LOS ANGELES — Boulder is one of six finalists to be the new home of the Sundance Film Festival.
After 40 years in Park City, Utah, the festival is eyeing locations across the country for festivals starting in 2027 when its existing contract will be up for renewal. The snowy mountain town, along with Salt Lake City, will still be home to the 2025 and 2026 festivals.
The other five finalists announced by the Sundance Film Institute are Atlanta; Cincinnati; Louisville, Kentucky; Santa Fe, New Mexico and its current home in Park City/Salt Lake City, Utah.
These cities are moving along in the selection process after a competitive request for proposal phase that started in May and saw submissions from across the country.
The potential host cities were selected for their ability to support the film festival’s growth and they will continue to be evaluated on each city’s infrastructure, accessibility, event venues and logistical capabilities, as well as their alignment with Sundance’s values.
“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, in a joint statement.
Colorado officials announced last month that Boulder was bidding for the festival.
Colorado hopes winning the bid could add hundreds of jobs and attract thousands of out-of-state visitors to Boulder and boost tourism for the city during the winter.
“With the Rocky Mountains as a backdrop and our deep commitment to the arts, we can help the Festival achieve even greater success while preserving what makes it special — building on Colorado’s iconic creative brand and our strong arts community,” Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement last month.
Colorado temporarily hosted the Sundance Institute’s 2024 Directors Lab — an immersion event for budding filmmakers to rehearse, shoot and edit scenes with actors — at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park last month, while the Sundance Resort in Utah was under construction.
The key program has supported some of the industry’s most acclaimed directors, such as Charlotte Wells (Aftersun), Chloé Zhao (Nomadland), The Daniels (Swiss Army Man) and Quentin Tarantino.
The Sundance Film Festival contributed over $118 million to Utah’s economy and created more than 1,600 jobs in 2023, according to an economic impact report from Y2 Analytics.
The film event is also tied to the ski industry, as 23% of visitors intended to ski or snowboard during the festival, the report found.
The Colorado Economic Development Commission approved a $1.5 million incentive on Thursday for the proposal. State officials considered the number significant, as Utah gave $1.3 million in taxpayer money to the festival last year.
“Events like this, from my perspective, are a once in a lifetime opportunity to really bring something to Colorado that can have a long, lasting legacy and impact for our communities,” said Eve Lieberman, OEDIT’s executive director.
State officials also believe the economic effects from the event could spill over from Boulder into Denver International Airport, Colorado Springs, Loveland, Estes Park and Fort Collins.
Denver Gazette reporter Bernadette Berdychowski and the Associated Press contributed to this report
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