Today, the nonprofit Sundance Institute announced the final phase of its Request for Proposal (RFP) process to host the Sundance Film Festival beginning in 2027.

Three cities will be moving forward into the concluding review process to determine a long-term host for the Sundance Film Festival. The decision will be announced next year, after the 2025 festival, in late winter/early spring.

All three finalists were assessed on ethos and equity values, infrastructure, and capabilities to host the Festival, in addition to demonstrating ways in which they will continue to foster the diverse Sundance community and inspire the next generation of independent filmmakers.

The Sundance Film Festival will continue to take place in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah in 2025 and 2026. The Festival will transition to the host city in 2027 and subsequent years.

The finalists selected to move forward to the final phase are (in alphabetical order):

Boulder, Colorado

Cincinnati, Ohio

Salt Lake City/Park City, Utah

“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. Each has shown us the blend of exciting possibilities, values, and logistics needed to produce a vibrant, inviting, and inclusive Festival. We’re excited for a future Sundance that can discover, support, and inspire artists and audiences for the next forty years,” said Eugene Hernandez, Festival Director and Head of Public Programming.

“We are deeply grateful to all the finalists and appreciate the partnership and ingenuity we found in the three moving forward. as well as Atlanta, Louisville, and Santa Fe this summer. Leaders and locals in each community generously welcomed and inspired us as we explored the potential for our Festival in 2027, and beyond. On behalf of the entire Sundance Institute team, thank you,” said Ebs Burnough, Sundance Institute Board Chair.

The Sundance Institute will continue to focus on completing a fair and comprehensive review of the three finalists and will not be providing comments while the review process is taking place. The Institute will announce its selection of the host city sometime after the 2025 Festival has concluded.

Statements from finalist locations:

Boulder, Colorado statement from Governor Jared Polis:

“Boulder is the next natural home to the Sundance Film Festival and we are excited to be one of three finalists to host starting in 2027. Here in Colorado we cherish our creative communities, the jobs they create, and the economic contributions they make to our entire state, and the Sundance Film Festival would perfectly complement the work and creative activity already happening here in Colorado.”

Cincinnati, Ohio statement from Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval & Kristen Schlotman, President/CEO, Film Cincinnati:

“We are ecstatic to continue being considered as the next host city for the Sundance Film Festival. As long-time attendees, we believe Cincinnati’s dedication to the arts, hospitality, and historic theaters make it a great fit. We are inspired by the idea of partnering with the Sundance Institute to celebrate the festival’s rich legacy while introducing a dynamic, walkable and accessible new venue. Cincinnati’s blend of creativity, culture, and community promises to be an unforgettable experience for both filmmakers and audiences.”

Salt Lake City/Park City, Utah statement from Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, Park City Mayor Nann Worel, and Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson:

“Salt Lake City, Park City, and Salt Lake County are proud to unite in support of the Sundance Film Festival. Each step brings us closer, as a bid team in continuing our journey with Sundance. We are eager to forge an even stronger bond to inspire artists and elevate the festival experience. With our extensive event infrastructure, world-class venues, and warm hospitality, we’re ready to help Sundance shine on the global stage.”

About Sundance Institute
As a champion and curator of independent stories, the nonprofit Sundance Institute provides and preserves the space for artists across storytelling media to create and thrive. Founded in 1981 by Robert Redford, the Institute’s signature labs, granting, and mentorship programs, dedicated to developing new work, take place throughout the year in the U.S. and internationally. Sundance Collab, a digital community platform, brings a global cohort of working artists together to learn from Sundance advisors and connect with each other in a creative space, developing and sharing works in progress. The Sundance Film Festival and other public programs connect audiences and artists to ignite new ideas, discover original voices, and build a community dedicated to independent storytelling. Through the Sundance Institute artist programs, we have supported such projects as “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” “The Big Sick,” “Bottle Rocket,” “Boys Don’t Cry,” “Boys State,” “Call Me by Your Name,” “Clemency,” “CODA,” “Drunktown’s Finest,” “The Farewell,” “Fire of Love,” “Flee,” “The Forty-Year-Old Version,” “Fruitvale Station,” “Get Out,” “Half Nelson,” “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” “Hereditary,” “Honeyland,” “The Infiltrators,” “The Last Black Man in San Francisco,” “Little Woods,” “Love & Basketball,” “Me and You and Everyone We Know,” “Mudbound,” “Nanny,” “Navalny,” “O.J.: Made in America,” “One Child Nation,” “Pariah,” “Raising Victor Vargas,” “Requiem for a Dream,” “Reservoir Dogs,” “RBG,” “Sin Nombre,” “Sorry to Bother You,” “The Souvenir,” “Strong Island,” “Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised),” “Swiss Army Man,” “Sydney,” “A Thousand and One,” “Top of the Lake,” “Walking and Talking,” “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?,” and “Zola.” Through year-round artist programs, the Institute also nurtured the early careers of such artists as Paul Thomas Anderson, Wes Anderson, Gregg Araki, Darren Aronofsky, Lisa Cholodenko, Ryan Coogler, Nia DaCosta, The Daniels, David Gordon Green, Miranda July, James Mangold, John Cameron Mitchell, Kimberly Peirce, Boots Riley, Ira Sachs, Quentin Tarantino, Taika Waititi, Lulu Wang, and Chloé Zhao.