It looks like the Sundance Film Festival won’t be coming to Cincinnati anytime soon. Festival organizers announced the future of the festival Thursday, with the honor going to Boulder, Colorado.
“While Cincinnati was not selected to host the Sundance Film Festival, we are proud of how our city demonstrated its dynamic role within the film industry. Our proposal focused on long-term sustainability, growth, equity, accessibility, and aimed to deliver a unique and elevated festival experience — all qualities that mirror the evolving priorities of film festivals worldwide,” Kristen Schlotman of Film Cincinnati said in a press release.
In addition to Boulder and Park City/Salt Lake City, Cincinnati was selected as one of three finalist cities to host the film festival from 2027 and on. The Sundance Institute says as part of a thorough evaluation of each potential location, it looked at the city’s infrastructure, ethos and equity values, event capabilities and how each finalist could “sustainably serve and support the ever-growing Sundance Film Festival community of independent artists and audiences.” Each finalist also had to demonstrate how it would welcome and foster the community and culture of the festival.
“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,” Ebs Burnough, Sundance Institute Board chair, said in a press release. “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.”
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Colorado lawmakers have been working on a bill since January that would give Sundance a major tax break for holding Sundance within the state.
House Bill 1005 would offer $34 million in tax incentives to “any qualified global film festival” with a “multi-decade operating history and a verifiable track record of attracting 100,000 or more in-person ticket sales and over 10,000 out-of-state and international attendees,” according to the most recent version of the bill.
It’s safe to say HB 1005 was crafted with Sundance in mind; while the bill did not outright mention any particular film festival, Sundance is the only major international film festival eying Colorado. HB 1005 passed the Colorado House on March 13; it now sits in the Senate’s Appropriations Committee.
Schlotman says while the festival chose a more familiar setting, Cincinnati has proven it’s ready to embrace the new and exciting.
“Cincinnati has firmly established itself as a premier destination for filmmakers, content creators and storytellers. Our community has passionately united to support the filmmaking industry, both locally and internationally. This journey has underscored the importance of creating innovative and sustainable spaces for the next generation of artists,” Schlotman said. “We are excited to lead what’s next in the film industry.”
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This article appears in Mar 19 – Apr 2, 2025.