Boulder, Colorado was one of the six cities named yesterday by the Sundance Institute as finalists to potentially be named as the host location for the Sundance Film Festival beginning in 2027.
In an exchange of emails with the Estes Valley Voice yesterday afternoon, Tammy Rosen, the Chief Communications Officer at Sundance Institute, said “We expect to have a decision later this year or no later than Q1 of 2025.”
In addition to Boulder, the other cities vying to be named as the host are Atlanta, Cincinnati, Louisville, Park City/Salt Lake, and Santa Fe.
While Boulder might be named as the host city for the film institute, there is a connection to Estes Park as the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park hosted filmmakers from the Sundance Institute’s Director’s Lab in May.
“We are encouraged and excited to hear that Boulder, our Northern Colorado neighbor, has been named a finalist in the Sundance Film Festival location search,” said Kara Franker, CEO of Visit Estes Park.
When the announcement of the six cities was made, Donald Zuckerman, the Colorado Film Commissioner with the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, released the following statement, “Hosting the Sundance Film Festival in Colorado would be transformational for film, television and media in our state.”
According to Zuckerman, filmmakers from the Sundance Directors Lab have expressed interest in filming here. “We can think of no better partner than the Sundance Institute to help elevate this type of storytelling in Colorado and hope to welcome the Festival in 2027,” Zuckerman said.
“Northern Colorado would be honored to welcome the festival and its artists to our communities, where they can discover an incredibly inspiring environment,” said Franker. “Following the successful Sundance Directors Lab at The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, this would be a wonderful opportunity to deepen our connection to the Sundance Institute, their Festival, and the creative industry as a whole.”
Local filmmaker, TV producer, and Emmy nominee Nick Mollé said “I think it would be great for Colorado” if Boulder was named the new host community for the Sundance Film Festival.
Mollé has a passion for storytelling and filmmaking. In 1978 he had a small speaking part in the film Centennial which was filmed in Colorado. “I was a bald Pawnee Indian. It was pretty wild.” Forty years ago filmmakers “were making movies and TV shows in Colorado, but then they started thinking Colorado was too expensive and going to other states,” said Mollé who would like to see the state’s film industry continue to grow.
The selection of Boulder as one of the finalists came after the Boulder Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Boulder) submitted a proposal with support of the Stanley Film Center of Estes Park, the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT), the Colorado Office of Film Television and Media (COFTM), and a regional coalition of partners, including the City of Boulder, the Boulder Chamber, and the University of Colorado Boulder.
Some 90 cities made initial proposal submissions, and from that group, 15 cities made the first cut as reported in May by Deadline, a Hollywood trade publication.
To support the development of a competitive proposal, the Colorado Economic Development Commission approved a one-time $1.5 million incentive. The non-state match for this funding substantially exceeds one-to-one, with cash and in-kind contributions from the City of Boulder and the coalition of regional partners. OEDIT is also contributing an additional $325,000 to the proposal, including $250,000 from the Colorado Office of Film Television and Media over five years and one-time contributions from the Colorado Tourism Office ($50,000) and Colorado Creative Industries ($25,000).
The proposal submission process opened May 7 and closed June 21. According to a statement released by the Sundance Institute, the cities that submitted proposals were evaluated for their infrastructure, ethos, equity values, and event capabilities to host the film festival in addition to how each finalist could sustainably serve and support the festival and its global community of independent artists and audiences.
The finalists were required to demonstrate how they would welcome and continue to foster the diverse Sundance community and its culture of independent creativity. Members of the Sundance Institute selection committee will make site visits to the six finalist cities in the coming weeks to evaluate each as a possible host.
The film festival traces its roots to 1978 with the founding of the Utah/United States Film Festival located in Salt Lake City. In 1981 Robert Redford founded the Sundance Film Institute as a vehicle to showcase, support and discover independent filmmakers and storytellers. Redford relocated the operation and activities of the film festival to Park City.
After more than four decades in Utah, the Sundance Institute is looking at issues of growth and change in the industry and the festival as it makes decisions about the festival’s future.
The festival can be an important boost to a filmmaker’s career. This year, 17,435 films were submitted for review and 91 feature length films and episodic works along with 53 short films were selected for screenings during the 10-day festival.
In addition to the film festival, which is the largest artist program of the nonprofit organization, Sundance also conducts a feature film program; a film music program; a Native American and Indigenous film program; a theater program; a documentary film program; labs and a residency program focused on transmedia storytelling; multimedia installations, performances, and films; creative producing initiative for independent producers; an episodic storytelling initiative for writers; a young filmmakers initiative called Sundance Ignite in partnership with Adobe’s Project 1234, the S.I Newhouse School of Public Communication, the College of Visual Performing Arts at Syracuse University, and Champman University; and a distribution initiative which is part of the creative producing initiative.
Gov. Jared Polis, who is from Boulder, weighed in on today’s announcement. “I am so excited that Colorado is a finalist to host the Sundance Film Festival. With the beautiful backdrop of the Flatirons, Boulder’s historical ties to the Redford Family, and the capacity to support a growing, inclusive festival, we are confident that Boulder, Colorado is the right home for the Sundance Film Festival,” said Polis.
“I am thrilled the Sundance Institute recognizes the potential in relocating to my hometown and look forward to the many benefits this would bring to the entire state, as well as to the festival,” said Polis.
If Boulder is chosen as the new host city, the move will provide tremendous economic stimulation for the state by creating new jobs, attracting out-of-state visitors, and boosting winter tourism that will support small businesses in Boulder and surrounding areas while elevating Colorado’s creative industries.
In 2024, the festival attracted more than 138,00 film industry insiders and members of the public who attended in person. From a convention and tourism industry perspective that is a lot of visitors who spent money on lodging, car rentals and meals.
The 2025 festival will take place Jan. 23 through Feb. 2. The festival’s contract with Park City is up for renewal starting in 2027. In addition to Park City, Sundance has offices in New York and Los Angles.