The Sundance Movie Competition will transfer to Boulder, Colo., starting with the 2027 version, a transformative change for one of many unbiased movie neighborhood’s key annual occasions.
“There was overwhelming support for Boulder,” mentioned Ebs Burnough, Sundance Institute’s board chair, in an interview on Thursday morning. “There certainly was robust conversation, but we as a board have been going through this process for about 18 months now, so there’s been a lot of consistent conversation and an evolving conversation and evolving process.”
“One of the things that’s really important to us is thinking about our ethos,” mentioned Amanda Kelso, Sundance Institute’s performing chief govt, on Thursday. “And our ethos is steeped in this notion that Robert Redford had put forward in our founding principles, which is this idea of coming to a place for the Sundance Film Festival that has a sense of space and a sense of place.
“It’s an awesome town,” added Kelso. “It has this wonderful vibe to it. You can go hiking or biking nearby. But it’s also an art town, it’s a tech town, it’s a college town. So it’s a really vibrant place.”
It was in April of final 12 months that Sundance formally introduced the potential of leaving the competition’s longtime house in Park Metropolis, Utah, when a contract with the town was up for renewal starting in 2027. Some 67 areas submitted requests for data, whereas requests for proposals then had been despatched to 13 potential websites, with subsequent visits to 6 cities that had been then narrowed right down to the ultimate three.
The competition’s transfer comes at a time when the movie business at giant is present process continued uncertainty in any respect ranges, from manufacturing to distribution and exhibition. The neighborhood round Sundance has been deeply affected by evolving enterprise points.
“This is a festival that has been undergoing change for the past five years, and this is the next step,” mentioned Eugene Hernandez, Sundance’s competition director and head of public programming, on Thursday. “Sundance as an institute and as a festival, in its commitment to artists, its commitment to being a festival of global discovery, is unchanged and unwavered. And yet at the same time, [it’s been] an institute and a festival that has been willing and open to evolve.”
In time, such Boulder venues as Macky Auditorium, the Boulder Theater and the Dairy Arts Heart could turn out to be as acquainted to Sundance attendees because the Eccles Theater, Egyptian Theatre and Park Metropolis Library are to them now.
“I think this is a really important time for us as an institute, but specifically for the festival as well,” mentioned Kelso. “I think one of the things that we’re so excited about is having the space to actually be more expansive in the way that we think about the festival. So this is an opportunity for us to give ourselves space for growth.”
Macky Auditorium in Boulder, Colo.
(Sundance Institute)
In response to supplies offered by Sundance Institute, the decision-making course of included seven overarching focus areas: ethos, occasion functionality, transportation, hospitality, inclusion and accessibility, monetary sustainability and host associate assist.
Among the many components into consideration had been whether or not there was at the very least one efficiency corridor with capability for 1,300 folks for movie premieres, at the very least six screening areas with capacities starting from 150 to 1,300, a world airport with direct flights from Los Angeles, New York, London and Paris inside three hours of the placement, lodging inside a 25-mile radius for a peak of 30,000 folks and any preexisting contracts that may overlap or have an effect on infrastructure or operational capability, such because the Olympics.
Each Salt Lake Metropolis and Cincinnati had been perceived as blue cities inside purple states, whereas Boulder is seen as a blue metropolis in a blue state. With controversial legislative proposals now being thought of in each Utah and Ohio that might be in battle with the inclusive worldview that’s an intrinsic a part of Sundance, the transfer to Boulder seemingly lessens what might have been a supply of accelerating tensions for the competition.
“What we’ve been looking at is how do we evolve?” mentioned Burnough. “And one of the great things that Bob Redford instilled in our ethos as an institution is evolving and taking risks and not being afraid. And so politics hasn’t weighed on us. We’ve always dealt with the politics as it comes. We loved all three of the cities that were the finalist cities. And they all showed up in really strong ways. But the alchemy that led us to Boulder was just a very special mix.”
In a press release, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis mentioned, “Here in our state we celebrate the arts and film industry as a key economic driver, job creator and important contributor to our thriving culture. Now, with the addition of the iconic Sundance Film Festival, we can expect even more jobs, a huge benefit for our small businesses including stores and restaurants.”
In its greater than 40 years in Utah, the Sundance Movie Competition has helped enhance filmmakers together with Quentin Tarantino, Ava DuVernay, Steven Soderbergh, Ryan Coogler and numerous others, whereas seeing the movie business by means of a number of eras of change. The competition will now attempt to create a brand new house in Boulder because it strikes with the business into an unsure future.
“As change is inevitable, we must always evolve and grow, which has been at the core of our survival,” mentioned Robert Redford, Sundance Institute president and founder, in a press release. “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.”
The ultimate Sundance Movie Competition in Utah, with in-person occasions in Park Metropolis and Salt Lake Metropolis, will happen Jan. 22 to Feb. 1, 2026.
