Words from Sundance Staffers: Michael Lyons

What is your job at Sundance Film Festival?
Volunteer with the Works Crew.

What do you do the rest of the year?
I have a business in San Francisco teaching CPR & First Aid.

Why did you decide to start working at Sundance Film Festival?
A great way to see a lot of movies in an affordable way, and have intelligent people to discuss them with.

If you have worked at Sundance Film Festival in previous years why do you return?
Because I have such wonderful and stimulating experiences.

What is your most cherished memory from previous festivals?
Meeting directors, writers, casts and crews of movies and having the opportunity to discuss their films with them.

What film are you most looking forward to seeing at Sundance Film Festival?
HOWL.

If you’ve had a chance to preview any of the festival films, which ones are you recommending to friends?
Didn’t have the opportunity.

How many films do you hope to see?
As many as possible.

What are your strategies for selecting which films to see and getting into screenings?
Read the guide and chat with as many people as possible about the movies.

How does Sundance Film Festival differ from other film festivals that you have attended or worked at?
The sheer scale of the operation and how well volunteers are treated and benefits available to us.

If you have to choose between going to a film or a party how do you decide what to do?
Easy, each movie is shown multiple times.

How do you deal with the cold and altitude in Park City?
I dress warmly and do my best to get psyched up to deal with it ahead of time.

Will you be back for next year?
Absolutely.

Hilary Hart, who annually holds down the late-night shift at the Egyptian at the Sundance Film Festival, will be offering interviews with fellow workers from the San Francisco Bay Area during the course of the festival.