Launched in 1978, the Sundance Film Festival has become one of the biggest names on the festival circuit. In 1985, the event moved from Salt Lake City, Utah to the much smaller town of Park City. For almost 40 years Sundance has called Park City home every January.
However, the small town may not host Sundance forever, since the festival’s contract is up in 2027. So the Sundance Institute is doing what any responsible business would and scouting other cities to potentially host the event .
“There is a negotiation coming up,” Former Sundance Institute CEO Joana Vicente said three months ago. “We’re also spending time doing a lot of strategic thinking of where can we be most relevant. What’s the role of the festival? What’s the role of the institute? How do we evolve in a really ever-changing industry around us? Those are all of the considerations, but we love being here. So, that’s what I would say. We want to make this work. We know there are a lot of challenges.” Last month Vicente left their role putting the whole organization under new leadership.
The Scouting Process
Sundance opened a Request for Information (RFI), which will occur from April 17th until May 1st. This will be followed by a Request for Proposal (RFP) from May 7th until June 21st. These requests are to scope out US locations interested in the event. The festival expects to announce its decision for 2027 by the end of 2024 or the first quarter of 2025. No matter what, the event will remain in Park City for 2025 and 2026. This is not necessarily an indication that Sundance will move, simply feeling out its options while it strategically makes sense to do so.
“We are in a unique moment for our festival and our global film community, and with the contract up for renewal, this exploration allows us to responsibly consider how we best continue sustainably serving our community while maintaining the essence of the festival experience,” Sundance Festival director Eugene Hernandez said. “We are looking forward to conversations that center supporting artists and serving audiences as part of our mission and work at Sundance Institute, and are motivated by our commitment to ensure that the festival continues to thrive culturally, operationally, and financially as it has for four decades.”
“We are thrilled with the vitality we see in independent filmmaking and want to assure the continuous discovery and support of independent artists and audiences our festival is known for,” Sundance Institute board chair Ebs Burnough adds. “We look forward to reviewing each proposal and working together with all of our potential collaborators to determine how we can collectively meet the needs of the independent film ecosystem and broader creative community.”
What The Future May Hold
However, it seems like wherever the event may land, it will be a long-term contract. This is why the board is focused on inclusivity, diversity, accessibility, sustainability, and growth with any new location. Everyone involved will need to know that the host town can handle the influx of tourists. Given the long-standing complaints from Park City residents about the event taking over the town and crashing their infrastructure every January.
This is part of why Sundance has started hosting more screenings back in the bigger town of Salt Lake City. The festival has also announced events in Mexico City and Chicago, Illinois. But no one truly knows if it will stick with Park City or not at this time.
