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Boyhood Star Ellar Coltrane Acts, Volunteers Firefighter in New Mexico

8/7/2026

40 3 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Ellar Coltrane, the former Boyhood star, told Variety on Aug. 4, 2026 that he is appearing in indie short films such as El Fantasma and the El Paso short *So, Who Was It This Time?*.
He now resides in remote New Mexico, does manual labor, volunteers as a firefighter, and trains to become an EMT.
Screenings at the Austin Film Society reminded him that he misses being on set and collaborating with cast and crew.

History

Historical Context

The Sundance Film Festival originated in August 1978 as the Utah/US Film Festival, was renamed for Robert Redford’s Utah ranch in 1991, and grew in the 1990s into the nation’s premier indie showcase, drawing 423,234 viewers in 2023. Today actor Ellar Coltrane continues to be cited as embodying the festival’s grassroots independent spirit.

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Story summary

Ellar Coltrane, the former Boyhood star, told Variety on Aug. 4, 2026 that he is appearing in indie short films such as El Fantasma and the El Paso short *So, Who Was It This Time?*.
He now resides in remote New Mexico, does manual labor, volunteers as a firefighter, and trains to become an EMT.
Screenings at the Austin Film Society reminded him that he misses being on set and collaborating with cast and crew.

1 / 2