The Sundance Kids
Park City, Utah | Film Feature
Documentary
Each year, more than 2,000 volunteers make their way to Park City to be part of the Sundance Film Festival. The film follows this passionate community as they recount the festival’s history, their own years volunteering, and look towards the future as 2026 marks the fest's last year in Park City.
The Sundance Kids
Park City, Utah | Film Feature
Documentary
2 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $5,310 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
40 supporters | followers
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Each year, more than 2,000 volunteers make their way to Park City to be part of the Sundance Film Festival. The film follows this passionate community as they recount the festival’s history, their own years volunteering, and look towards the future as 2026 marks the fest's last year in Park City.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Every year, more than 2,000 volunteers make their way to Park City to be part of the Sundance Film Festival. From setting up tents to scanning tickets, these dedicated individuals contribute 80 hours over 10 days to ensure the festival runs smoothly. The Sundance Kids documentary will follow the stories of these volunteers, exploring the journey that brought them together and what keeps them coming back.
The film will begin with a brief history of the Sundance Film Festival and its connection to Park City before introducing volunteers from around the world as they share their experiences. Archival footage will start the volunteers' journey as they travel to the festival. From there, we dive into the festival's opening moments, offering an inside look at what it’s like to be part of the Sundance Film Festival community. Here will blend archival footage and photographs to capture the heart of their experience.
As the film progresses, it will consider the festival’s future, exploring the upcoming relocation of the festival to Boulder, Colorado, and what that means for this community. Volunteers are interviewed in anticipation of the festival and during the festival between shifts, walking films, and interacting with the community.
Director’s Statement:
As a Sundance volunteer myself, I share experiences with the film’s participants. I understand both the joy and the challenges of being part of the festival, and I carry my own questions and emotions about the festival’s future. However, I recognize everyone’s experiences are unique. I use my own experiences to foster openness with participants, while centering each person's voice and perspective in the narrative.
My positionality is one of an insider, someone who has built friendships, community, and personal meaning through this experience. However, I am also aware of the bias this closeness can bring. I am motivated to document the changing landscape honestly, capturing both the excitement and the uncertainty surrounding the move. My crew and I meet regularly to go over the motivations and the direction of the film to keep us accountable in preserving our creative goals. Despite us all being volunteers, we are made up of a diverse group of storytellers from different backgrounds, living in multiple states and ranging in years of experience at the festival. This allows us to keep asking questions and offer perspective throughout the creative process.
My interest lies in elevating volunteer voices, and capturing the community that has been built through the festival, stories that have not been shared. I believe their stories deserve to be told from within, not interpreted from the outside.
Stylistically, the film adopts a classic documentary approach, utilizing an interview-based format to convey personal stories while immersing viewers in the vibrant environment of the festival.
Archival footage and images spanning decades of Sundance will draw inspiration from films like Dogtown and Z-Boys and Crip Camp.
The cool tones of Park City’s landscape will be used to contrast the energy of the festival. The graphics from past Sundance years will also be integrated, adding a dynamic layer that brings the festival’s history to life on screen.
We are starting principal production, and need your help! To receive any of our crowdfunding, we HAVE to hit 80% of our funding goal. That means we need to raise a minimum of $4800 to gain access to our funds.
We have already shot some amazing interviews with recurring festival volunteers as they prepare for the last festival in Park City. We need to follow their stories as they head into the mountains.
Our crew is volunteering at Sundance 2026 in Park City, Utah, which takes place January 22nd through February 1st. During this time, we are also making the movie!
Our costs include the camera rental package, production insurance, and a small rental space for filming sit-down interviews with volunteers between their shifts.
Our initial crowdfunding push is to cover the festival shoot and takes us into the first stages of post-production.
Footage from initial interviews
Breakdown of schedule:
January: Crowdfunding campaign launches!
January 22 - Feb 1: Principal Production
- Filming Sundance 2026 in Park City, UT!
- Interviews, Volunteer Vlogs, and B-roll of the last festival in Park City
February-May: Post-Production
Summer 2026:
- Submit to Festivals
If you are unable to contribute financially, sharing our campaign on social media and by word of mouth is immensely helpful.
