PARK CITY, Utah — So many logistics go into ensuring the Sundance Film Festival runs smoothly. FOX 13 News got a behind-the-scenes look by following around a long-time volunteer at the festival.
“I’ve been called the Queen Bee around here,” Willita Mahone said.
And that she is.
Mahone is the theater manager for the Library Center Theatre in Park City at the Sundance Film Festival.
“It is a very big role, it can be tasking, but I personally love it,” Mahone said, “Because I am in charge of making sure that our films get started on time.”
Mahone, who is from Austin Texas and travels to Utah for the festival, is one of 1,400 volunteers who give their time to make the Sundance Film Festival come to life.
This is her 11th year coming to town to work as a full-time volunteer. As a theater manager, she has several roles.
“I'm here to greet our directors and people who are attached to their films, and making sure that they have a wonderful experience and that their film goes off without a hitch," she said.
Mahone is also in charge of delegating tasks to volunteers and serving as their support system when they need it.
“So it's a big job,” Mahone said with a big smile. “I do a lot of things. I'm multitasking the entire time while I'm here. I'm answering questions. I'm putting out fires... It is a very big job, but I love it. I wouldn't do anything else, because I'm kind of a boss anyway."
But becoming a boss at Sundance didn’t happen overnight. Mahone, who works full-time for the Texas Film Commission in Austin, worked her way up since 2011.
Mahone went from talent liaison to assistant theatre manager, then in 2019 she became the theater manager, a job that entails running the entire venue and its volunteers.
“She runs a tight ship, but a fun ship," said Deborah Fleming, a seven-year volunteer at Sundance. "We get great accolades because of the boss that she is.”
As a manager, the festival provides Mahone with lodging, travel and food.
“I feel, really when my team does a great job and we get that film started right on time and everybody's happy, that is like the biggest reward in itself,” Mahone said.
And along with the people she gets to work with, the venue has also become a special place.
"The library is just a magical place," she said, "Because not only is it a theater and we show films here, it's also part of the community because it is an actual public library."
So if you make it to Sundance, you might just see Mahone. She’s most likely running around, but you’ll always catch a smile on her face.
