The city of Atlanta officially offers to host the Sundance Film Festival

The city of Atlanta has officially entered the race to be considered the new host of the Sundance Film Festival which begins in 2027.

The city announced that it has officially submitted a request for proposal (RFP) to the Sundance Institute via a press release. Sundance announced an application process for a possible new city for it to call home earlier this year, with Atlanta Film Society executive director Chris Escobar announcing the city’s intention to put its name in the running in April. The Sundance Institute asked selected cities, including Atlanta, to submit RFPs in early May. The deadline to submit requests for proposals was June 21.

“We are honored that Atlanta is being considered as a potential host for the Sundance Film Festival in 2027 and beyond. Atlanta is where the worlds of film, entertainment, economic development, diversity and inclusion meet and grow cohesively,” Mayor Andre Dickens said in the release. “We are ready to show the Sundance Institute that Atlanta is the place where opportunities are endless and Sundance can continue to shine.”

The city’s RFP highlights the diversity of Atlanta’s neighborhoods, its film industry, its ability to host large-scale events, its climate action plan, its transportation opportunities, its hospitality industry and even more. The city of Atlanta and its partners have pledged $2 million in support, according to the release. The city also created a website dedicated to the Sundance Film Festival.

Thomas Smith, a professor at Emory University who teaches the film economics and finance course, said the proximity to some big players in the industry, the amount of film and television production that takes place in Atlanta and the The city’s cosmopolitan nature could be some of the factors that Atlanta can count on in its favor.

However, the ease of getting around the city, especially when it comes to MARTA, might not look so good to the selection committee.

“Atlanta’s public transportation system is not very comprehensive,” Smith said. “It’s a giant X, and of course there are bus lines. But the main form of public transportation is the train, and it’s a giant X… unless you live somewhere on that X, it’s not very easy to get from point A to point B. »

Smith also pointed out that while MARTA may not be a big selling point, Atlanta has a central city location and has hosted other large events in the past. In a letter to the RFP selection committee, Dickens highlighted Atlanta’s hosting of events such as the Super Bowl and the Olympics. The city also hosts a number of other film festivals, including the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, the Atlanta Film Festival, and Out on Film.

“Our convention element is one of the largest in the country and is incredibly friendly from a convention standpoint,” Smith said. “This part is actually quite adequate – more than sufficient – ​​to put on a big event.”

In early June, two water main breaks plunged the city of Atlanta into a water crisis that lasted nearly a week and impacted both residents and businesses. Smith said it’s possible the selection committee will take the crisis into account, as well as the city’s communication issues during the crisis.

“The infrastructure is aging. I think the mayor has been pretty upfront about it,” he said. “There are billions of dollars of improvements that need to be made.”

Two other Georgia cities, Savannah and Athens, were also invited to send out requests for proposals to host the festival. Smith said that while Savannah has plenty of charm and its own ties to film history, it might be less fortunate than Atlanta because of its distance from the city and its smaller airport.

“It sounds very charming,” Smith said. “(But) the feasibility is just not on the same page as it is for Atlanta.”

There is no official date for the announcement of the new Sundance Film Festival city, but it could be announced later this year.