How to Volunteer for the Sundance Film Festival

Sundance Institute, that sponsors the Sundance Film Festival, is always looking for good volunteers, either full time or part time. There are plenty of opportunities to volunteer for prefestival, postfestival, and festival positions. The Sundance Film Festival uses around 1,400 volunteers each year, most of who work during the two-week festival in January each year. The 2009 Sundance Film Festival is scheduled for January 15-25, 2009.

In addition to volunteering for the Sundance Film Festival, you can volunteer for the Sundance Institute's Summer Labs in Film, Theater, Music, and Documentary Film, and for year-round activities at Sundance Institute offices in Park City, Utah and Los Angeles, California. Frequently, there are calls for volunteers to drive lab participants from airports to workshop venues, hand out brochures at retail locations for Summer Films in the Park, or work Sundance booths at other summer festivals.

TIP: Once you are in as a Sundance Film Festival volunteer, and you do good work and get along with others, you will be invited back by completing a special alumni application sent by email around August each year. You will also receive emails throughout the year, asking to volunteer for year-round activities.

I have volunteered full time for two years at Sundance Film Festival. I often get asked by people, "How can I be a volunteer?" Sundance Film Festival confirms new volunteer positions during October and November each year. You can complete the application for Sundance Institute and Sundance Film Festival volunteer opportunities at the Sundance Institute volunteer web page.

TIP: Don't be disappointed if Sundance doesn't contact you in October or November. The first year I applied, Sundance contacted me one week before the Sundance Film Festival started and said they had some cancellations. I packed and left for Park City, Utah one week later.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I get paid?

Sundance Institute gives full time volunteers expense relief checks at the end of the festival. Volunteer Associates receive $150. Volunteer Specialists receive $300. Volunteer Coordinators receive $500. Volunteer Managers receive $800.

TIP: There are plenty of places to eat free food and get free drinks during Sundance Film Festival. Many volunteers make a trip to Albertsons during the first couple of days in Park City to minimize their food expense. Filmmaker venues and major sponsors hold numerous happy hours with hors D'Oeuvres, and will allow volunteers to attend.The Volunteer Villa provides free food, drinks, and snacks throughout the day. You can also receive one meal voucher per day at The Volunteer Villa to use at the Sundance Film Festival headquarters, The Marriott.

Do I get lodging in Park City, Utah?

Sundance Film Festival 2008 provided accommodations for over 800 volunteers. Priority usually goes to those who work full time and are not from the Park City or Salt Lake City area. You have to share a condo with four to five other people, and first-year volunteers will be assigned to sleep on a sleeper sofa. Private rooms are assigned to alumni volunteers based on the seniority of roommates.

TIP: Sundance Film Festival organizers try to select roommates who work the same schedule, work at the same venue, or are in the same age range. If you are an older volunteer and want to be placed in a condo with older people who don't party a lot, make that request on your application. Plan to pick up your condo key at 4 p.m. on the day of check-in.

Can I get free tickets to see films?

Each theater that screens Sundance Film Festival selections has a certain number of seats reserved for volunteers that can be used if the theater does not fill up with hard ticket holders and wait list ticket buyers. You can get on a volunteer wait list two hours before a screening by receiving a number. In most cases, if you have a low number, you will make it in to the screening about 10 minutes before the screening starts.

TIP: Press screenings and screenings at larger theaters like the Eccles or the Library are the easiest ones to get into.

Can I meet movie stars?

There are strict guidelines for professional behavior of volunteers while in uniform. While working, you are not allowed to take pictures or harass filmmakers, actors, or other members of the entourage. There are plenty of occasions while not working, that volunteers can cruise Main Street, attend premieres, dine where movie stars are, and participate in events at filmmaker venues. Volunteers often get great pics and autographs during their off time and while not in uniform.

TIP: Don't forget to pack your battery charger for your camera. Try to bring a small camera on a lanyard to wear around your neck. Also bring a pen on a string to wear around your neck. You never know when a movie star will walk out of a café or is being interviewed on a Main Street balcony. Sometimes, you bump into movie stars while walking on Main Street. Some stars love to stop and give an autograph and take a picture with you.

How long do I have to work?

It depends. Full time volunteers can work as many as 8 hours a day, every day of the festival. Some full time jobs, like in Transportation, where you are working outside during your shift, are typically 4 to 5 hour shifts. Part time volunteers must commit to a minimum of 5 four-hour shifts during the festival. There are also training sessions that volunteers must attend.

TIP: A couple weeks prior to the Sundance Film Festival, you will receive a Volunteer Handbook, work schedule, and other important information to help make your experience an enjoyable one. The Volunteer Handbook also describes expected volunteer behavior and other perks offered to volunteers.

What should I pack?

Be prepared to walk everywhere, walk in snow and ice, walk at all times of the day and night, and if you are full time, work for 15 days. Some condos have washers and dryers and if not, a laundromat is usually within walking distance. Most of us hand wash our undies and PJs in the bathtub and dry them on towels on the floor or on the backs of chairs. Bring an extra suitcase for all the free stuff you collect, and bring a large tote bag to carry around Main Street to collect all the free stuff each day.

TIP: Buy some heavy ski socks, large snow boots, and pack clothes you can layer to stay warm while cruising Main Street, but peel when you work in the theaters or attend screenings. Sundance Film Festival will issue you a winter parka, a uniform vest, a ski cap, and a scarf. No need to bring another coat.

How old do I have to be?

You must be 21 years old as of the first day of the festival. At Sundance Film Festival 2007, the youngest volunteer was 21 and the oldest was 71. Volunteers were 35% male and 65% female. Volunteers come from all over the world including Canada, Australia, Japan, United Kingdom and France. It is a wonderful experience to meet volunteers from all cultures and at all ages.

How do I get around in Park City? Can I bring a car?

It is very hard to get around Park City in a car during Sundance Film Festival. If you need to bring a car, there are a couple of parking lots you can park in and then take Shuttles or the Park City Transit buses to venues. It is very easy to get a shuttle to Park City from the Salt Lake City airport and costs around $62 round trip.

TIP: During opening weekend, plan for delays in shuttle routes when going to work your shift. It is NOT cool to be late for your shift and the shuttles are FULL of festivalgoers over the weekends.If you are a first time volunteer, ask an alumni volunteer at check-in or an alumni roommate to help show you around the first couple of days. Most alumni are happy to show you the ropes and make your first experience easier.

Will I get to meet Robert Redford?

Probably not. Mr. Redford attends only a few Sundance Film Festival activities and is rarely seen on the streets. I did manage to see him in 2008, through a window at the Turning Leaf Lounge, meeting with Geoffrey Gilmore who is the Director of the Sundance Film Festival. The Lounge was closed to the public at the time, and unfortunately, I was in my Sundance uniform, so I could not snap a fan photo.

TIP: It is more likely that you will see Robert Redford walking around the paths at Sundance Resort during the Sundance Film Festival. There are numerous filmmaking workshops and screenings at Sundance Resort during the festival. Sundance Resort is located about an hour from Salt Lake City, and shuttles are available from Park City to Sundance Resort during the festival.

Have fun and leave a comment if I can answer any other questions about being a Sundance Film Festival volunteer. If you are a movie lover or filmmaker, the rewards far outweigh the commitment.