Stretch Goals: $8,000
This would allow us to cover additional post-production costs, distribution, and film festival submissions. Going past our initial goal takes us one step closer to watching it on a big screen with all of you!
Every Share & Follow Counts!
Follow and tag us on Instagram:
@thesundancekidsdoc
#SDKdoc
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Camera Rentals & Insurance
Costs $3,000
To cover our camera rentals for the 2026 Sundance Festival leg of the shoot, along with purchasing vintage camcorders for volunteers to vlog
Interview Rental Space
Costs $1,000
We are renting a space for talking head interviews during the fest
Post Production
Costs $2,000
This includes hard drive purchases, film score, and graphics
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Carolyn: Director
Carolyn is a director and producer based in both Los Angeles and Chicago. She earned her BFA in Photography from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she began her career working on notable projects such as Saturday Night Live, Broad City for Comedy Central, and NBCU’s Mr. Robot. Initially working in the art department on short films, music videos, and feature films, Carolyn later transitioned to writing, directing, and producing.
Raised in the Chicago suburbs as a Jehovah’s Witness, Carolyn left the faith at the age of 17, a life experience that offers a distinct perspective that deeply informs her storytelling.
Carolyn’s first short film received an Honorable Mention at the 2024 BlackBird Film Festival in New York. Her producing credits include the feature film Escaping Ohio, starring Emily Bergl from Shameless and Adam Pascal from Rent. Carolyn has been a volunteer for the Sundance Film Festival since 2020.
Liv: Producer
Liv Barnett is a director, writer, producer, and sometimes actor based in Los Angeles. Growing up an only child with a big imagination, Liv has always been obsessed with storytelling. After getting her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Art History from Syracuse University, she decided to tap back into her love for storytelling and moved out to Los Angeles. Since 2019, she’s worn many hats working on everything from independent short films to Euphoria, American Horror Story, and other major studio projects. Liv always dreamt of attending Sundance and finally had the pleasure of volunteering in 2025.
Geoff: Producer
Geoff Allen is an award-winning writer, director, and animator based in San Diego. A few years ago, he and a few stand-up comedians got together and founded Team Laundry, a sketch comedy group that produces shorts that are high-quality, rewatchable, and wildly hilarious. Their sketches have been a hit at many local events and at film festivals across North America. Geoff is a longtime Sundance volunteer. His first year with the festival was 2013.
Faith: Producer
Faith Fleming is a writer, director, and producer from Columbia, MO. She is currently pursuing her M.F.A. in Film Production at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, CA. She began her career as an assistant for True/False Film Fest in 2021, and continues to work in development and production in LA. Her first experience at Sundance was as a volunteer in 2023, and she returned in 2025 to work at the Egyptian Theater.
Justin: Producer
Justin Cook is a writer and cinematographer raised in Kansas City, now based in Orlando. From a young age, storytelling has been a big piece of his life. Justin graduated from Full Sail University with a BFA in Creative Writing for Entertainment. His passion lies in telling stories through the eyes of POC’s, tapping into horror, sci-fi, and historical moments, times that weren’t normally friendly to minorities.
Justin first began his Sundance journey volunteering back in 2020. Later that year, his Western would be selected in the second round of the Sundance Episodic Labs.
Sophie: Director of Photography
Sophie Whitaker is a Utah-based cinematographer. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Brigham Young University with a BA in Media Arts and a minor in Sociology. With experience in narrative and documentary storytelling, she is passionate about connecting people through stories and speaking out on issues like gender equality and human rights.
When she’s not working, most of Sophie’s time and money go toward traveling the world, seeing musicians in concert, and eating good food. Sophie first attended Sundance in 2016, and she began volunteering at the festival in 2023.
Tyler Miller: Director of Photography
Raised in Utah’s mountain country, Tyler grew up surrounded by landscapes that continue to shape his work. Now in his fourth year with the Sundance Film Festival, he serves as Director of Photography for the Sundance unit of Sundance Kids, bringing with him a deep appreciation for nature’s rhythm and light.
