It’s official, the Sundance Film Festival will be embarking on an exciting new chapter. Specifically, the Sundance Institute board is moving the festival to Boulder Colorado, starting January 2027. This exciting news follows a year of careful evaluation, extensive location scouting, and countless flights. Given the vibrant city’s technological innovation, academic excellence, and artistic energy, what better place could have been selected to nurture independent cinema?
From Park City Peaks to Boulder’s Boom
According to Sundance Film Festival director Eugene Hernandez, Boulder is the perfect environment for cinematic innovation due to its unique blend of artistic communities and university resources. Although its move represents a significant shift for the prestigious festival, its connection to Park City’s snowy streets remains. However, Boulder promises to bring fresh energy to the annual celebration of independent filmmaking, thanks to its thriving cultural scene and academic institutions. Furthermore, filmmakers, tech innovators, and the educational community have shown excitement that this relocation opens more possibilities.
Bigger Slopes, Bigger Screens
Although the Sundance Film Festival had a home in Park City, Utah, its relocation marks a dramatic scaling up as Boulder’s population dwarfs Park City by tenfold. As a result, the event will have more much-needed space, which is a good thing since it consistently overflowed its previous venue’s capacity. Notably, actor and director Robert Redford started the festival in 1981, over forty years ago. While this strategic move preserves Sundance’s cherished relationship with nature, it also accommodates growth.
Sundance Institute chair Ebs Burnough believes Boulder’s mountain foothills location connects artists with wilderness, maintaining Redford’s original vision. In fact, creators can find escape from urban environments in the setting, creating a connection with nature that became fundamental to Sundance’s identity. The transition from Park City to Boulder not only addresses longstanding space constraints but honors the festival’s artistic roots as well. Despite the relocation, filmmakers continue to be inspired by mountain vistas as much as they were in Utah, proving that the larger venue can maintain the festival’s spiritual connection to the natural world.
Sundance Film Festival’s Gamble on Colorado
Frequent Sundance Film Festival goers may be thrilled with the move to Boulder than with shifting the location to the two other finalist cities: Cincinnati and Salt Lake City. However, the loss of the festival may impact the state of Utah financially, as, according to a report, it generated $132 million in revenue for the state in 2024. Last April, Sundance announced that it was exploring the possibility of a new home due to Park City’s minimal movie theaters and expensive lodging prices.
In a statement, Robert Redford expressed deep appreciation for Park City and Utah’s decades of support in nurturing the festival’s growth. Moreover, he acknowledged how the local community helped shape Sundance into the premier independent film event for over forty years. Furthermore, the festival will also receive help from the University of Colorado Boulder and utilize downtown venues, theaters, and the vibrant Pearl Street Mall.
Why Boulder Hit the Bullseye
Initially, over 100 U.S. cities submitted proposals, with 67 locations meeting basic requirements like theater capacity and airport access. From there, 13 advanced to the proposal stage before site visits narrowed to 6 finalists, including:
• Atlanta, Georgia
• Boulder, Colorado
• Cincinnati, Ohio
• Louisville, Kentucky
• Salt Lake City, Utah
• Santa Fe, New Mexico
Colorado isn’t only preparing for the Sundance Film Festival’s 2027 debut, it’s also hosting the prestigious Telluride Film Festival. To prove the state’s viability as a festival destination, its southwestern mountain region has celebrated cinema for fifty years every Labor Day weekend.
Transitions Financial Benefits
Boulder’s vibrant culture, alongside state support, will play a big part in financing the Sundance Film Festival’s new Colorado home. While this strategic relocation creates new economic ripple effects, it also addresses longstanding challenges. Whereas Pearl Street Mall will serve as a primary pedestrian-friendly hub, multiple downtown areas will host screenings and events. Additionally, Colorado has proposed $34 million in refundable tax credits through bipartisan legislation. However, the bill faces an uphill battle from Republican opposition despite potential economic benefits. Still, the state continues to prepare for a major January revenue boost when Sundance debuts.
