Manijeh Fata, executive director of the San Francisco Film Commission, confirmed that the city has abandoned efforts to relocate one of the world’s largest film festivals from Park City, Utah, where it has been held annually since 1981 (except during the pandemic), to the Bay Area.
San Francisco submitted a query to the Sundance Institute when the nonprofit announced in April it was accepting applications through May 1 for potential new host cities for the festival starting in 2027. Selected cities would then participate in a proposal process from May 7 to Saturday, June 1.
In an exclusive statement to the Chronicle, Fata said that while San Francisco did not advance to the proposal stage, city officials are taking the rejection in stride.
“We remain proud of our community and the abundance of quality film festivals and media events that San Francisco is home to like Arab Film Festival, CAAMFest, Frameline, Jewish Film Festival, SFFILM Festival, SF IndieFest, SF Urban Film Fest, Silent Film Festival, Queer Women of Color Film Festival, and so many more,” she said. “We know the vital role of the film industry in San Francisco’s economic recovery and growth.”
San Francisco served as a Sundance venue in 2021 when Park City was shut down and the festival went mostly virtual due to COVID concerns. In partnership with the Roxie Theater, Sundance hosted screenings at Fort Mason Flix, a waterfront pop-up drive-in venue created during the pandemic.
The Sundance Institute’s contract with Park City is set to expire after two more years, covering the 2025 and 2026 festivals. Under the first-year leadership of Eugene Hernandez as festival director and head of public programming, the organization appears open to relocating to a more accessible, warmer locale.
“We are in a unique moment for our festival and our global film community,” Hernandez said in a statement. “This exploration allows us to responsibly consider how we best continue sustainably serving our community while maintaining the essence of the festival experience.”
Founded by Oscar-winning director and actor Robert Redford, who named the event after his character in the 1969 film “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” the festival began as the Utah/U.S. Film Festival in Salt Lake City in 1978. Redford, a Bay Area resident, and his daughter Amy Redford are both board members of the Sundance Institute and are involved in the decision-making process.
Sundance aims to announce its new location this winter.
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