The Sundance Institute has selected the finalist cities for the location of the 2027 Sundance Film Festival.
In addition to the possibility of remaining in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, the cities that made the next round are Atlanta, Cincinnati, Boulder, Colo., Louisville, Ky. and Santa Fe, N.M.
The Sundance Institute looked at the infrastructure and event capabilities of each city, and the cities were required to show how they would welcome and foster the diverse Sundance community and culture of independent creativity, according to the institute.
“Each of these cities has a vibrant creative ecosystem, either expanding or established, and has enabled creativity to flourish in their cities through their support of the arts. These cities understand our ethos, are aligned with our key values, and have shown us interesting possibilities for partnership with our festival — for our artists, audiences, and all who want to be a part of the Sundance Film Festival — and that makes us want to see more,” Eugene Hernandez, festival director and director of public programming, said in a statement.
The festival will remain in Park City and Salt Lake City in 2025 and 2026.
The selection committee plans to visit each of the finalist cities in the coming weeks to further explore the possibilities. Though cities such as Cincinnati might not seem like obvious choices, the institute noted that city’s strong independent film culture. Louisville, meanwhile, offers a longstanding arts and culture emphasis with a very diverse community. Santa Fe has a thriving film community and arts focus in a historic tourism location, while Boulder’s focus on sustainability was also key to its selection. Atlanta scores high on the equity index and is a large film production hub with a skilled industry workforce. Organizers also noted that Salt Lake City and Park City have a thriving economy, a growing population and increasing diversity.
“For over 40 years, Sundance has supported, sustained, and helped shine an essential spotlight on independent filmmakers and their work. As we very carefully consider this important decision for our Festival, we believe these six finalists allow us the best opportunity to not only secure a sustainable future for our Festival, but also to build upon its legacy while continuing to support the next generation of storytellers and highlight bold new works of art,” said Ebs Burnough, Sundance Institute Board Chair, and Amanda Kelso, Sundance Institute Acting CEO.
Hernandez continued, “Throughout this process, we engaged in thoughtful, lively, creative, and supportive conversations with governors, Mayors, arts advocates, film commissioners, and other local leaders from locations across the country. We’ve been buoyed by the tremendous enthusiasm and submissions from cities around the country and deeply appreciate the energy that went into each proposal.
