Louisville’s bid for Sundance rides off into the sunset

The Sundance Institute announced the three finalist cities for the vaunted film festival on Thursday, but Derby City wasn’t among them.

Nearly 100 cities expressed interest in hosting the Sundance Film Festival, and Louisville made it to the final six cities , but in the end the institute said it was considering just three: Boulder, Colorado, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Salt Lake City/Park City, Utah.

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg expressed gratitude for the local filmmakers, nonprofit leaders and film buffs who served on the host committee in a statement on Thursday.

“It’s disappointing that we came up short this time, but we will continue to work hard, and I remain incredibly optimistic that we will bring more major events and film industry developments to our city,” Greenberg said.

Louisville began its bid for the Sundance Film Festival back in May when it was selected among a small group of cities to submit a proposal for the festival. The city welcomed Sundance officials earlier this summer with a banner on the Kentucky International Convention Center .

The film festival will continue to take place in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, for the next two years. After that, they’ll transition to one of the three finalist host cities, which of course, could still be in Utah where they’ve held the festival for the last 40 years.

In a statement, Sundance Institute Board Chair Ebs Burnough said they appreciate the partnership and ingenuity they found while visiting cities including Louisville .

“Leaders and locals in each community generously welcomed and inspired us as we explored the potential for our Festival in 2027, and beyond. On behalf of the entire Sundance Institute team, thank you,” Burnough said.

Needless to say, Boulder and Cincinnati are excited about the opportunity. Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval said he believes the city’s blend of creativity, culture and community would create an unforgettable experience for the festival.

“We are ecstatic to continue being considered as the next host city for the Sundance Film Festival. As long-time attendees, we believe Cincinnati’s dedication to the arts, hospitality, and historic theaters make it a great fit,” Pureval said.