Boulders Vibrant Community of Artists, Enthusiastic Audiences, and Breathtaking Rocky Mountains Will Provide the Setting for the Future of Independent Film Thursday, March 27, 2025 - After a thoughtful and thorough process to identify the future location of the Sundance Film Festival, today the nonprofit Sundance Institute's Board of Trustees is proud to announce that Boulder, Colorado, will become the Festival's home beginning in 2027. Boulder offers small-town charm with an engaged community, distinctive natural beauty, and a vibrant arts scene, making it the ideal location for the Festival to grow. The Sundance Film Festival is the largest artist program of the nonprofit Sundance Institute. Its Artist Programs cultivate a vibrant ecosystem, supporting artists and connecting their work with audiences. The Festival stands as the pre-eminent gathering of original storytellers and audiences seeking new voices, fresh perspectives, and a celebration of independent film and storytelling.
This decision was informed by a detailed evaluation of the key components essential to creating our Festival. During the process, it became clear that Boulder is the ideal location in which to build our Festival's future, marking a key strategic step in its natural evolution, said Ebs Burnough, Sundance Institute Board Chair. We have a profound appreciation for the finalist cities and their communities - including Boulder, Colorado, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Salt Lake City, Utah - who presented overwhelmingly strong proposals and dedicated their time, passion, and commitment every step of the way. We have deep respect and gratitude to these communities for their hard work and partnership throughout the past year. Additionally, we sincerely value the steadfast support from our staff and board as we have ventured on this exploration together.
The Sundance Film Festival is a catalyst for innovation, creative expression, and the discovery of groundbreaking independent films that inspire and shape the future of storytelling. This process provided the opportunity to imagine how we design the Festival while staying true to our programming and mission. We extend our appreciation to the staff, artists, partners, volunteers, and audiences who have and continue to support that mission, said Amanda Kelso, Sundance Institute Acting CEO. Boulder is an art town, tech town, mountain town, and college town. It is a place where the Festival can build and flourish. This is the beginning of a bold, new journey as we invite everyone to be part of our community and to be entertained and inspired. We can't imagine a better fit than Boulder.
Together with the Boulder host committee, the Institute envisions the heart of the Festival centered in downtown Boulder utilizing a wide array of theaters and venues, and incorporating spaces around the Pearl Street Mall, a pedestrian-only street. Nearby spaces will offer dedicated locations for our community to gather, including select spots on the University of Colorado (CU) Boulder campus. The majestic Rocky Mountains will frame the horizon for festival goers. The Festival will work with the host committee to enhance infrastructure and accommodation options, ensuring that attendees can gather and celebrate independent storytelling in an affordable and sustainable way - key to allowing independent films to shine and maintaining access for our community.
Boulder's storied and vibrant community of audiences, artists, and filmmakers allows the Sundance Institute to lay the foundation for a strong future for the Sundance Film Festival. Robert Redford founded the nonprofit Institute with a commitment to championing the creation of unique work by storytellers, with the Festival consistently offering a space for artists to share their stories with the world and audiences to discover them. This evolution will preserve the experience that attendees and the global independent film community recognizes and values.
I founded the Sundance Institute with a commitment to discovering and developing independent artists, with the Sundance Film Festival serving as the platform for stories to help expand audiences and broaden the landscape, said Robert Redford, Sundance Institute President and Founder. That mission remains even more critical today and will continue to be our core principle. Words cannot express the sincere gratitude I have for Park City, the state of Utah, and all those in the Utah community that have helped to build the organization. What we've created is remarkably special and defining. As change is inevitable, we must always evolve and grow, which has been at the core of our survival. This move will ensure that the Festival continues its work of risk taking, supporting innovative storytellers, fostering independence, and entertaining and enlightening audiences. I am grateful to the Boulder community for its support, and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for the Festival there.
Boulder's welcoming environment aligns with the ethos the Sundance Film Festival developed in Park City - growing with a community rooted in independent thought, artistic exploration, and social impact. The city's convergence of arts, technology, music, food, entrepreneurship, and education presents unique and exciting programming opportunities for future iterations of the Festival.
The Sundance Film Festival's move to Boulder, Colorado in 2027 preserves and builds on its four decade journey. Together we continue to create a Festival that acts as a vibrant space for independent films and filmmakers to shine. A place where each January, a community of artists, industry, and audiences can gather to discover what's new in global storytelling, said Eugene Hernandez, Sundance Film Festival Director and Head of Public Programming. This city is ready
