By Jessica Herndon
One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival is having a front-row seat for the bright future of independent filmmaking. While we can learn a lot about the filmmakers from the 2025 Sundance Film Festival through the art that these storytellers share with us, there’s always more we can learn about them as people. We decided to get to the bottom of those artistic wells with our ongoing series: Give Me the Backstory!
Years into his highly decorated career as a narcotics officer in Texas, Barry Cooper shifted his focus. Instead of busting drug dealers and users, he began helping them hide their stashes while exposing corrupt cops whose job it was to take them down. His dark, unforeseen, and fascinating true crime saga unfolds in the docu-series Never Get Busted!, premiering as part of the Episodic Pilot Showcase during the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.
“Much like Barry Cooper’s life, the [series] is a wild tapestry of styles and inspiration, mixing formal interviews, clandestine police tapes, and psychedelic animation,” details Erin Williams-Weir, a co-showrunner of the series alongside first-time director David Anthony Ngo. “This is not a smooth ride, but one that bumps and grinds, jackknifing gears as the story unfolds.” While Williams-Weir adds that the show “does not pull from any specific references,” she points out there is “a dash of Tiger King, a dollop of Cocaine Cowboys, and a sprinkle of Yellow Submarine.”
It should come as no surprise that this take on the wild world of law enforcement and deception was challenging to develop. “It’s hard to make a [series] — any [series] — let alone one spread across the world involving police corruption, evangelical preaching, and murder,” says Williams-Weir, who also co-produced Never Get Busted!. “So, we wanted to make a statement. Not just another cookie-cutter crime doc, but one as bold and brash as the characters we captured.”
Below, Williams-Weir and Ngo discuss how long it took to make Never Get Busted!, how their backgrounds prepared them to make the project, and the documentary filmmakers who mentored them.
Describe who you want this film to reach.
Erin Williams-Weir: Never Get Busted! may be a crime story, but it’s also about larger-than-life characters in a stranger-than-fiction story. It’s for anyone interested in seeing a fresh take on the world that is the war on drugs.
What was your favorite part of making Never Get Busted!? Memories from the process?
Erin Williams-Weir: The big appeal of documentaries is that they’re about real people. We were so fortunate to travel the world, meet with fascinating people from different backgrounds with different perspectives, and hear their stories. It has been an eye-opening experience.
What was a big challenge you faced while making Never Get Busted!?
Erin Williams-Weir: Five years is a long time at the grindstone! Like many [series], so many times this [series] was on the brink of falling over and we’d have to save it from flying off a cliff. And when you’re telling an unconventional story, with unconventional characters, it can be extremely difficult to keep it all together, particularly as first-time showrunners.
Why does this story need to be told now?
Erin Williams-Weir: While the [series] deals with political issues, this is not a political [show]. We are not preaching one side or the other, but shining a big spotlight on the tragic consequences of drugs, the drug war, and the mechanisms that continue to create an environment where corruption and injustices occur.
Tell us why and how you got into filmmaking.
David Anthony Ngo: When I was a kid, I’d watch late-night Hitchcock films with my grandma. But it wasn’t until I was a teenager, seeing The Big Lebowski for the first time, that it dawned on me: People make movies.
I started my career as an editor. Working with other directors, writers, and producers gave me a unique opportunity to learn from others — both their successes and their mistakes. It’s a strange thing that on most films the director is the least experienced person involved. But when I stepped into this role, the wealth of experience I had sitting in a dark room, telling stories with raw material, and collaborating with other creatives gave me confidence in the craft I’d studied for so many years.
Erin Williams-Weir: I grew up loving films, making home movies as a kid and always being fascinated by the power of cinema. I completed a degree in cinema and media studies and hustled and worked relentlessly as an intern to land my first job as an international film sales executive. I closed multinational deals, traveled the globe, met filmmakers, watched thousands of films, and studied market trends. This experience equipped me with the knowledge and skills needed to transition into producing.
Ultimately, I wanted to use my business knowledge to find stories that captivated audiences, were entertaining, and conveyed important messages while being widely accessible.
Why is filmmaking important to you? Why is it important to the world?
Erin Williams-Weir: Stories unite us. They can be incredibly powerful and effective in change. Someone much greater than I said, “I don’t believe films can change the World. People change the World. But films can change people.” And I believe that.
What is something that all filmmakers should keep in mind in order to become better cinematic storytellers?
Erin Williams-Weir: Never give up. When everyone and everything is against you — and that will happen often — dig your heels in and get it done.
Who are your creative heroes?
David Anthony Ngo: They say never meet your heroes, let alone work with them. But on this, I was incredibly blessed to work with John Battsek and Chris Smith. They have been extremely supportive, but also knowing when to push. I remember seeing American Movie at film school. For a kid growing up in a tiny rural town, seeing two young filmmakers fumble their way through a movie production was inspiring. I mean, if these guys can do it, why not me!
Erin Williams-Weir: Echoing David, John Battsek and Chris Smith have been incredible mentors on this project. I try to bring a bit of comedy to often serious subject matter at times and in that space Adam McKay, Tina Fey, and Edgar Wright, I would say, are people I look up to, as they’re examples of using humor to look at the world in a different way.
Which of your personal characteristics contributes most to your success as a storyteller?
David Anthony Ngo: Tenacity. Some people say it’s stubbornness.
Erin Williams-Weir: Ambition. I’m always pushing for the best.
Tell us about your history with Sundance Institute. When was the first time you engaged with us? Why did you want your pilot to premiere with us?
Erin Williams-Weir: Sundance has always been a dream to be a part of in some way. I never got the chance to travel to Sundance as a sales executive, but dreamed that if I could attend it would be to premiere a project of my own that I’m incredibly proud of.
David Anthony Ngo: Since I was a kid watching Soderbergh, Tarantino, the Coen Brothers and Robert Rodriguez films, I’ve dreamed of playing at Sundance, as do many filmmakers. So, it’s wild that my directorial debut is having its world premiere in Park City.
