Park City, Salt Lake face stiff competition from Boulder, Cincinnati for the future of Sundance Film Festival

A view of Main Street during the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Photo: Sundance Institute // Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet

Park City/Salt Lake City, Boulder, and Cincinnati are the three remaining cities vying to be the future host location of the Sundance Film Festival.

PARK CITY, Utah — The Sundance Institute announced Thursday that Park City and Salt Lake City, along with Boulder, Colorado, and Cincinnati, Ohio, have been selected as the three finalists to potentially host the Sundance Film Festival starting in 2027.

The announcement marks the final phase of a Request for Proposal (RFP) process to determine a long-term host for the festival. The decision, set to be revealed after the 2025 festival in late winter or early spring next year, could potentially move the event from its long-time Utah home.

Park City and Salt Lake City, remains in contention to keep the festival, which it has hosted since its inception in 1981. The other two finalists present new possibilities for the event’s future.

“We are thrilled our bid is included in Sundance Institute’s finalists. From the beginning, this has been a team effort to keep the Sundance in Utah — with an openness to the change and innovation necessary to ensure the Festival’s success,” Mayor Nann Worel said. “Park City is proud to team up with Salt Lake City and our other partners to offer this compelling case that the Festival should continue its story right here at home.”

The 2027 bid has the festival centered in Salt Lake City, with elements in Park City honoring the history and legacy.

“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 Head of Public Programming. “Each has shown us the blend of exciting possibilities, values, and logistics needed to produce a vibrant, inviting, and inclusive Festival.”

The finalists were evaluated based on their ethos and equity values, infrastructure, and capabilities to host the Festival. They also demonstrated ways to foster the Sundance community and inspire future generations of independent filmmakers.

Sundance Institute Board Chair Ebs Burnough expressed gratitude to all finalists, including those not moving forward. “We are deeply grateful to all the finalists and appreciate the partnership and ingenuity we found in the three moving forward, as well as Atlanta, Louisville, and Santa Fe this summer,” Burnough said.

The Festival will continue to take place in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, in 2025 and 2026 before potentially transitioning to a new host city in 2027.

Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, Park City Mayor Nann Worel, and Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson jointly stated, “Salt Lake City, Park City, and Salt Lake County are proud to unite in support of the Sundance Film Festival. Each step brings us closer, as a bid team in continuing our journey with Sundance.”

The Utah coalition emphasized their readiness to elevate the festival experience, citing “extensive event infrastructure, world-class venues, and warm hospitality.”

As the review process continues, the Sundance Institute stated that they will not provide further comments until the final decision is announced.