Utah among 6 finalists announced to host future Sundance Film Festival

The Sundance Institute announced Friday the six finalists vying to host the Sundance Film Festival beginning in 2027.

The locations that will be considered in the final phase of the institute's host selection process are:

• Atlanta, Georgia
• Boulder, Colorado
• Cincinnati, Ohio
• Louisville, Kentucky
• Park City/Salt Lake City, Utah
• Santa Fe, New Mexico

"As part of a thorough evaluation of each potential location," a press release says, "the Sundance Institute assessed each city's infrastructure, ethos and equity values, event capabilities to host the festival, and how each finalist could sustainably serve and support the ever-growing Sundance Film Festival community of independent artists and audiences."

Cities that missed the cut include Nashville, Savannah, Minneapolis and San Francisco.

Details of the finalists' offerings are trickling in, with Atlanta's bid including $2 million in support, reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on June 24. Colorado officials also approved a $1.5 million incentive to woo the event across Utah's eastern border to Boulder.

Members of the Utah Host Committee — including Park City Mayor Nann Worel, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, and Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson — say they are drumming up "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."

The incumbent host has laid out a vision of "Two Cities. One Experience," where they are hoping to create "opportunities to utilize additional venues and reach new audiences," according to a press release sent out Friday.

In the coming weeks, site visits with members of the institute’s selection committee will begin, with a final pick expected in late 2024 or early 2025.