The Sundance Film Festival is currently in the midst of an identity crisis. The festival may be moving from its iconic Utah locale. Lisa Barlow is shaking. Below, a full recap of the urban-planning mystery as the elimination round brings us from six cities to three finalists.
Round one!
July 19, 2024: Six beautiful cities stand in front of me, but I have only five city maps in my hands. And the city that I do not call must immediately return to having no film festivals, pack its bags, and go home. Or something like that. The Sundance Film Festival is currently in search of a new city to make its home, and there are officially six finalists, per IndieWire: Atlanta, Boulder, Cincinnati, Louisville, Santa Fe, and Sundance’s current locale, Park City–Salt Lake City, which would honestly be a wild choice after this whole ordeal. All six cities applied to host before the closing date on June 21, and now they will be put through a series of challenges testing their charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent. Okay, not really, but the selection committee (in part made up of Sundance board members) really is going to talk the plans over and get back to us. Then America gets to vote. Sorry, that was a lie, too. Stop believing me!
Round two!
September 12, 2024: The six semifinalist cities have been reduced by half. Park City–Salt Lake City remains the funniest option, after months of groveling from other cities. Boulder, Colorado, and Cincinnati, Ohio, join Utah in the finals, meaning that Sundance has officially decided against a warm climate. The official decision won’t be made until 2025, after the upcoming festival, which will be in late winter–early spring. If a change is made, Sundance won’t actually move cities until 2027. “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,†festival director Eugene Hernandez said in a statement. Well, we’ve heard good things about Utah.