Sundance Film Festival

The Film and Media Studies program in the Department of English is pleased to announce its Ninth Annual Sundance Film Festival Student/Faculty Trip from January 28 – February 2, 2020, available for Film and Media Studies and Department of English undergraduate and graduate students, on-ground and online. Students will volunteer for 25 hours during this time as members of the Sundance Film Festival theatre team, helping to usher, take tickets, manage lines, and run its theatres. Accommodation and accreditation will be provided for all selected students. Students will be responsible for airfare to and from Salt Lake City as well as shuttle to and from Park City.  Accepted students can also earn one credit of FMS 484: Internship or ENG 484: Internship.

Living accommodation will be a multi-bedroom condo in the heart of Park City that is walking distance to many festival venues and directly on the Sundance bus line. Faculty members will serve as mentors and share accommodation with 9 to 11 students. Information on the Sundance Film Festival can be obtained at https://www.sundance.org/festivals/sundance-film-festival.

Requirements:

1. Must be at least 18-years-old by November 1, 2019, and be a part-time or full-time undergraduate major or minor or graduate student in the Film and Media Studies program or any concentration in the Department of English during the spring 2020 semester. No December 2019 graduates are eligible.
2. Have a minimum grade point average of 2.75 overall and in the major.
3. Volunteer for 25 hours with shift times assigned by the Festival so as not to overlap with Sundance Ignite events, workshops and seminars exclusively available for students.

Benefits:

• Festival Access: Students are given Volunteer Credentials to allow access to Festival panels and some official Festival venues on a space-available basis. There are also a few screenings just for volunteers. For almost every screening, a certain number of tickets are set aside only for volunteers. Students receive one volunteer voucher for every four hours volunteered.
• Uniform: Jacket and Volunteer Credential
• Refreshments: Sundance offers light snacks and refreshments in their Volunteer Hub for volunteers to come get when not on shift. These snacks are not meant to replace meals, which volunteers are responsible for providing themselves.
• Sundance Ignite Events: Students can attend several events run by the Sundance Institute, for free. They may include:
  • Festival Welcome with the Programmers
  • Filmmaker Roundtable
  • Speed dating interaction with current Festival filmmakers to learn their process and the steps they took to come to the Festival
• Other benefits as Sign Up Volunteers: the list is detailed here: http://www.sundance.org/festivals/sundance-film-festival/volunteer

Scholarships are also available for the Sundance Film Festival Student/Faculty Trip.  Scholarship determinations are based on financial need, grade point average, year of study, and career goals as they relate to independent filmmaking and the Sundance Film Festival.  Up to four scholarships are awarded to those students accepted to the trip after a formal selection process of all applicants.  Awarded funds of $150 to $500 will be deposited directly into each recipient’s student account. Students interested in applying should also submit a one-page separate scholarship request with the general application materials.  If you receive a scholarship and want to apply it toward the airfare for Sundance, that is your choice.

To apply for the Sundance Film Festival Student/Faculty Trip, a general application must be received no later than Tuesday October 1. It must comprise a one-page resume of your experience and a one-and-a-half-page cover letter detailing how this Sundance opportunity would benefit your career aspirations and goals. Email your application to Dr. Kevin Sandler at kevin.sandler@asu.edu.  This opportunity is extremely competitive so please take your time with the application materials. An interview may also be required. The formal selection process is conducted by four-to-five faculty and staff members from the Department of English who will make the final decision on applicants. Applicants will be notified of the panel’s decision by Friday, October 11.