For 43 years, Park City in Utah has been a mecca for up-and-coming filmmakers and lovers of independent cinema, all thanks to the Sundance Film Festival.
The iconic film festival, which takes place each January, might not be calling Utah home much longer, as it could be on the move from the ski resort town in the midst of the Rocky Mountains to the rolling foothills of Colorado’s Front Range.
The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) held an Economic Development Commission (EDC) meeting Thursday. In the meeting, Donald Zuckerman, the film commissioner for the Colorado Office of Film, Television and Media, announced that Boulder, Colorado, was submitting a serious, competitive bid to host the Sundance Film Festival.
The move would go into effect in 2027 with an initial contract to keep the festival in Boulder for 10 years. The city of Boulder submitted its request for proposal (RFP) for the festival on Thursday after the EDC meeting.
“The world-renowned Sundance Film Festival is one of the big five global film festivals. The non-profit entity has approximately 165 employees, divided between L.A., New York City and Utah,” Zuckerman said.
“In 2023, the festival provided more than $118 million to Utah’s gross domestic product, with $63 million in wages for its current home state residents and $12.8 million in tax revenue. They sold over 130,000 tickets, making it the biggest event of its kind in the U.S. We estimate that this event could provide approximately $5 million in annual net sales tax revenue to the state of Colorado per year if we locate it to Colorado.”
The Sundance Film Festival began in Salt Lake City in 1978 as the Utah/U.S. Film Festival before moving just outside Salt Lake City to Park City. The festival became known as the Sundance Film Festival in 1984 after being acquired by the Sundance Institute, founded by actor Robert Redford — who attended the University of Colorado Boulder in the 1950s and received his honorary degree from the school in 1988.
Zuckerman noted that the Sundance Institute in late May hosted its Directors Lab at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, less than 40 miles from Boulder.
The festival serves as the first major film festival of each year, showcasing the work of independent artists looking to make a name for themselves. Filmmakers to experience breakout success at Sundance include Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson, Ari Aster, Damien Chazelle, Chloé Zhao, Ryan Coogler, Richard Linklater, Kevin Smith, James Wan, Wes Anderson, Darren Aronofsky, Robert Eggers and the Coen Brothers.
The non-profit Sundance Institute announced in April that it was exploring a potential new destination, with the festival’s contract with Park City expiring in 2027.
John Tayer, the CEO and president of the Boulder Chamber of Commerce, said the potential of Boulder becoming a hub for independent cinema was exciting for the state in terms of both financial and cultural impact.
“Given the magnitude that we see of the visitors potential coming to our state during a time of relatively low occupancy and activity during the wintertime on the Front Range, we think this will have a spill-over effect across the Front Range,” Tayer said. “We see this as a great economic benefit to our entire state.”
Boulder City Manager Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde added: “We think there is great alignment, not just for the financial considerations but also in terms of workforce opportunities, in terms of values. We believe the values the festival brings really align with both the state and the city in terms of lifting up equity and lifting up opportunities for our indigenous or minority or women-owned businesses throughout the state. We believe in the power of connection the arts bring, and a rootedness in sustainability would really benefit us all.”
Boulder officials said Gov. Jared Polis has been aligned with their effort to recruit Sundance since the initiative began. They said Polis talked to partners, recruited additional partners and even spoke to Sundance executives as part of his “hands on” approach.
EDC members pointed out frequently that Sundance would not only boost Boulder’s tourism in the winter but also bring more tourism to surrounding cities like Denver, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins and Estes Park.
If Boulder secures the Sundance Film Festival, Colorado would be home to two of the most prominent U.S. film festivals, along with the Telluride Film Festival that takes place each September and often features eventual awards contenders.
