheard voices and untold stories within the program and engaging in dialogue with creators and visitors, we aim to facilitate connections, stimulate creativity, and foster exchange. The next edition of the festival is scheduled for March 12–21, 2027, with the first six days (including Industry Days) taking place in Utrecht at Filmtheater De Slachtstraat, De Sien, and HKU, and the final four days in Amsterdam at Eye, Melkweg Cinema, and Boom Chicago.
Head of Production
We are looking for a new Head of Production to join us in the coming years to lead and further professionalize our festival production. As Head of Production, you will be responsible for developing production policy, overseeing its implementation, and participating in management meetings to ensure internal coordination and maximum collaboration between the various departments and the production team.
Team & Division of Responsibilities
The Kaboom team is lean and mean. In addition to the two-person executive team, there are department heads for programming, industry, marketing & communications, technology, and production. In the run-up to the festival, these departments are reinforced with freelancers to help organize the festival. Within the production department, this includes an executive producer, a program producer, a volunteer coordinator, a box office coordinator, a guest manager, and various venue managers. The production department also works closely with the industry coordinator and external technical suppliers for film screenings, events, infrastructure, and VR.
The Head of Production is responsible for:
- A well-informed management meeting in which work is coordinated and production input is incorporated into the festival organization’s overall strategy;
- A competent temporary production team that is well-supervised;
- The execution of the festival production within the established production budget, clear record-keeping, and a smooth handover;
- Venue contracts and coordinated logistical arrangements with venue owners;
- Successful completion of the permitting process and secured festival insurance;
- Festival decor and signage;
- Well-produced special events, including openings, award ceremonies, and satellite events;
- A production schedule aligned with the program schedule and clearly communicated both internally and externally (including transportation, delivery, catering, decor, and signage);
- Coordinated execution of online and in-person ticket sales via Filmchief;
- Sustainable festival catering for crew and guests;
- A well-informed and motivated team of volunteers;
- Implementation of the guest policy: travel booked within the allocated budget, hotel arrangements made, and guest and crew rooms reserved;
- Clear documentation of production work to ensure knowledge retention for future editions
Who’s a good fit for us?
Everyone! The work environment at Kaboom is open, transparent, welcoming, and inclusive. We’re convinced that anyone who loves animation can help us organize an engaging festival that resonates with the animation community. We’re an organisation where employees can be themselves and feel safe.
We’re looking for a producer with several years of experience who is ready to take on responsibility for the festival’s overall production and is willing to handle hands-on production duties. You’re open, approachable, and a good communicator; you enjoy bringing structure to projects and ensure that everyone is well-informed. You value the festival’s accessibility to everyone, foster a positive atmosphere within the team, and think in terms of solutions. You are energetic, cheerful, hands-on, decisive, clear, and able to keep a cool head. The working language of the festival and the organisation is English, but proficiency in Dutch is also crucial for production. A good familiarity with the cultural scene in Utrecht and Amsterdam, familiarity with the Filmchief database, and a certificate in social hygiene would make working for Kaboom easier.
Practical Information
You’re more than welcome to work from our office at LAB111 in Amsterdam. Working partly from home is also an option, provided there are sufficient opportunities for in-person collaboration to streamline the output. The weekly management meeting takes place on Mondays. This position is a part-time role based on a contract for services from October 2026 through April 2027. We are planning to hire a self-employed professional, but salaried employment is also an option. In terms of time commitment, the assignment is based on approximately 56 days, which you, as a self-employed professional, are free to schedule as you see fit. As a rough guide: October/November: 5 days, December: 5 days, January: 12 days, February: 14 days, March: 20 days. If there’s a mutual fit, we’d be happy to discuss a follow-up assignment toward the end of this one.
Kaboom operates in accordance with the fair pay agreements established at the film festival industry roundtable. This position is classified in pay scale 7. You can find more information here: Home | Filmwerkwijs
Contact
If you’re interested in applying for the position of Head of Production, please send us a cover letter and resume via email (both as PDF attachments) by September 23 at the latest. You can send your application to Business Director Annabet Langkamp at [email protected]. If you have any questions about the position, please feel free to contact Annabet. Interviews will be held on Wednesday, September 30.
