The Sundance Film Festival is officially leaving Park City, Utah. The independent film festival was founded by legendary actor Robert Redford in 1978. The festival was originally run in Salt Lake City, before expanding to Park City, Utah in 1981. Since then, the festival has become known for its compeтιтive and prestigious independent film programming. This year’s Sundance Film Festival ran in Park City and Salt Lake City from January 23 to February 2, and selected Atropia for its U.S. Grand Jury Prize.
As per the Sundance Insтιтute, it has been officially announced that Sundance will be leaving Park City. Starting in 2027, Boulder, Colorado, will be the new home of the festival. This will follow one final year in Utah, with the next festival occurring from January 22 to February 1, 2026, in Salt Lake City and Park City. Accompanying the announcement were several quotes, including one from the Sundance Insтιтute Board Chair Ebs Burnough, who says that “it became clear that Boulder is the ideal location in which to build our Festival’s future.” Check out Burnough’s full statement below:
“This decision was informed by a detailed evaluation of the key components essential to creating our Festival. During the process, it became clear that Boulder is the ideal location in which to build our Festival’s future, marking a key strategic step in its natural evolution. We have a profound appreciation for the finalist cities and their communities — including Boulder, Colorado, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Salt Lake City, Utah — who presented overwhelmingly strong proposals and dedicated their time, pᴀssion, and commitment every step of the way. We have deep respect and graтιтude to these communities for their hard work and partnership throughout the past year. Additionally, we sincerely value the steadfast support from our staff and board as we have ventured on this exploration together.”
What This Means For Sundance
Sundance Has Never Left Utah Before
Sundance’s location shift has been anticipated for a couple of years now, first becoming widely known about in 2023. The festival was thought to have gotten too big for the ski resort town of Park City, whose population is only around 8,000 people. Salt Lake City, Utah’s state capital that helped host part of the festival, boasts over 200,000 people, but still did not make the final cut, as Sundance’s official announcement makes Boulder the new home.
One of the quotes in the Sundance releases was from Redford. The actor was sure to state the importance of maintaining the original mission of the Insтιтute, writing, “I founded the Sundance Insтιтute with a commitment to discovering and developing independent artists, with the Sundance Film Festival serving as the platform for stories to help expand audiences and broaden the landscape.” He thanks Park City and the state of Utah for its support over the years, and looked excitedly ahead to the festival’s time in Boulder. Redford’s full statement can be found below:
“I founded the Sundance Insтιтute with a commitment to discovering and developing independent artists, with the Sundance Film Festival serving as the platform for stories to help expand audiences and broaden the landscape. That mission remains even more critical today and will continue to be our core principle. Words cannot express the sincere graтιтude I have for Park City, the state of Utah, and all those in the Utah community that have helped to build the organization.
What we’ve created is remarkably special and defining. As change is inevitable, we must always evolve and grow, which has been at the core of our survival. This move will ensure that the Festival continues its work of risk taking, supporting innovative storytellers, fostering independence, and entertaining and enlightening audiences. I am grateful to the Boulder community for its support, and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for the Festival there.”
Our Take On Sundance’s New Location
Colorado Has Another Major Film Festival
With Sundance moving to Boulder, there will now be two major film festivals in the state of Colorado. The other is the Telluride Film Festival, which is hosted annually in Telluride, Colorado at the beginning of September. Like the Sundance Film Festival, Telluride has had an impressive list of films in recent years, with 2024’s slate including future Oscar winners Anora, Conclave, and No Other Land. While the cities of Telluride and Boulder are far apart from each other, this will situate Colorado as a major state for film distribution.
Source: Sundance Insтιтute
Sundance Film Festival
- Location
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Park City, Utah
- Description
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The Sundance Film Festival is an annual event held in Utah that showcases independent films, documentaries, and emerging talents in filmmaking. Organized by the Sundance Insтιтute, it features screenings, panel discussions, and industry networking events. As one of the largest independent film festivals globally, it provides a platform for innovative storytelling and creative voices in cinema.
- Dates
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January 23 to February 2, 2025
- Website
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www.sundance.org/
