CU Boulder’s Sundance 2027 Deal Goes Further: 100 Student Volunteers, an Internship Pilot, and Free Campus Screenings
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Sundance Institute and CU Boulder have confirmed the partnership goes well beyond a name on a press release. At least 100 CU Boulder students will volunteer during the 2027 festival, at least 30 will sit on a Student Advisory Board shaping the campus experience, at least 8 will join a new paid internship pilot, and qualifying student journalists get festival press credentials. Students also get discounted tickets, free on-campus screenings, and exclusive filmmaker panels. This comes directly from a Sundance Institute blog post and a matching CU Boulder Today article, so it is Confirmed.
Last verified: September 18, 2026
What’s confirmed
| Program | Status |
|---|---|
| At least 100 CU Boulder students volunteering during the festival | Confirmed |
| Student Advisory Board of at least 30 members | Confirmed |
| New internship pilot for at least 8 students | Confirmed |
| Discounted student tickets and at least two free on-campus screenings in the festival’s second week | Confirmed |
| Press credentials for qualifying student journalists | Confirmed |
| Masters of the Environment students building a greenhouse gas emissions framework for the festival | Confirmed |
| Exact application process and deadlines for the internship pilot and Advisory Board | Pending, not yet detailed publicly |
The announcement, posted jointly by Sundance Institute and CU Boulder on August 18, 2026, describes a program running from July 2026 through June 2027 with at least 40 academic and co-curricular events, including classroom visits, capstone projects, and symposiums. CU Boulder Chancellor Justin Schwartz said great universities connect students to the people, ideas, and experiences that shape their future, while Sundance Film Festival Director Eugene Hernandez said the Institute is excited to engage with students, faculty, and staff on campus, during the festival, and beyond.
The student volunteer track sits alongside, not instead of, the festival’s main 2,000-person volunteer program. CU Boulder’s student volunteers get a tiered structure of their own, with information sessions the university is calling Volunteering 101, and the program is distinct from the general public volunteer application already open through Sundance Institute.
Why it matters
If you are a CU Boulder student, or advising one, this is the clearest picture yet of what the university’s Sundance partnership actually gets you beyond campus pride: real festival access, a paid internship track, and press credentials that don’t require an outside media outlet. It builds on what we already know about the university’s role, covered in our post on CU Boulder’s official university partner status and our look at whether CU Boulder is in session during the festival. If you are applying through the festival’s general volunteer program instead, see our volunteer applications and deadlines guide for how that separate track works.
What we’re watching
We’re watching for CU Boulder to publish the actual application process and deadlines for the Student Advisory Board and the internship pilot, and for Sundance Institute to confirm which specific films or events fill the two free on-campus screening slots.
