Boulder among 3 finalists to host Sundance film fest

BOULDER — Boulder is one step closer to winning the opportunity to host the Sundance Film Festival for a decade beginning in 2027.

The city on Thursday was named one of three potential hosts to make the final round of the Sundance Institute’s selection process, according to the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. The other finalists are Cincinnati and Salt Lake City/Park City, Utah.

Boulder “will continue to roll out the red carpet through this final competitive-bid stage as we demonstrate Colorado’s sustained commitment of support for the film festival, Boulder’s capacity to meet their logistical needs, and our alignment with their organization values,” Boulder Chamber CEO John Tayer told BizWest in an email.

The Sundance Film Festival, which has been hosted by the nonprofit Sundance Institute every winter in Park City for the past four decades, brings together thousands of film-lovers, filmmakers and celebrities to celebrate cinema and uplift artists. A final decision on the festival’s new home is expected after the upcoming Sundance Film Festival next January.

“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,” Eugene Hernandez, Sundance Film Festival director and head of public programming, said in a statement. “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.”

Among the parties that last month helped submit a response to a request for proposal, or RFP, to Sundance on behalf of Boulder are the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, the Colorado Office of Film Television and Media, Boulder Chamber, the city, the University of Colorado, the Boulder Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Stanley Film Center at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park.

“It’s exciting to have this opportunity in front of our community,” Tayer said. “Recognizing that we are still in a competitive RFP process, though, the Boulder Chamber joins with our state and local partner in continuing to demonstrate our determination to meet the needs of the Sundance Film Festival team, including serving as a welcoming and exciting location for film producers and film enthusiasts.”

In support of the Boulder RFP, the Colorado Economic Development Commission last month approved $1.5 million in state incentives from the EDC’s strategic fund to help lure the world-renowned festival. State and local officials expect matching funds from other sources to exceed that total. Among the groups pledging to contribute are the Colorado Office of Film, Television and Media, the Colorado Tourism Office and Colorado Creative Industries.

“It has been a remarkable privilege to showcase Boulder’s artistic, hospitality and values-driven culture to the Sundance Institute as they search for a new home for the Sundance Film Festival. Being selected as a finalist reaffirms how closely Boulder aligns with the Festival’s vision and needs,” Visit Boulder CEO Charlene Hoffman said Thursday in a prepared statement. “Throughout this process, our local and state partners have demonstrated unwavering support, making this collaboration truly exceptional. As we enter the next phase of the selection process, we remain fully committed to putting forth our best effort and look forward to deepening our partnership with the Sundance Institute.”

The 2023 Sundance Film Festival contributed more than $118 million to Utah’s economy, brought in more than 21,000 out-of-state visitors and created 1,608 jobs that paid Utah workers $63 million in wages, according to OEDIT. 

Redford is no stranger to Boulder, having attended the University of Colorado for a year in the 1950s, during which he worked as a janitor at The Sink, an iconic restaurant in Boulder’s University Hill district.

Redford’s son Jamie and daughter Shauna both graduated from CU, from which Redford received an honorary degree in 1987.

“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. 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,” Gov. Jared Polis said Thursday in a prepared statement.

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