Utah Governor Spencer Cox and a host of other state leaders have signed an open letter to the Sundance Institute, urging them to continue hosting the prestigious film festival in Utah. As the Sundance Institute considers bids from multiple cities, Utah is making a strong case to keep the festival.
Gov. Spencer Cox and dozens of other Utah leaders signed an open letter to the “Sundance community” that appeared in an L.A. newspaper. The Sundance Film Festival is over for 2025, but Utah ’s full-court press to keep America’s preeminent independent film showcase is still rolling. The letter, which appeared Monday in the movie industry’s hometown newspaper, the Los Angeles Times, featured an open letter to the “Sundance community,” signed by Gov.
Spencer Cox and 88 other leaders from Utah businesses, government entities and arts nonprofits. Utah remains in the running to continue to host the festival when the Sundance Institute’s current contract with Park City expires after the next year’s event, which will run from Jan. 22 to Feb. 1, 2026. The Institute announced last year it would accept bids from cities seeking to host the festival. More than a dozen expressed interest, and organizers eventually narrowed the options down to three finalists: A combined Salt Lake City/Park City bid; Boulder, Colorado; and Cincinnati, Ohio. Sundance leaders and festival attendees have said that Park City has become too inaccessible, particularly for the independent filmmakers Sundance is trying to foster. Some filmmakers said they found hotel rates in Park City too expensive, forced to find lodgings as far away as Heber City during the festival. During this year’s festival, which concluded Sunday, Park City locals distributed yellow stickers that read “Keep Sundance in Utah.” Another sticker seen around Park City said “NOhio for Sundance.” Sundance officials were steadfastly quiet during the festival about the bidding process — saying only that a decision had yet to be made, and one’s expected in late March or early April. A spokesperson for the Utah Film Commission said Monday that the agency would not discuss Utah’s bid until Sundance announces its decision.Colorado may be offering more. A bill in that state’s Legislature is proposing up to $34 million in tax incentives over 10 years if Sundance should move to Boulder,. That’s on top of a $1.5 million grant the Colorado Economic Development Commission awarded supporters of Boulder’s bid to take the festival there. Meanwhile, the Cincinnati City Council voted late last year to put up $2.5 million to draw Sundance to Ohio, according to, the Utah/US Film Festival, moved from Salt Lake City to Park City in January 1981. (Robert Redford’s Sundance Institute, founded in the summer of 1981, took over operations of the United States Film Festival in 1985, and renamed it in 1991.) If Sundance stays in Utah, the bulk of its screenings would happen in Salt Lake City, with only a handful of events in Park City. In the open letter, Cox’s name is followed by that of first lady Abby Cox, as well as Utah Senate President Stuart Adams, Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz, and three mayors — Nann Worel of Park City, Erin Mendenhall of Salt Lake City and Jenny Wilson of Salt Lake County. A couple of celebrities who live in Utah — “Modern Family” actor Ty Burrell, and “Queer Eye” co-host Tan France — also signed. The letter stresses Utah’s shared history with actor/filmmaker Robert Redford’s nonprofit Sundance Institute. “When we came together, it was clear we had something special,” the letter reads. “Over the years, with the Wasatch Mountains as our backdrop, we’ve grown up side by side.” The letter praises Sundance as “an icon of artistic expression, a cradle for emerging talent, and a beacon for people to feel seen through the art of storytelling.” “Through the Festival, Institute programming, and the many artist labs,” the letter continues, “you cultivate creativity, inspire dialogue, and provide a space for artistic expression.” Having Sundance in Utah, the letter adds, “is much more than an economic impact or a bump in tourism.” “For us, it’s about the art of film. … Sundance Institute is a critical thread in the artistic fabric of our state, and your groundbreaking work has had widespread impacts on the people who live here,” the letter states. “You are a powerful force, fostering community and understanding.
Sundance Film Festival Utah Bidding Process Robert Redford Independent Film Park City Salt Lake City Film Industry Arts Organizations
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