Atlanta Offers $2 Million for New Sundance Film Festival Destination

SALT LAKE CITY — The city of Atlanta on Monday presented a $2 million proposal for the Sundance Institute in hopes of enticing the Sundance Film Festival to move from Utah to Georgia.

The Sundance Institute announced in April that it would consider relocating after 2026 and has solicited proposals from other U.S. cities. Although no official list has been announced or confirmed by the institute yet, the news has spread in the media and online.

Speculated cities include other rival cities in Georgia, including Athens and Savannah. Deadline reported that San Francisco, Minneapolis, and Santa Fe made the list, and Forbes even said there were as many as 15.

However, Atlanta is the first city to present a cash proposal and a more aggressive offer.

“We are honored that Atlanta is being considered as a potential host for the Sundance Film Festival in 2027 and beyond,” said Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. “Atlanta is where the worlds of film, entertainment, economic development, diversity and inclusion meet and grow cohesively.”

The mayor’s office said its proposal was “robust” given the “diversity of its neighborhoods, its status as a center of film production, its cultural centers, its event capabilities, its commitment to climate action, ease of transportation, the hospitality industry and the inclusive and equitable business environment.” »

Since the announcement in April of this possible decision, Park City and other Utah cities have not been exonerated. Utah Film Commission Director Virginia Pearce even said she thought Utah had a “head start.”

The reason for the possible change comes after several difficult years following the COVID-19 pandemic. The Sundance Institute reported several years of declining revenue, even after the festival returned to full swing and abandoned its hybrid model experiment.

Regardless, the long-running festival has supplemented Utah’s economy since its inception in 1981 and recently contributed $118.3 million to the state’s gross domestic product.

The Sundance Institute will close its proposal phase on June 21. The institute will then take a window of time between October and March to announce the final location of future festivals starting in 2027.

Contributor: Collin Leonard, KSL.com