DENVER (KDVR) – Boulder has officially been unveiled as the city to host the Sundance Film Festival starting in 2027, according to a press release from the Sundance Institute.
Boulder was a candidate pitted against two other finalists: Cincinnati and current Sundance hosts Park City/Salt Lake City.
Organizers said the hugely popular event had grown too big for Park City, forcing them to consider Salt Lake City and other other cities with the necessary number of theaters and housing options, according to The Associated Press
If you follow film festivals closely, you will know this is a huge deal for the festival, which hasn’t operated in any other state besides Utah since its inception in 1978 in Salt Lake City, when it was known as the Utah/US Film Festival.
Since 1978, the festival, now known as the Sundance Film Festival, has evolved into a popular stop on the film festival circuit. Every year, tens of thousands of cinephiles flock to Utah to see the next generation of Hollywood legends premiere their low-budget films, often alongside blockbusters and other highly anticipated movies from Hollywood heavyweights.
In the fight for the festival, the three finalist destinations pleaded their case, with Cincinnati proposing an allocation of $5 million, Park City/Salt Lake City proposing an allocation of $3.5 million, and Colorado lawmakers approving a $34 million budget, according to a release from the Colorado Senate Committee.
Colorado’s bill would also use $500,000 a year to support local film festivals to invigorate and support the Colorado film scene.
With Boulder selected as the winning bid, Colorado must prepare to host a major global event that regularly sells over 100,000 tickets and welcomed nearly 90,000 out-of-state visitors last year.
According to an economic report surveying the most recent Sundance Film Festival, the festival created 1,730 jobs for residents, generated $69.7 million in wages, $132 million in gross domestic product, and generated almost $14 million in state and local tax revenue.
While the economic impacts of the festival are a huge plus, the culture and prestige of the film festival are sure to transfer over to Boulder when the attendees visit.
The festival, however, may not be losing its Rocky Mountain vibe. Park City is a massive ski area flush with snow, located high in the mountains. Colorado, known for those same attractions, can help match the former feel of the legendary festival.
The arrival of the festival may also indicate a huge shift in the world of independent filmmaking in Colorado. The Sundance Film Festival is viewed by many as the heart and soul of indie films. The festival, started by Hollywood icon and “Sundance Kid” Robert Redford, is responsible for launching the careers of some of the biggest directors of the last several decades, including:
- Quentin Tarantino
- Steven Soderberg
- Richard Linklater
- Darren Aronofsky
- Wes Anderson
- The Coen brothers
- Paul Thomas Anderson
- Todd Field
- The Daniels
- Chloé Zhao
- Damian Chazelle
- Spike Jonze
Sundance has also seen the premiere of Hollywood classics, including:
- “Reservoir Dogs”
- “Get Out”
- “The Blair Witch Project”
- “Little Miss Sunshine”
- “Saw”
- “Four Weddings and a Funeral”
- “Manchester by the Sea”
- “Napoleon Dynamite”
- “(500) Days of Summer”
- “Whiplash”
More information on the list of films that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival can be found on their website.
Per the new agreement, the Sundance Film Festival will be hosted by Boulder for 10 years, starting in 2027 and lasting until the 2036 edition of the fest.