Utah Film Commissioner Says Convincing Sundance to Stay Is Like ‘Trying to Woo Back a Long-Term Lover’
It’s almost time for the biggest decision of 2024. OK, maybe the second biggest.
The Sundance Institute is on the clock to decide where the new home of its Sundance Film Festival will be as of 2027. The non-profit has said it intends to make up its mind between the six finalist host cities by late this year or early next year.
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Utah Film Commissioner Virginia Pearce has taken her state’s efforts public to tip the scales.
“I’ve been equating this to trying to woo back a long-term lover,” Pearce said in an interview with Deadline.
Pearce told Deadline it is a bit “surreal” to be fighting so hard to convince Sundance to stay put where it has been for 40 years.
“I just think, why would you uproot a festival with such deep roots here?” she said.
Utah is up against Boulder, Colorado, Atlanta, Georgia, Louisville, Kentucky, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Santa Fe, New Mexico. As Deadline notes, Utah has offered $6 million to the Sundance Institute to support the festival’s infrastructure and other costs, as it has done in past years. Other host cities have not publicized their proposals, but some have offered bonuses of several million dollars up front to entice them. But Pearce said the state’s proposal now is that Sundance remain in Park City but also expand more of its operations to Salt Lake City.
Pearce proposes closing off not just Main Street in Park City but also Main Street in Salt Lake City, and offering shuttles that take people throughout downtown and between the two locations.
“I think you have to have a majority home base on Salt Lake. Otherwise, if you’re trying to split something 50/50, that just doesn’t work,” Pearce said. “Because one part of the festival is always going to be gravitated to more heavily. So, basing the festival out of Salt Lake, but having Park City heavily involved, whether that’s a special weekend, whether you are seeing screenings at the Egyptian or there’s activation on Main. Everyone’s going to have to reimagine, as we keep saying, but we don’t want to lose the Park City component.”
Pearce even said the Film Commission office believes that if Sundance were to shift more of its lodging for staff and talent to Salt Lake City, it could save over $1 million. Pearce pointed to Salt Lake City as having hosted the NBA All Star Game that has attracted tens of thousands of people without issue, and SLC is also the host city for the Olympics in 2034.
The main concern for Sundance has been the increasing cost, both for attendees of the festival and for filmmaker talent.
“Let’s just be clear, it’s a lot about the money,” Pearce said. The cost is, of course, an issue, and we have seen that escalate in Park City. I think a bit of it is demand. Park City is a small, exclusive ski town. Now, yes, it’s grown. Sundance has obviously grown too. So, yeah, I am not surprised at the idea of needing to find somewhere easier and less expensive. I think Salt Lake provides a great opportunity.”
Pearce also addressed the concern that Sundance may be uncomfortable remaining in a Republican-led state. Pearce said the Institute has told her that politics won’t factor into the decision, but she’s having “a hard time believing that doesn’t have some impact.”
For 2025 and 2026 at least, IndieWire will see you in Park City.
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