Creative Director of Film & Cinematic Storytelling (Volunteer)

Mentor A Promise is a New York City–based nonprofit serving children and youth (ages 5–18) experiencing housing instability, grounded in the belief that every child is a Promise—full of potential, dignity, and possibility. We deliver consistent, high-quality programming across mentorship, literacy, social-emotional learning, and creative expression in shelters, schools, and community spaces, creating structured environments where students can grow, be seen, and build lasting skills. Through signature experiences like The Imagination Studio, The Kitchen Table, The Sound Lab, and The Story Space, we nurture academic development, emotional well-being, and creative voice, all within a trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and accessibility-centered framework. Our work prioritizes dignity-protective storytelling, consent-driven engagement, and deep community partnership, ensuring that how we serve is as intentional as whom we serve. We are not only addressing immediate needs - we are building pathways to confidence, belonging, and long-term opportunity, so every child has the support and foundation to carry their promise forward.

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Creative Director of Film & Cinematic Storytelling (Volunteer)

PromiseStories | Film, Documentary & Narrative Media

Organization Mentor A Promise (MAP)

Location Hybrid (NYC-based filming required)

Type Founding Leadership (Volunteer Executive Track or Structured Contract Role)

Reports To Chief Brand & Product Officer

Works Closely With Photography Director, PromisePages, PromiseCivic, PromiseInclusive, Communications Team, Legal & Safeguarding Lead

About Film At Mentor A Promise

Mentor A Promise (MAP) operates at the intersection of youth development, civic innovation, publishing, and community systems-building. Film is not an accessory to this work — it is a medium through which mission becomes memory.

Our cinematic work may include

• Short-form documentaries
• Narrative micro-films
• Campaign storytelling
• Youth-centered creative projects
• Civic and policy-focused visual briefs
• Brand films for Promise divisions
  
  

We approach film as institutional storytelling — structured, ethical, visually disciplined, and emotionally resonant.

Role Overview

We are seeking a Creative Director of Film & Cinematic Storytelling to define the cinematic language and film strategy across MAP divisions.

This founding leadership role will establish

• Narrative frameworks
• Visual tone and pacing standards
• Ethical storytelling protocols
• Production workflow architecture
• Post-production coherence
  
  

The Creative Director will oversee the full arc of cinematic storytelling — from concept to final cut — ensuring alignment with MAP’s dignity-centered mission and safeguarding requirements.

This role requires artistic vision, production fluency, and executive-level discipline.

Key Responsibilities

• Define MAP’s cinematic identity across documentary and narrative formats
• Develop film concepts aligned with programmatic and brand strategy
• Lead pre-production planning (scripts, storyboards, shot architecture, tone direction)
• Oversee production coordination and on-set creative leadership
• Ensure safeguarding, consent, and release form compliance for all participants
• Guide editing standards, pacing, sound design direction, and final cut review
• Collaborate with policy and communications teams for public-facing film initiatives
• Develop structured archival systems for raw footage and completed films
• Ensure representation of students and families is ethical, non-exploitative, and trauma-informed
• Contribute to grant applications and institutional presentations requiring video documentation
• Maintain timely, professional responsiveness via email and chat in Google Workspace
  
  

Qualifications

• Background in film production, directing, cinematography, or narrative media
• Demonstrated experience leading film projects from concept to completion
• Strong understanding of visual storytelling, pacing, and emotional structure
• Experience managing production timelines and post-production workflows
• Familiarity with safeguarding protocols and media consent standards
• Portfolio demonstrating cinematic coherence and storytelling depth
  
  

Preferred Skills

• Experience in documentary filmmaking
• Familiarity with nonprofit or civic storytelling environments
• Experience working with youth participants
• Knowledge of editing workflows (Premiere Pro, Final Cut, DaVinci, or equivalent)
• Experience building a visual brand language across multiple projects
  
  

Commitment

• Founding leadership role
• Structured engagement (minimum 5–10 hours per week for executive volunteer track; scalable during production cycles)
• NYC-based filming required
• 6-month minimum commitment preferred
  
  

What You’ll Build

• A cohesive cinematic identity for MAP
• Short-form and documentary films rooted in dignity and depth
• A structured production and archival framework
• A visual narrative archive of MAP’s institutional impact
  
  

Film does more than document.

It preserves.

It interprets.

It dignifies.

Help build a cinematic language worthy of the communities we serve.

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with our organization. At this time, leadership volunteer opportunities are limited to individuals based in the United States due to legal, safeguarding, data-privacy, media release, and compliance requirements. We appreciate your interest in our mission and your understanding of these constraints.