After slightly below a 12 months of hypothesis, the Sundance Movie Pageant has named Boulder, Colorado as its new host metropolis, starting in 2027. Folks will little doubt be disenchanted that it’s leaving Park Metropolis, the place it has known as dwelling for over 40 years, however Hollywood is already warming (is Colorado any hotter than Utah in January?) to the concept of Sundance‘s new dwelling, even when there are just a few naysayers who would’ve appreciated to see it elsewhere.
“Sundance made the proper selection,” Sony Photos Classics co-chief Tom Bernard informed IndieWire in response to the information. He celebrated the concept that, with Sundance now located in a school city, it’ll appeal to a brand new viewers of passionate younger movie lovers each single 12 months. “For the competition to find a way problem itself once more and attempt to provide you with some completely different, distinctive sorts of films they will program for that new viewers that’s on the market in search of contemporary concepts and truly altering the tradition.”
Bernard has been going to Sundance in Park Metropolis when Robert Redford was first formulating the concept and was giving suggestions about what it wanted, together with a lab for unbiased creators to get their film made exterior of the Hollywood system. Bernard hopes the competition will associate with the College of Colorado’s movie faculty to supply pupil movie contests with a purpose to attain that youthful viewers. And with school rooms that might all be transformed to venues, he believes the competition is poised to increase the quantity and the sorts of films it might present.
“It may be an incubator to interact the school into the competition,” Bernard mentioned. “There’s so many new alternatives I’m wanting ahead to, like Sundance beefing up its programming to get much more edgy than they’ve been up to now and possibly have extra conversations throughout the choice group. There’s going to be issues there that you wouldn’t usually have seen up in Park Metropolis.”
An enormous a part of Sundance is the vibe, and the sensation is that Boulder, with its personal mountain views and walkable areas, has nonetheless bought it.
“Something apart from Park Metropolis was all the time going to be slightly little bit of a bummer and laborious to get the pinnacle round it. Sundance and Park Metropolis go collectively like Cannes and Cannes,” mentioned producer William Rosenfeld of Such, which offered “It’s What’s Inside” for $17 million at Sundance in 2024. “Perhaps it’s simply because it’s within the mountains, near different ski resorts, however I feel in comparison with the choice choices, Boulder appears like one of the best place to go if not Park Metropolis. I’m excited to see what they do with it. Sundance evokes such fond visions of a snowy mountain city and traipsing alongside the primary avenue, and Boulder has all that.”
Whereas Sundance was lastly outgrowing Park Metropolis in any case these years, the one draw back some speculated on was whether or not Colorado can be large enough to host two main American movie festivals, Sundance in January and likewise the Telluride Movie Pageant within the fall. However that doesn’t seem like an issue. In a press release unique to IndieWire, Telluride Movie Pageant director Julie Huntsinger welcomed Sundance to Colorado and was enthusiastic about sharing the state with the competition.
“On behalf of the Telluride Movie Pageant, we prolong a heat and heartfelt welcome to the Sundance Movie Pageant because it begins its thrilling new chapter in Boulder, Colorado. This transition is a testomony to the resilience and spirit of the unbiased movie neighborhood, which continues to thrive and evolve, bringing highly effective and profoundly authentic tales to audiences far and vast,” Huntsinger mentioned. “Sundance has lengthy been a beacon for modern storytelling and an important platform for rising voices in cinema. We’re thrilled to see such a dynamic competition in a brand new dwelling, the place the inventive power of filmmakers and artists will undoubtedly flourish in opposition to the backdrop of Boulder’s gorgeous panorama and vibrant cultural neighborhood. We clearly love Colorado and it someway feels very proper for each of us to be located there.”
She continued: “We’ve all the time shared a deep admiration for the unbelievable work that Sundance has championed through the years, and we sit up for seeing how this new chapter will encourage contemporary collaborations and convey audiences nearer to the artwork of cinema. The spirit of neighborhood, ardour, and dedication that unites our festivals is stronger than ever, and we have fun the continued dedication to elevating unbiased voices and a wide range of views. We will’t wait to see what magic this new dwelling will carry to the world of movie.”
One other competition, SeriesFest that’s additionally in Colorado, equally welcomed the competition to its dwelling state, even name-dropping Sundance Pageant Director Eugene Hernandez for his ties to SeriesFest.
“We’re thrilled to see the Sundance Movie Pageant making Colorado its new dwelling! This transfer not solely elevates our state’s inventive panorama, but additionally strengthens the movie neighborhood we’ve been obsessed with rising,” SeriesFest co-Founder and CEO Randi Kleiner informed IndieWire. “We based SeriesFest in 2015 to champion rising voices in episodic storytelling, offering a platform for daring, various, and modern creators to be found, which aligns with Sundance’s mission. Eugene has been an Advisory Board Member of SeriesFest since we launched, so that is an thrilling full circle second. We sit up for collaborating with him and the Sundance crew in new and dynamic methods. The way forward for unbiased storytelling in Colorado has by no means appeared brighter!”
As Sundance performed its search during the last 12 months, which included 67 completely different cities submitting as a part of the preliminary Request for Info stage of the method, the competition wished to know concerning the metropolis’s ethos, occasion functionality, transportation, hospitality, inclusion and accessibility, monetary sustainability, and host associate assist. One in every of their key questions was if town had no less than six screening areas in shut proximity and no less than a type of venues with a capability of 1,300.
Boulder and the College of Colorado Boulder known as dwelling to filmmakers like Stan Brakhage and has a sturdy arts scene, so it simply checked all these packing containers and, to many, appeared like a protected selection for the trade.
“Sundance might have discovered methods to outlive in Salt Lake Metropolis or reinvented its attraction in Cincinnati, however Boulder was all the time the most secure selection,” Eric Kohn, director of the Southhampton Playhouse theater and former IndieWire staffer, mentioned in a press release. “It gained’t alienate the trade stalwarts — together with some who’ve voices on the board — and it supplies a ample diploma of familiarity to maintain the model intact. Whereas it’s enjoyable to think about a whole reboot, this establishment wants stability greater than the rest proper now. And it’s nonetheless much less VIP than Park Metropolis. With venues just like the Brakhage Middle, a Boulder fixture that celebrates experimental movie, Sundance can have an current basis of funding in bold cinematic undertakings to construct on.”
Locals understand it’s particular, too. Ray Nutt, CEO of the Denver-based Fathom Occasions, lives and works not removed from Boulder and mentioned that lots of the college students and even trade of us who’ve relocated to Boulder have a tendency to not go away. He additionally singled out Sundance’s intention to make Pearl Road Mall a serious central hub for the competition.
“Pearl Road Mall, that’s one thing like no different,” Nutt mentioned. “There’s eating places, there’s leisure, there’s avenue performers; individuals are going to have an exquisite expertise and loads of recollections. You’re nonetheless going to get all of the snowboarding and recreation. I could also be biased as a result of I reside right here, however it’s an exquisite, fantastic place.”
Further reporting by Anne Thompson and Ben Travers.