Sundance Institute Selects Three Finalists to Host the Sundance Film Festival Beginning in 2027

The nonprofit Sundance Institute announced the final phase of its Request for Proposal (RFP) process to host the Sundance Film Festival beginning in 2027, and sadly Chicago did not make the cut. The Windy City had been in the running given its spring 2024 participation in Sundance X, a kind of mini-Sundance showcasing the broader film community here.

Three cities, however, (Boulder, Colorado, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Salt Lake City/Park City, Utah) will be moving forward into the concluding review process to determine a long-term host for the Sundance. The decision will be announced next year, after the 2025 festival, in late winter/early spring.

All three finalists were assessed on ethos and equity values, infrastructure, and capabilities to host the Festival, in addition to demonstrating ways in which they will continue to foster the diverse Sundance community and inspire the next generation of independent filmmakers.

“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. 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,” said Eugene Hernandez, Festival Director and Head of Public Programming

“We are deeply grateful to all the finalists and appreciate the partnership and ingenuity we found in the three moving forward. as well as Atlanta, Louisville, and Santa Fe this summer. Leaders and locals in each community generously welcomed and inspired us as we explored the potential for our Festival in 2027, and beyond. On behalf of the entire Sundance Institute team, thank you,” said Ebs Burnough, Sundance Institute Board Chair.

The Sundance Institute will continue to focus on completing a fair and comprehensive review of the three finalists and will not be providing comments while the review process is taking place. The Institute plans to announce its selection of the host city sometime after the 2025 Festival has concluded. ‘

The Sundance Film Festival will continue to take place in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah in 2025 and 2026. The Festival will transition to the host city in 2027 and subsequent years.

As a champion and curator of independent stories, the nonprofit Sundance Institute provides and preserves the space for artists across storytelling media to create and thrive. Founded in 1981 by Robert Redford, the Institute’s signature labs, granting, and mentorship programs, dedicated to developing new work, take place throughout the year in the U.S. and internationally. Additional information available at www.sundance.org.