Sean Covel

Last updated

Sean Covel
Sean Covel.jpg
Born
Sean Covel

(1976-03-04) March 4, 1976 (age 49)
Other namesSean C. Covel
Occupation(s)Film producer, Writer
Years active2004–present

Sean C. Covel (born March 4, 1976) is an American film producer, writer, educator and philanthrophist. He is best known for being a producer of the 2004 American independent coming-of-age comedy film Napoleon Dynamite. [1]

Contents

Early life and education

Covel was born in Newcastle, Wyoming, and grew up in Edgemont, South Dakota [2]

He attended undergraduate college at the University of Nebraska, Kearney, majoring in Broadcast Management with a minor in acting. [3] [4]

Covel received a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, Peter Stark Producing Program. [5] [6]

Career

Early career

Following his Bachelor's degree, Covel took a position as an executive headhunter in San Francisco and eventually opened his own firm. [7] He would later sell the firm and attend the Peter Stark Producing Program, graduating with a Master of Fine Arts in 2002. After graduation, he worked at the Creative Artists Agency in Beverly Hills, California.

Film and television career

In 2003, Covel joined the team writing and producing Napoleon Dynamite. Napoleon Dynamite was released in 2004 and received critical acclaim and market success. [8] Covel and fellow producer of the film Chris Wyatt, were nominated for the Producer Award at the 20th Independent Spirit Awards for their work on the film. [9] His second film which he produced, The 12 Dogs of Christmas, a period family film, was released the same year. [10]

His third film, Think Tank was released in 2006. [11]

Beneath, his fourth film, a horror film starring Nora Zehetner was released in 2007. [12]

Covel was an executive producer for the 2009 American-Australian drama film Broken Hill starring Timothy Hutton, Luke Arnold and Alexa Vega. [13] The same year he was featured in the 2009 documentary film Don't You Forget About Me about screenwriter, director, and producer John Hughes.

In 2010, he was a producer of the psychological drama film Café starring Jennifer Love Hewitt. [14]

Covel was a co-producer of the 2012 Fox animated television series Napoleon Dynamite, based on the film of the same name that he was also a producer of. The same year, he worked as a production consultant on the political drama film The Citizen.

In 2013, he was a producer of the action/comedy film Concrete Blondes starring Diora Baird and Samaire Armstrong.

Covel served as the executive producer of the 2014 documentary film Driving Blind. [15] The same year, he worked as a creative consultant on the animated film The Clockwork Girl based on the comic book series of the same name.

In 2017, Covel was a producer of the heist film Carter & June starring Michael Raymond-James, Samaire Armstrong, and Timothy Omundson. [16] [17] The same year, he served as an executive producer of the film Tater Tot & Patton. [18] [19] [20]

Covel has also made appearances on television in award shows such as the Independent Spirit Awards, the MTV Movie & TV Awards, and the Sundance Film Festival. He has appeared on the television game show The Price Is Right.

Academic career

In 2011, Covel joined the faculty of University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, his alma mater. There he occasionally lectures on film producing, story development, and industry innovation.

Public speaking career

Covel is also a public speaker.

In 2019, Covel gave a TED talk entitled “The Mind is a Computer. The Question is How,” on the mental framework of problem-solving. [21]

Literary career

Porter The Hoarder

In 2019, Covel partnered with illustrator Rebecca Swift to launch a series of look-and-find children's books under the title Porter the Hoarder. The first book, Porter the Hoarder and the Ransacked Room, was a bestseller in 2019. The series went on to include six additional titles. [22] [23]

Marlon McDoogle's Magical Night

In 2019, Covel wrote the Christmas-themed children's book Marlon McDoogle's Magical Night set on a magical train that explores the importance of family and the power of self-actualization. [24] [25] Diego Velasquez was the illustrator for the book.

The book was well received, garnering awards including in the categories of Children’s Fiction, Illustration, Inspirational and 3rd place overall at the 2020 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. [26]

Muffle Your Snuffle

In 2020, Covel wrote a book titled Muffle Your Snuffle that teaches children how to sneeze. [27]

Who is the Super Ultra Mega Special Super Special Guest?

