Sundance Film Festival to depart Utah for Boulder, Colorado in 2027
The Sundance Film Festival is leaving Utah — its home for the past four decades — for Boulder, Colorado starting in 2027, organizers announced Thursday.
Why it matters: Sundance's planned departure from Park City deals a major economic blow to Utah.
Out-of-state visitors spent $106.4 million during the 2024 festival, which drew over 72,000 in-person attendees, according to an economic impact report.
Catch up quick: Organizers announced last April they were exploring a new permanent location for the independent film festival after 2026.
Sundance's contract with Park City was about to expire, and organizers had fielded complaints of bumper-to-bumper traffic and skyrocketing lodging costs there.
Boulder and Cincinnati, Ohio were named finalists in September competing with Salt Lake City and Park City's joint proposals.
Atlanta; Louisville, Kentucky; and Santa Fe, New Mexico also submitted bids.
Between the lines: Organizers reportedly balked at a ban on pride flags in Utah's public buildings, which lawmakers passed earlier this month.
Gov. Spencer Cox had not signed or vetoed the ban as of the festival's announcement Thursday.
Follow the money: The Utah legislature set aside $3.5 million to entice the festival to stay.
But Boulder's bid included a proposed $34 million in refundable tax credits under a measure that was advancing through the California legislature as of Thursday.
What they're saying:"Words cannot express the sincere gratitude I have for Park City, the state of Utah, and all those in the Utah community that have helped to build the organization," Robert Redford, the festival's founder, said in a prepared statement.
"What we've created is remarkably special and defining," Redford said. "As change is inevitable, we must always evolve and grow, which has been at the core of our survival."
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She was first placed in a halfway house before moving into an apartment in Salt Lake City near an elementary school, The Salt Lake Tribune reported. Following her early release, Elizabeth spoke out about how she refused to let the past affect her present happiness. 'I'm not gonna let these people or this woman stop me from living the life that I want to live, and that's how I still feel,' she said. Most recently, in May 2025, Barzee was arrested for violating her parole. She allegedly visited parks in Salt Lake City, which she is restricted from doing due to her status as a registered sex offender. A spokesperson for the Salt Lake City Police (SLCP) told PEOPLE that "detectives developed information." Barzee was later released on judicial orders and the SLCP will continue monitoring the situation, requiring her to do weekly check-ins. While Barzee was released early from prison, Mitchell has been serving a life sentence with no possibility of parole since being convicted in 2010. Mitchell is currently an inmate at the United States Penitentiary, Terre Haute, a high-level security federal prison in Indiana, per its inmate directory. With Mitchell behind bars, Elizabeth revealed she does not spend much time thinking about the man who permanently altered the course of her life over two decades ago. 'They're not people that I think of regularly,' she told PEOPLE about her captors in September 2024. 'I guess every now and then, part of me wonders how you could get to a point where you would think it's okay to kidnap a young girl.' Mitchell, she added, 'should never get out' of prison. 'I just think no matter what, if he got out, he would be a danger if not to me than to another young girl,' Elizabeth said. 'I think he will always pose a threat.' Read the original article on People