Tyler has developed a style rooted in authenticity and human connection. He loves people, listening to their stories, and finding ways to share them through the camera’s perspective. Currently based in Los Angeles, he works at Panavision on some of the biggest films in the world. His work is guided by a simple pursuit: to capture the world’s beauty, both in the grandeur of the mountains and the quiet strength of those who live among them.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Every year, more than 2,000 volunteers make their way to Park City to be part of the Sundance Film Festival. From setting up tents to scanning tickets, these dedicated individuals contribute 80 hours over 10 days to ensure the festival runs smoothly. The Sundance Kids documentary will follow the stories of these volunteers, exploring the journey that brought them together and what keeps them coming back.
The film will begin with a brief history of the Sundance Film Festival and its connection to Park City before introducing volunteers from around the world as they share their experiences. Archival footage will start the volunteers' journey as they travel to the festival. From there, we dive into the festival's opening moments, offering an inside look at what it’s like to be part of the Sundance Film Festival community. Here will blend archival footage and photographs to capture the heart of their experience.
As the film progresses, it will consider the festival’s future, exploring the upcoming relocation of the festival to Boulder, Colorado, and what that means for this community. Volunteers are interviewed in anticipation of the festival and during the festival between shifts, walking films, and interacting with the community.
Director’s Statement:
As a Sundance volunteer myself, I share experiences with the film’s participants. I understand both the joy and the challenges of being part of the festival, and I carry my own questions and emotions about the festival’s future. However, I recognize everyone’s experiences are unique. I use my own experiences to foster openness with participants, while centering each person's voice and perspective in the narrative.
My positionality is one of an insider, someone who has built friendships, community, and personal meaning through this experience. However, I am also aware of the bias this closeness can bring. I am motivated to document the changing landscape honestly, capturing both the excitement and the uncertainty surrounding the move. My crew and I meet regularly to go over the motivations and the direction of the film to keep us accountable in preserving our creative goals. Despite us all being volunteers, we are made up of a diverse group of storytellers from different backgrounds, living in multiple states and ranging in years of experience at the festival. This allows us to keep asking questions and offer perspective throughout the creative process.
My interest lies in elevating volunteer voices, and capturing the community that has been built through the festival, stories that have not been shared. I believe their stories deserve to be told from within, not interpreted from the outside.
Stylistically, the film adopts a classic documentary approach, utilizing an interview-based format to convey personal stories while immersing viewers in the vibrant environment of the festival.
Archival footage and images spanning decades of Sundance will draw inspiration from films like Dogtown and Z-Boys and Crip Camp.
The cool tones of Park City’s landscape will be used to contrast the energy of the festival. The graphics from past Sundance years will also be integrated, adding a dynamic layer that brings the festival’s history to life on screen.
We are starting principal production, and need your help! To receive any of our crowdfunding, we HAVE to hit 80% of our funding goal. That means we need to raise a minimum of $4800 to gain access to our funds.
We have already shot some amazing interviews with recurring festival volunteers as they prepare for the last festival in Park City. We need to follow their stories as they head into the mountains.
Our crew is volunteering at Sundance 2026 in Park City, Utah, which takes place January 22nd through February 1st. During this time, we are also making the movie!
Our costs include the camera rental package, production insurance, and a small rental space for filming sit-down interviews with volunteers between their shifts.
Our initial crowdfunding push is to cover the festival shoot and takes us into the first stages of post-production.
Footage from initial interviews
Breakdown of schedule:
January: Crowdfunding campaign launches!
January 22 - Feb 1: Principal Production
- Filming Sundance 2026 in Park City, UT!
- Interviews, Volunteer Vlogs, and B-roll of the last festival in Park City
February-May: Post-Production
Summer 2026:
- Submit to Festivals
If you are unable to contribute financially, sharing our campaign on social media and by word of mouth is immensely helpful.
Stretch Goals: $8,000
This would allow us to cover additional post-production costs, distribution, and film festival submissions. Going past our initial goal takes us one step closer to watching it on a big screen with all of you!
Every Share & Follow Counts!