In 2024, Covel wrote a book titled Who is the Super Ultra Mega Special Super Special Guest? [28] in partnership with the South Dakota Statewide Family Engagement Center (SDSFEC). The project aimed to increase family engagement in early education by providing first-grade students with a free interactive book designed to be read alongside their parents. [29]

The story follows a playful, choose-your-own-adventure-style format, guiding readers through humorous and chaotic attempts to prepare for a surprise visitor. Each scenario leads to either a fun disaster or a successful visit, with the final twist revealing that the special guest is the reader themselves. In an interview with Rapid City Journal, Covel revealed that the message is meant to emphasize to children that they are important, seen, and valued. [30]

A follow-up book titled Your Super Ultra Mega Special Kindergarten Year! was released in 2025.

The Super Ultra Series, as it’s known, centers around his dog, Tim Finnegan, who is the main character.

Philantrophy

12 days of Pizza

In 2015, he founded a children's charity, 12 Days of Pizza, which works annually with Pizza Ranch to help low-income elementary school children eat during school holiday periods. It started with 144 meals being provided to 12 families. Within a three-year period, the program grew to provide over 12,000 meals to over 1000 food-insecure families with elementary school aged children. The program continues to expand each year. [31] [32] In March 2020, the program was reinstated to provide thousands of meals to families during COVID as schools shut down. [33]

Porter The Hoarder

In 2019, the Porter the Hoarder series became the centrepiece of a charitable program with United Way of the Black Hills, a non-profit organization in Rapid City, South Dakota under a division of a non-profit organization called Black Hill Reads.The partnership saw over 2000 books given to elementary school children in the Black Hills area in January 2019. [34]

Following the success of this initiative, the S.D. Statewide Family Engagement Center (SDSFEC) became involved with the series, using the books as a vehicle for promoting more active engagement from children and their parents in literature and literacy. As part of the partnership, over 60,000 more students received books. [35]

Porter the Hoarder is used in family engagement projects in South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, and Utah. [36]

Additional books in the Porter the Hoarder series have been used in community projects. [37]

Porter the Hoarder, The Nature Explorer is used in child and family wellness projects in association with the United Way of The Black Hills. [38] [39]

Porter the Hoarder and the Hospital Hijinks is used by the Monument Health Rapid City Hospital in Rapid City where doctors visit classrooms to read to students and gift free books and stethoscopes. [40]

Who is the Super Ultra Mega Special Super Special Guest? Literacy Project

In 2024, Covel co-created a family engagement campaign using a new book titled Who is the Super Ultra Mega Special Super Special Guest? The project, done in partnership with the South Dakota Statewide Family Engagement Center (SDSFEC) aimed to increase family engagement in early education by providing first-grade students with a free interactive book designed to be read alongside their parents. [41] [42]

As part of the campaign, Covel visited schools across the state to read the book with students and encourage family participation. The campaign distributed over 8,000 copies of the book statewide to first-grade students in year 1, with each child receiving their own copy to take home. [43]

In 2025 the project expanded to serve families with kindergarten students using a new book; Your Super Ultra Mega Special Kindergarten Year.

12 Days of Doing Bicycle Project

In 2023, Covel launched a volunteer-driven initiative called 12 Days of Doing, a multi-stage service project series. The inaugural project focused on refurbishing and donating children’s bicycles. [44]

The project was held in partnership with Countryside Church, a church in Spearfish, South Dakota and the Spearfish Bicycle Collective, a community organization from the area. The event brought together local volunteers to repair more than 60 donated bikes, many of which were given to children receiving their first bicycle. [45]

Volunteers of all skill levels were invited to participate, including those with no prior mechanical experience. In addition to the community repair event, school guidance counselors were consulted to help identify children who would benefit most from receiving a bike.

The broader mission of 12 Days of Doing is to provide consistent, scalable models for local engagement, empowering volunteers to use their skills and time to directly benefit their communities.

Barn Burner

In 2025, he launched the Barn Burner Campaign, a public safety initiative to combat drink spiking and sexual assault in bars. The campaign seeks to activate protective instincts in men to aid in women’s safety. [46]

The campaign centers around Western-themed posters placed in bar restrooms. These posters outline behavioral red flags of potential drink spiking, such as rapid intoxication, confusion, or emotionlessness, and encourage bystanders to intervene. [47] A complementary poster for women uses the code phrase "Angel Shot". [48]

Although the project started in Deadwood, South Dakota, it has been planned to be implemented in other areas in the State as well as other States in the United States. [49]

