JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL
Sundance Festival Eyes 15 New Cities for Possible Move; Current Hosts Park City and Utah Rally to Keep Event
The Sundance Film Festival is currently looking for new locations for its future events. Along with Park City, UT, Atlanta, and other Georgia cities. Read ahead to know more.
-
The Sundance Film Festival is currently looking for new locations for its future events
-
Sundance has been looking at moving the bulk of the festival to Salt Lake City
-
A final decision is expected internally by the end of September and will likely be revealed by feb 2
The Sundance Film Festival is currently looking for new locations for its future events. Along with Park City, UT, Atlanta, and other Georgia cities such as Athens and Savannah, they are among the 15 cities being considered for the festival's new home.
Previously, New Mexico’s Santa Fe was also in the running in the Request for Proposal process. Across the rest of the nation, San Francisco is a contender to be the new home of the SFF come 2027, as are jurisdictions in upstate New York and North Carolina. The festival is the ultimate gathering of original storytellers and audiences seeking new voices and fresh perspectives. Founded by Robert Redford in 1981 with the mission of fostering new voices in American storytelling, this festival is an important event for the film community.
More details about moving cities for the festival
According to reports from Deadline, the main factor in considering a place would be money and venues, but mainly money. Also, since its a pageant, the host committees are reaching out, looking for an angle and a way in.
Having been in and around Park City for four decades, Sundance currently has a contract with the resort town to see it through the 2025 festival and the 2026 SFF. The festival is currently seeking a better deal that addresses the issues of growth and change, both in the overall industry and the festival itself, that have plagued Sundance in the last few years. Moreover, several people found Park City too expensive and crowded and many of the premieres already had homes on the streamers.
Relocation bids have been made for the festival
Even before relocation bids were made, sources claim that since the beginning of 2023, Sundance has been looking at moving the bulk of the festival to Salt Lake City, which now has a high-tech international airport, and designating Park City as a satellite of the gathering, which was the case decades ago for a spell. However, once Sundance publicly announced on April 17 that it might leave Utah, many other locations showed interest, turning this into a competitive race.
After wrapping up the Request for Information submission period on May 1, a Sundance Institute task force, including board member Amy Redford, narrowed down the candidates. The Request for Proposal process began on May 7 and will continue until June 21, with board members and Sundance staff visiting the bidders, similar to how IOC officials evaluate potential Olympic host cities. The final decision is expected internally by the end of September and will likely be announced around February 2, at the end of Sundance 2025.
Latest Articles
