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?