CINCINNATI, Ohio (WCMH) -- A prestigious film festival that has taken place annually in Utah for more than 40 years has decided against moving to Ohio. Cincinnati was named last September among three finalist cities that could begin hosting the Sundance Film Festival starting in 2027. However, F ilm Cincinnati President Kristen Schlotman announced on Thursday that the festival's parent organization, the Sundance Institute, opted to pass over the Queen City as the new long-term host. "While Cincinnati was not selected to host [Sundance], we are proud of how our city demonstrated its dynamic role within the film industry," Schlotman said. "Our proposal focused on long-term sustainability, growth, equity, accessibility, and aimed to deliver a unique and elevated festival experience -- all qualities that mirror the evolving priorities of film festivals worldwide." Schlotman noted that Sundance chose "a more familiar setting," but didn't say whether Boulder, Colorado, or Salt Lake City, Utah, was selected. That announcement from the institute is expected later on Thursday. Before being named a finalist, Sundance announced in July that Cincinnati was one of six U.S. cities it was considering as a new home. Sundance's 2025 and 2026 festivals are in partnership with Park City, Utah, where the organization is headquartered and has served as the festival's base since its founding in 1978. The festival's contract with Park City is up for renewal in 2027, and the institute announced in April it would begin searching for new, viable locations. Still, Salt Lake City area could remain the festival's host given Sundance's long-standing relationship with Utah. July's announcement came as a new DC Studies movie titled simply "Superman" concluded a several-week stint of filming in Ohio, shooting in Cleveland beginning in June and wrapping in Cincinnati in July. The crew shot in the cities' most iconic locations, including Cleveland's Public Square and Progressive Field and Cincinnati's Union Terminal. The movie received $11,091,686 in tax credits, according to an Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit application filed under the project's code name, "Genesis." DC's Ohio-related expenses were also projected to exceed $36 million, which makes up about 10% of the movie’s total budget of more than $363 million. Gov. Mike DeWine voiced his support in July, arguing that the state is "an ideal location of entertainment production" when announcing $36.7 million in state tax credits were awarded to projects in Ohio. These include 14 feature films, one TV miniseries, one TV series and one Broadway production which are expected to create around 500 jobs, nearly $122 million in eligible expenditures, and $150 million in total expenses. The Sundance Institute said Boulder, Cincinnati and Salt Lake City were assessed on ethos and equity values, infrastructure, and capabilities to host the festival, in addition to demonstrating ways in which they will continue to foster the Sundance community and inspire the next generation of independent filmmakers. "We see great promise and potential in Boulder, Cincinnati, and Salt Lake/Park City. Each has shown us the blend of exciting possibilities, values, and logistics needed to produce a vibrant, inviting, and inclusive festival," said Eugene Hernandez, Sundance festival director and Head of public programming, at the time. "We're excited for a future Sundance that can discover, support, and inspire artists and audiences for the next forty years." Sundance boasted 138,050 in-person attendees and 285,184 virtual attendees in 2023, for a total viewership of more than 423,000. The institute also reported $118.3 million in Utah gross domestic product from last year's festival, along with 1,608 new jobs for residents, $63 million in wages and $12.8 million in state and local tax revenue. The festival is known for showcasing high-profile independent movies and has previously boosted filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson and Wes Anderson. Celebrities are also known to attend, like Glenn Powell, Camila Cabello, Sebastian Stan, Chrissy Teigen, Saoirse Ronan, and Kieran Culkin, who have walked the festival's carpet. ...read more read less