Personal life

Covel was married to actress Alexa Vega from 2010 to 2012. [50] [51] The two parted amicably with Covel tweeting congratulations to she and her new husband, Carlos PenaVega at the time of the couple’s engagement. [52]

Filmography

Films

YearTitleRoleDistributorNotes
2004 Napoleon Dynamite Producer Searchlight Pictures
Paramount Pictures
MTV Entertainment Studios
Nominated for the Producer award at the 20th Independent Spirit Awards
2004The 12 Dogs of ChristmasProducerWinner of Best Picture at the Heartland International Film Festival
2006 Think Tank ProducerCF Entertainment
2007 Beneath Producer Paramount Vantage
2009 Don't You Forget About Me Interviewee Alliance Films Documentary film about John Hughes
2009 Broken Hill Executive Producer Lionsgate Canada American-Australian film
2011 Café ProducerNationlight Productions
2012 The Citizen Production Consultant Monterey Media
2013Concrete BlondesProducer 20th Century Fox
2014Driving BlindExecutive Producer
2017Carter & JuneProducer and also appears as the character Outlaw Red
2017 Tater Tot & Patton Executive ProducerGiant Pictures

Television

YearTitleRoleTelevision NetworkNotes
2005 20th Independent Spirit Awards Himself IFC Nominated for the Producer Award for Napoleon Dynamite
2005 2005 MTV Movie Awards Himself MTV
2006 2006 Sundance Film Festival Himself Sundance TV
2006 The Price is Right Himself CBS
2012 Napoleon Dynamite (TV series) Co-Producer Fox
2014 The Clockwork Girl Creative consultant Super Channel

Bibliography

Porter The Hoarder

Other work

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryWorkResultNotes
2005 20th Independent Spirit Awards Producer Award Napoleon Dynamite NominatedShared with Chris Wyatt
2020 2020 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Grand Prize Winner in the Fiction CategoryMarlon McDoogle's Magical NightWon

