Utah, 5 other sites take next step in landing Sundance Film Festival
The committee that will decide where the Sundance Film Festival will be held following its 2026 season has selected the six sites it will begin visiting as it makes its decision. And Park City/Salt Lake City has made the list.
The Sundance Institute announced earlier this year that it will consider alternate sites for the festival when its contract with Park City expires following the 2026 rendition. Sundance began its site selection process with a Request for Interest from possible candidates in the spring. The Request for Proposals phase for select locations was next, to which the Utah Host Committee — the coalition working to keep the Sundance Film Festival in Utah — responded in June. Site visits will be held in the coming weeks with an announcement expected late this year or early in 2025.
The other five finalists competing in the next phase are Atlanta; Cincinnati; Boulder, Colorado; Louisville, Kentucky; and Santa Fe, New Mexico. These cities survived the cut from among cities throughout the country.
The Utah committee responded to Sundance’s Request for Proposal with a “Two Cities, One Experience” approach — the two cities being Park City and Salt Lake City. While the festival has always held screenings and events outside Park City, the committee’s plan expands that experience and formally includes venues in the capital city.
The restructuring will provide opportunities to utilize additional venues and reach new audiences, the committee said. This new plan 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.
“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,” said a combined statement from Mayor Nann Worel of Park City, Mayor Erin Mendenhall of Salt Lake City and Mayor Jenny Wilson of Salt Lake County. “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.”
“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. “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.”
The Sundance Institute emphasized that each of the finalist cities have strong arts communities with varied cultural backgrounds and potential for growth.
Actor Robert Redford founded the festival in 1978 and it has grown significantly since its inception. Redford, who stepped back from the Sundance spotlight years ago, expressed concern in 2016 that the festival as it existed might have outgrown Park City and was thinking about ways for it to evolve. He and his daughter, Amy Redford, who is on the current board, have been involved in the relocation process, according to an April announcement about the search.