Eleven Dartmouth students and recent graduates spent the week of Jan. 22 volunteering at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, the largest independent film festival in the United States.
The Dartmouth at Sundance program allows interested students to attend and participate in the festival.
Harriette Yahr ’87, a faculty member in the Masters of Arts in Liberal Studies program, developed and oversaw the program. Yahr has attended the Sundance festival for nearly two decades.
“I’ve always believed in the transformative power of Sundance,” Yahr said. “What excites me the most about Sundance is the opportunity for engagement.”
Sundance Film Festival has been held in Utah since 1978. This year was the festival’s last year in Park City. Starting in 2027, it will take place in Boulder, Colo. Infrastructure size, cost considerations and cultural fit are among the reasons the Sundance Institute’s Board of Trustees decided to change the festival’s location.
Student volunteer Christian Iturri ’27 said it was “exciting” to be at the last Utah festival.
“My favorite part was getting to be in Park City. I think it was such an exciting energy to be around,” Iturri said. “There was so much excitement around it being the last year that Sundance would be in Utah. It felt like a really strong community.”
This is the third year that Dartmouth students attended Sundance through the program. Several institutions have supported Yahr’s mission through funding students’ travel expenses. This year, the Leslie Center for the Humanities provided funding for the students’ travel.
In the coming years, Dartmouth’s Magnuson Center for Entrepreneurship will support the growth of the program, according to Yahr, by partnering with the DREAM studio within the Magnuson Center.
“I want to see this program sustainable and thriving for years to come,” Yahr said. “Part of that is to find a home for it, where it’s supported.”
At Sundance, the Dartmouth students on this program serve as volunteers. Responsibilities include being crowd liaisons and ushers.
Kabir Beotra ’26 said volunteering gave him a close-up view of the film industry, including the opportunity to see celebrities up close.
“We were ushering people in and out of screenings and helping press and industry people have a smooth experience,” Beotra said. “I saw Channing Tatum and Gemma Chan and Charli xcx.”
In addition to performing volunteer duties, Yahr said that students on the program have extensive access to a variety of networking and learning opportunities.
“There’s multiple opportunities for immersive learning across the festival, across multiple venues,” she said. “They are busy, from morning to night, attending panels, attending talkbacks, engaging with the festival community, meeting other filmmakers, which will become future friends and collaborators and in general, receiving an education you just can’t get anywhere else.”
These diverse opportunities facilitate discussion with film industry professionals for students that can lead to career opportunities.
Jessi Calidonio ’26, who is majoring in film and media studies, said the Sundance program has been helpful for her career development.
“Joining the volunteer alumni network of Sundance is awesome,” Calidonio said. “It opens a lot of doors.”
Calidonio also emphasized the connections she made with other volunteers and attendees through this shared experience.
The film “world is so small and it is scary to talk to people, but once you do talk to people, they’re all so nice,” Calidonio said.
Yahr said she sees the importance of students having “immersive experiences” within the film industry.
“I want to support our students’ careers,” Yahr said. “I want to support their growth, and I know that by immersing themselves in the experience there, they’re going to benefit tremendously. I am motivated by bringing these opportunities to our students so they can thrive.”
