Seeing stars: Sundance Film Festival may be moving to Santa Fe

Jul. 19—Santa Fe has made the short list to host the Sundance Film Festival.

The nonprofit Sundance Institute announced Friday that Santa Fe is one of six finalists being considered to host the prestigious film festival in 2027 and beyond, according to a Sundance Film Festival news release.

The city of Santa Fe recently submitted its response to a request for proposal and has been selected to move forward to the next phase as a potential host city.

"Santa Fe and the Sundance Film Festival are a natural fit," said Santa Fe Mayor Alan Webber in the release. "Our shared values of inclusion, sustainability and diversity have long been hallmarks of both our community and the festival's independent spirit. Santa Fe will provide an authentic, unique and inspiring home for storytellers of all kinds. Sundance's sense of purpose and Santa Fe's sense of place make this a partnership waiting to happen."

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham called it a tremendous opportunity to showcase Santa Fe's vibrant cultural scene, stunning landscapes and thriving film industry.

"Santa Fe is perfectly suited to host the legendary Sundance Film Festival and you can bet that my administration will work as hard as possible to make that a reality," she said in a New Mexico Film Office news release.

Santa Fe boasts a thriving film community with a long history of supporting independent filmmakers. The city's existing venues, from historic theaters to innovative cultural centers, offer a unique platform for showcasing independent cinema, according to the NMFO news release.

Cities also on the list of finalists are Atlanta; Boulder, Colorado; Cincinnati; Louisville, Kentucky; and Park City/Salt Lake City, Utah.

"For over 40 years, Sundance has supported, sustained and helped shine an essential spotlight on independent filmmakers and their work," Ebs Burnough, Sundance Institute board chair, and Amanda Kelso, Sundance Institute acting CEO, said in a Sundance statement. "As we very carefully consider this important decision for our festival, we believe these six finalists allow us the best opportunity to not only secure a sustainable future for our festival, but also to build upon its legacy while continuing to support the next generation of storytellers and highlight bold new works of art."

Members of the Sundance Institute selection committee will visit each of the finalist cities in the coming weeks, according to the Sundance news release.

The festival's current contract with Park City, Utah, is up for renewal beginning in 2027. The Request for Proposal is providing the Sundance Institute a responsible way to evaluate, consider and build on its foundation of serving a growing global independent creative community.

The festival, which is held in January, celebrated its 40th edition last year. It is the largest artist program of the nonprofit Sundance Institute. It is a gathering of original storytellers and audiences searching for new voices and perspectives while supporting independent film. The Sundance Institute was founded by actor Robert Redford in 1981 as a means to support, sustain and discover independent filmmakers and storytellers.