Sundance Film Festival announces finalists for new host cities starting in 2027, but Utah still in running

Scott Lewis
·3 min read
8

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — For four decades, Park City and Salt Lake City have been the home of the Sundance Film Festival, but starting in 2027, that designation is up for grabs as six cities will compete to be the new host.

While Park City and Salt Lake City remain on the shortlist, five other cities could potentially host the festival starting in 2027:

  • Atlanta, Ga.

  • Boulder, Colo.

  • Cincinnati, Ohio

  • Louisville, Ky.

  • Santa Fe, N.M.

Members of the non-profit Sundance Institute, which runs the festival, will be visiting those cities in the following weeks to assess their ” infrastructure, ethos and equity values, event capabilities to host the Festival, and how each finalist could sustainably serve and support the ever-growing Sundance Film Festival community of independent artists and audiences,” according to a press release.

Utah will continue to host Sundance for 2025 and 2026.

The Sundance Institute released a Request for Proposal for potential host cities starting in May and closed the process in June. While the Institute did not release a full list of cities who applied, Deadline.com reported in May a total of 15 cities submitted RFPs. Some cities mentioned included Savannah, Ga., Athens, Ga., and San Francisco, Calif. Unconfirmed rumors also floated potential sites in upstate New York and North Carolina.

“As we very carefully consider this important decision for our Festival, we believe these six finalists allow us the best opportunity to not only secure a sustainable future for our Festival, but also to build upon its legacy while continuing to support the next generation of storytellers and highlight bold new works of art,” said Ebs Burnough, Sundance Institute Board Chair, and Amanda Kelso, Sundance Institute Acting CEO. “We are grateful to all the communities who have expressed interest and been a part of the process, and we have valued the opportunity to learn about the uniqueness of each location. We look forward to the site visits in each of the finalist cities.”

While other cities are being considered, Utah is still in the running, and state officials are working to try to retain the festival.

“We’ve been fortunate to host the Sundance Film Festival and witness some of the greatest films made over the past 40 years. And now, we are committed to working in partnership on a new vision of ‘Two Cities, One Experience’ with a shared goal of reinvigorating the Festival with an even greater tradition for storytelling over the next 40 years. At the heart of our proposal is a commitment to ensuring it remains an inspiring showcase of independent film, bringing together audiences and creators from all walks of life.”

Joint statement by Mayors Nann Worel (Park City), Erin Mendenhall (Salt Lake City), Jenny Wilson (Salt Lake County)

The Utah Film Commission said they are exploring a “restructuring” of the current deal with Sundance in an attempt to retain the festival.

“The restructuring will provide opportunities to utilize additional venues and reach new audiences,” stated a press release this morning. “This new vision also offers new ways to secure and expand upon the approximately $4 million in financial assistance the Festival currently receives from government entities, as well as the $2 million in cash and in-kind support from local, corporate, foundation and individual donors.”

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.