Sundance Film Festival selects 3 finalist cities for new venue, Utah makes the cut

SALT LAKE CITY ( ABC4 ) — The Sundance Film Festival is considering moving to a new host city, and it released its three finalist host cities on Thursday.

The Sundance Institute narrowed its top six cities down to three, and Salt Lake City/Park City made the cut. The other two finalists are Boulder, Colo. and Cincinnati, Ohio.

Atlanta, Ga., Louisville, Ky., and Santa Fe, N.M., were in the top six but were not chosen as finalists.

“As we move to the next phase in our search for a sustainable home for the Sundance Film Festival, we see great promise and potential in Boulder, Cincinnati, and Salt Lake/Park City,” said Eugene Hernandez, festival director and director of public programming.

He continued to say that the cities show a “blend of exciting possibilities, values, and logistics” that are needed for the future of the festival.

The film festival has been held in Park City and Salt Lake City since its start in the 1980s. However, after the 2024 festival, it announced the festival may relocate starting in 2027.

Virginia Pearce, director of the Utah Film Commission, said she has been working alongside other members of the host committee to reimagine what the festival could be like here in Utah.

“Sundance Film Festival has been a part of our cultural identity for over 40 years, and we’re all very committed to keeping it here,” she said. “We are doing everything we can to work with Sundance.”

The institute assessed several cities based on “ethos and equity values, infrastructure, and capabilities to host the Festival,” according to a press release. The institute will not be providing additional insight into its decision until the review of the three cities is complete.

The decision of which city will host future festivals will be announced after the 2025 Festival.

Salt Lake City and Park City leaders released a statement saying they are “eager to forge an even stronger bond” with the festival moving forward.

“The place for Sundance is the state of Utah,” said Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall. “We’re thrilled to make it through to this next round.”

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