By moving in 2027 to Boulder, Colorado, the Sundance Film Festival will end a run of more than 40 years in Park City that put the community at the forefront of the rise of the independent-film industry, delivered an extraordinary midwinter financial boost and helped establish Park City as an interna tional destination.The 2026 event will be held in the traditional manner with Park City as the base one last time.Park City Mayor Nann Worel released a prepared statement saying “Sundance’s departure marks the end of an incredible era, but not the end of Park City’s magic.”“For over 40 years, we weren’t just the host of the Sundance Film Festival — Park City was part of the beating heart of the independent spirit that made it such a success. While I am deeply disappointed, I’m grateful for the legacy we built together,” she said.Worel added: “For the past year, we put our heart and soul into finding a way to keep Sundance in Utah. I am proud of our team in Park City and thankful to the Utah Bid Committee for their commitment and creativity. Frankly, I don’t know if there is anything else we could have done.”The dollar figure that was attached to the bid to keep the festival in Utah over the course of 11 years starting in 2026 was set at $307.6 million, with the funds starting to be distributed in 2025. Public monies and funds raised from the private sector were involved.The public monies offered in the bid included millions of dollars added to the annual in-kind donations and annual cash payments to Sundance. The in-kind donations totaled $6.6 million annually, increased from the upward of $3.7 million each year. The annual cash donation was doubled to a little more than $5.5 million.The private funding, meanwhile, totaled $30.2 million annually. The bid included a proposal for a technology conference, adding $27.5 million over the course of the 11-year total in cash and in-kind donations.The bid tapped funds from a variety of sources, including a commitment of $3.5 million from the state government in the 2026 fiscal year that is included in the public funding total.The Park City government’s current financial commitment is set at $372,000 in cash and $1 million worth of in-kind municipal services. A fact sheet released by the Salt Lake City government indicated the future commitment of Park City taxpayer monies depended on an eventual festival footprint in the community.The Park City Chamber/Bureau as of now provides $200,000 in cash and $80,000 worth of in-kind commitments. The future of monies from the Chamber/Bureau depended on the footprint in Park City.The fact sheet also says there was an opportunity for Sundance to seek monies via Summit County restaurant-tax grants and funds from Summit County’s recreation, arts and parks tax grants.The bid included a list of traditional festival venues in Park City — The Ray Theatre, the Park City Library Center Theatre, the Egyptian Theatre and the Eccles Theater. Main Street was also listed as a venue, but the sheet did not provide details about the vision for the street. The bid, meanwhile, outlined a shuttle service between Park City and Salt Lake City.The post Sundance ending decades-long run in Park City appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less