See also

References

  1. Grigg-Spall, Holly. "Playing With Dynamite: An Interview with Producer Sean Covel". ScriptFest. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  2. "Sean Covel Profiled". The Exchange. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  3. Nosker, Toby. "Los Angeles-Based Film and Television Producer Sean Covel Delivers Keynote Address to Educators at Professional Development Day in Concordia". KNCK . Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  4. Sand, Elisa. "'Napoleon Dynamite' turned out to be SD producer's unexpected success story". The Aberdeen Insider. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  5. Notable Alumni, USC School of Cinematic Arts. Accessed December 9, 2021. See section on Producers.
  6. "USC Cinematic Arts | School of Cinematic Arts Directory Profile". cinema.usc.edu. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
  7. "Official Festival Program 2015" (PDF). Bahamas International Film Festival . Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  8. Butt, Thomas. "No Movie Has Harnessed Word-of-Mouth Power Quite Like This Indie Comedy". Collider. Valnet . Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  9. Harris, Dana (November 30, 2004). "Nominees: Spirit Awards hoist a glass to 'Sideways'". Variety. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
  10. Dutka, Elaine. "'12 Dogs of Christmas'". The Gainesville Sun. Gannett. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  11. Earnest, Karen. "'Napoleon Dynamite' Producer Sean Covel to Make Directorial Debut with 'Matt Epic'". mxdwn. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  12. McCants, Jeffrey E. (July 16, 2006). "Got money?; 'Dynamite' producer says even art takes a bit of moolah". Minneapolis Star Tribune.
  13. "Feature film 'Broken Hill' to hold screenings in Hot Springs". Rapid City Journal . Lee Enterprises . Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  14. de la Fuente, Anna Marie (February 15, 2011). "Maya visits 'Cafe'". Variety. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
  15. B, Lea. "What happened to Alexa PenaVega's first husband Sean Covel?". Nicki Swift. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  16. Lee, B. Golden III. "EFM 2017: Trio Cast For Action-Packed Mystery Caper Carter & June". Film Combat Syndicate. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  17. "Berlin: 'Napoleon Dynamite' Producer Unveils Heist 'Carter & June'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  18. Fosness, Sam. "Pierre filmmaker pays homage to South Dakota with 'Tator Tot and Patton'". In Forum. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  19. "TATER TOT & PATTON | Dances With Films". danceswithfilms.com. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
  20. "PLAYING WITH DYNAMITE: An Interview with Producer Sean Covel - ScriptFest". ScriptFest. June 3, 2014. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
  21. "TEDx Rapid City to feature 12 speakers, including producer of 'Napoleon Dynamite' | Local | rapidcityjournal.com". rapidcityjournal.com. June 25, 2019. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  22. "US News Porter the Hoarder".
  23. KSFY (January 24, 2019). "'Napoleon Dynamite' producer and local artist create new children's book series". www.ksfy.com. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  24. "Marlon McDoogle's Magical Night". Reader's Favourite. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  25. Haiar, Joshua. "Sean Covel's "Marlon McDoogle's Magical Night"". South Dakota Public Broadcasting . Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  26. "2020 Grand Prize Winners". Next Generation Indie Book Awards .
  27. Covel, Sean (March 4, 2020). Muffle Your Snuffle. Primedia eLaunch LLC. ISBN   1637321031 . Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  28. Jones, Zada. "Spearfish Elementary School got a 'Super Ultra Mega Special' guest". KOTA-TV . Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  29. "Who is the Super Ultra Mega Special Super Special Guest?". South Dakota Statewide Family Engagement Center (SDSFEC). Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  30. Manus, Tanya. "'Super mega special' book promotes family involvement in schools". Rapid City Journal . Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  31. Perez, Taylar. "12 Days of Pizza back for another year" . Retrieved July 5, 2018.
  32. Rain, Click (July 4, 2018). "12 Days of Pizza | Pizza Ranch". Pizza Ranch. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
  33. Manus, Tanya (March 25, 2020). "Days of Pizza program aiding families in area". Rapid City Journal Media Group. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  34. KSFY (September 20, 2019). "South Dakota author teams up with Family Engagement Center". www.ksfy.com. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  35. Pioneer, Jaci Conrad Pearson Black Hills (September 14, 2019). "Hollywood producer pens children's book, morphs into statewide literacy promotion tool". Black Hills Pioneer. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  36. "'Porter the Hoarder' book series engages South Dakota families". Statewide Family Engagement Centre Network. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  37. Jones, Zada. "The Porter Project; Getting books into the hands of every first and second grader in the Black Hills". KOTA-TV . Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  38. "South Dakota Statewide Family Engagement Center: Porter the Hoarder Project". Keloland Living. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  39. Manus, Tanya. "The Porter Project: Initiative gets 4,000 kids excited about reading". Rapid City Journal . Lee Enterprises . Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  40. Manus, Tanya. "The Porter Project: Initiative gets 4,000 kids excited about reading". Rapid City Journal . Lee Enterprises . Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  41. Jones, Zada. "Spearfish Elementary School got a 'Super Ultra Mega Special' guest". KOTA-TV . Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  42. "Who is the Super Ultra Mega Special Super Special Guest?". South Dakota Statewide Family Engagement Center (SDSFEC). Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  43. Alford, Juliana. "'Super ultra mega special super special' way to help with literacy in the Black Hills". KOTA-TV . Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  44. Henderson, Kayla. "Volunteers revive old bicycles to inspire a new generation of young riders". KOTA-TV .
  45. Manus, Tanya. "'It's just about helping': 12 Days of Doing launches with bike drive, repairs". Rapid City Journal . Lee Enterprises . Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  46. Morgan, Sarah. "Barn Burner campaign takes off in Deadwood". Black Hills Pioneer . Letitia Lister. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  47. Manus, Tanya. "Barn Burner: Deadwood launches campaign against drink spiking, sexual assault". Rapid City Journal . Lee Enterprises . Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  48. Louder, Tyler. "Barn Burner Campaign sets out to protect individuals from roofies". Keloland. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  49. Louder, Tyler. "Barn Burner Campaign sets out to protect individuals from roofies". Keloland. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  50. "Edgemont Celebrates "Sean's New Movie"". Edgemont Tribune. October 14, 2009. Archived from the original on November 27, 2009. Retrieved November 6, 2009. After the Saturday evening (7 pm) show, Vega came to the front for what was intended to be a question and answer session. However, during the show, Sean had surprised her with an engagement ring, so that took center stage!
  51. "'Spy Kids' Star Alexa Vega -- I'm a 23-year-old Divorcee Now!".
  52. Eggenberger, Nicole. "Alexa Vega Engaged to Carlos Pena, Jr., Congratulated by Ex-Husband Sean Covel". Us Weekly . Retrieved August 1, 2025.