Follow and tag us on Instagram:
@thesundancekidsdoc
#SDKdoc
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Camera Rentals & Insurance
Costs $3,000
To cover our camera rentals for the 2026 Sundance Festival leg of the shoot, along with purchasing vintage camcorders for volunteers to vlog
Interview Rental Space
Costs $1,000
We are renting a space for talking head interviews during the fest
Post Production
Costs $2,000
This includes hard drive purchases, film score, and graphics
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Carolyn: Director
Carolyn is a director and producer based in both Los Angeles and Chicago. She earned her BFA in Photography from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she began her career working on notable projects such as Saturday Night Live, Broad City for Comedy Central, and NBCU’s Mr. Robot. Initially working in the art department on short films, music videos, and feature films, Carolyn later transitioned to writing, directing, and producing.
Raised in the Chicago suburbs as a Jehovah’s Witness, Carolyn left the faith at the age of 17, a life experience that offers a distinct perspective that deeply informs her storytelling.
Carolyn’s first short film received an Honorable Mention at the 2024 BlackBird Film Festival in New York. Her producing credits include the feature film Escaping Ohio, starring Emily Bergl from Shameless and Adam Pascal from Rent. Carolyn has been a volunteer for the Sundance Film Festival since 2020.
Liv: Producer
Liv Barnett is a director, writer, producer, and sometimes actor based in Los Angeles. Growing up an only child with a big imagination, Liv has always been obsessed with storytelling. After getting her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Art History from Syracuse University, she decided to tap back into her love for storytelling and moved out to Los Angeles. Since 2019, she’s worn many hats working on everything from independent short films to Euphoria, American Horror Story, and other major studio projects. Liv always dreamt of attending Sundance and finally had the pleasure of volunteering in 2025.
Geoff: Producer
Geoff Allen is an award-winning writer, director, and animator based in San Diego. A few years ago, he and a few stand-up comedians got together and founded Team Laundry, a sketch comedy group that produces shorts that are high-quality, rewatchable, and wildly hilarious. Their sketches have been a hit at many local events and at film festivals across North America. Geoff is a longtime Sundance volunteer. His first year with the festival was 2013.
Faith: Producer
Faith Fleming is a writer, director, and producer from Columbia, MO. She is currently pursuing her M.F.A. in Film Production at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, CA. She began her career as an assistant for True/False Film Fest in 2021, and continues to work in development and production in LA. Her first experience at Sundance was as a volunteer in 2023, and she returned in 2025 to work at the Egyptian Theater.
Justin: Producer
Justin Cook is a writer and cinematographer raised in Kansas City, now based in Orlando. From a young age, storytelling has been a big piece of his life. Justin graduated from Full Sail University with a BFA in Creative Writing for Entertainment. His passion lies in telling stories through the eyes of POC’s, tapping into horror, sci-fi, and historical moments, times that weren’t normally friendly to minorities.
Justin first began his Sundance journey volunteering back in 2020. Later that year, his Western would be selected in the second round of the Sundance Episodic Labs.
Sophie: Director of Photography
Sophie Whitaker is a Utah-based cinematographer. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Brigham Young University with a BA in Media Arts and a minor in Sociology. With experience in narrative and documentary storytelling, she is passionate about connecting people through stories and speaking out on issues like gender equality and human rights.
When she’s not working, most of Sophie’s time and money go toward traveling the world, seeing musicians in concert, and eating good food. Sophie first attended Sundance in 2016, and she began volunteering at the festival in 2023.
Tyler Miller: Director of Photography
Raised in Utah’s mountain country, Tyler grew up surrounded by landscapes that continue to shape his work. Now in his fourth year with the Sundance Film Festival, he serves as Director of Photography for the Sundance unit of Sundance Kids, bringing with him a deep appreciation for nature’s rhythm and light.
Tyler has developed a style rooted in authenticity and human connection. He loves people, listening to their stories, and finding ways to share them through the camera’s perspective. Currently based in Los Angeles, he works at Panavision on some of the biggest films in the world. His work is guided by a simple pursuit: to capture the world’s beauty, both in the grandeur of the mountains and the quiet strength of those who live among them.