After an almost 40-year run in its current Park City, Utah, home, the Sundance Film Festival is looking for a new home. Our local entertainment lawyer in the know, Brandon Blake of Blake & Wang P.A. takes a closer look at this surprising announcement.
Contract Expiry
Sundance’s current contract with Park City will expire after the 2026 edition of the festival. While many expected them to seek a renewal, Sundance has reportedly had a move on the map for quite some time. However, they haven’t ruled out the possibility of remaining in Park City, but emphasize that it will need a strong local offer to sweeten the deal.
Interested locales have until May 1 to put their bids on the table. After that, the committee will assess the best potential candidates, a process set to finish by June 21. Reportedly, sustainability and inclusivity are two key factors in their final decision.
Unveiled in 2025
Once a final decision is made in-house, the results will be unveiled at the end of next year’s 2025 festival. However, the real question is whether they will be able to keep the secret that long.
Sundance itself, faced with the changing economic climate and a revolution in how film is consumed, may well welcome a change of scenery and a ‘fresh start’ of sorts. Park City, however, seems keen to keep one of its major tourism anchors, with last year’s festival bringing in over $118M for the state’s GNP. It is also likely that we will see Salt Lake City make a strong bid for the festival, for the same reason.
While we can certainly understand why Utah would be keen to keep the festival, despite some grumbling from locals, the festival itself has had a rough time in the rocky post-pandemic years, and a ‘breath of fresh air’ from a venue change may well be in the festival’s best interests to help polish and recreate its image.
Film and Television 