BOULDER, Colo. – Boulder is one step closer to becoming the long-term host of the iconic Sundance Film Festival as festival organizers announced Thursday morning the city was selected as one of three finalists.
Boulder – previously one of six finalists – will now compete against Cincinnati, Ohio and the festival’s 39-year-long home of Park City, Utah.
“Boulder is the next natural home to the Sundance Film Festival and we are excited to be one of three finalists to host starting in 2027,” said Colorado Governor Jared Polis in a news release. “Here in Colorado we cherish our creative communities, the jobs they create, and the economic contributions they make to our entire state, and the Sundance Film Festival would perfectly complement the work and creative activity already happening here in Colorado,”
City of Boulder and state leaders earlier this year submitted a proposal which included incentives to lure the festival away from Park City.
The Colorado Economic Development Commission approved a one-time $1.5 million incentive this summer which was combined with cash and in-kind contributions from the City of Boulder and other regional partners to provide a match that "will substantially exceed one-to-one," Denver7 previously reported.
An additional $325,000 from the state’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade was contributed to the proposal which totaled more than $3 million in combined contributions.
The Sundance Film Festival would bring hundreds of new jobs, thousands of out-of-state visitors to Boulder and provide a boost to winter tourism and small businesses, the state said.
The festival in Park City created over 1,600 jobs in 2023, attracting 21,000 visitors and contributed over $118 million to Utah’s economy, according to the state of Colorado.
Governor Polis has said an estimated 40,000 to 50,000 people would come to the Sundance Film Festival in Boulder fueling more than $100 million in economic growth.
“As we move to the next phase in our search for a sustainable home for the Sundance Film Festival, we see great promise and potential in Boulder, Cincinnati, and Salt Lake/Park City, said Eugene Hernandez, Festival Director and Director of Public Programming. “Each has shown us the blend of exciting possibilities, values, and logistics needed to produce a vibrant, inviting, and inclusive Festival. We’re excited for a future Sundance that can discover, support, and inspire artists and audiences for the next forty years,”
Boulder
Boulder named Sundance Film Festival finalist. What that could mean for the city
Boulder leadership remains confident the city could attract the festival due to its walkability, spaces for events and proximity to the mountains.
The Sundance Institute said Boulder and the other two finalists were selected based upon “ethos and equity values, infrastructure, and capabilities to host the Festival, in addition to demonstrating ways in which they will continue to foster the diverse Sundance community and inspire the next generation of independent filmmakers,” according to a release.
The final decision is not expected until next year when the 2025 Sundance Film Festival wraps as Park City will continue to host the festival through 2026.
If Boulder is selected, it wouldn’t become the new home of the Sundance Film Festival until 2027.
Denver7's sister station in Salt Lake City covered Sundance's announcement this summer that it would consider other hosts. Watch that story in the video player below:
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