The Sundance Institute has announced the final phase of its search for a new long-term host city for the Sundance Film Festival, and Louisville is no longer in the running. After an initial round of consideration involving six cities, the shortlist has been narrowed to Boulder, Colorado; Cincinnati, Ohio; and Salt Lake City/Park City, Utah.
The decision comes as part of the Sundance Institute’s Request for Proposal (RFP) process, which began earlier this year. Louisville, along with Atlanta and Santa Fe, was one of the cities under consideration in June. The selection committee said it has began focusing on the three remaining cities, all of which demonstrated strong alignment with the festival’s ethos, infrastructure, and equity values.
Eugene Hernandez, Festival Director, expressed optimism about the potential of the final three cities, stating, “Each has shown us the blend of exciting possibilities, values, and logistics needed to produce a vibrant, inviting, and inclusive festival.”
The new host city will begin welcoming the festival in 2027, but until then, Sundance will continue to take place in its traditional home of Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, through 2026. A final decision is expected to be announced after the 2025 festival.
While Louisville is no longer in contention, the city’s efforts were acknowledged by the Sundance Institute, with Board Chair Ebs Burnough expressing gratitude to all cities involved.
“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,” Burnough said.
For now, Boulder, Cincinnati, and Salt Lake/Park City await the final decision as they enter the concluding review process for one of the world’s most iconic film festivals.
