The Sundance Film Festival, one of the most prestigious film festivals of all, is leaving its longtime home in Park City, Utah and relocating to Boulder, Colorado starting in 2027, the festival announced Thursday.
The festival said in a statement that Boulder “offers small-town charm with an engaged community, distinctive natural beauty, and a vibrant arts scene, making it the ideal location for the festival to grow.”
“I founded the Sundance Institute with a commitment to discovering and developing independent artists, with the Sundance Film Festival serving as the platform for stories to help expand audiences and broaden the landscape,” added Robert Redford, the Sundance Institute’s president and founder, added in a statement.
“That mission remains even more critical today and will continue to be our core principle. Words cannot express the sincere gratitude I have for Park City, the state of Utah, and all those in the Utah community that have helped to build the organization.”
Sundance has felt increasingly crowded in recent years in Park City, a town of less than 10,000 people that stretches at the seams when Hollywood arrives each January.
Though Sundance brings a welcome infusion of cash, as celebrities pack hotel rooms and ski chalets, the progressive-minded festival has felt like an odd cultural fit recently in conservative Utah: Sundance announced the move as Utah Gov. Spencer Cox was deciding whether to sign or veto a bill that would ban the Pride Flag from government buildings in the state.
The festival’s statement, however, did not mention policy or politics factoring into its decision to leave Park City.
Envisioning the Sundance Film Festival in Boulder
Like Park City, where Sundance festival has been based since 1981, Boulder is a mountain-region town with a strong film scene.
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The Sundance Institute said the festival will be centered in downtown Boulder, relying on its array of theaters and venues and using spaces around the pedestrian-only Pearl Street Mall. It will also rely on select locations on the University of Colorado (CU) Boulder campus. All in sight of the snowcapped Rocky Mountains.
“We are thrilled to welcome the Sundance Film Festival to Colorado and work with our new partners at the Sundance Institute to ensure a smooth transition to Boulder in 2027,” said Colorado film commissioner Donald Zuckerman. “We can think of no better partner to elevate filmmaking and storytelling in Colorado and look forward to celebrating the many creative milestones that lie ahead.”
The other finalist for Sundance’s move was Cincinnati, Ohio. Or it could have stated put, with screenings in Park City and nearby Salt Lake City, Utah.
“This decision was informed by a detailed evaluation of the key components essential to creating our Festival. During the process, it became clear that Boulder is the ideal location in which to build our Festival’s future, marking a key strategic step in its natural evolution,” said Ebs Burnough, Sundance Institute board chair.
“We have a profound appreciation for the finalist cities and their communities — including Boulder, Colorado, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Salt Lake City, Utah — who presented overwhelmingly strong proposals and dedicated their time, passion, and commitment every step of the way. We have deep respect and gratitude to these communities for their hard work and partnership throughout the past year. Additionally, we sincerely value the steadfast support from our staff and board as we have ventured on this exploration together.”
The Sundance Film Festival is the largest artist program of the nonprofit Sundance Institute, which will continue the work of “supporting artists and connecting their work with audiences,” the festival said in its statement. “The Festival stands as the pre-eminent gathering of original storytellers and audiences seeking new voices, fresh perspectives, and a celebration of independent film and storytelling.”
Main image: Boulder, Colorado. Courtesy of Sundance.