The city of Louisville is home to the iconic Kentucky Derby, the Urban Bourbon Trail, and The Greatest of All Time, Muhammad Ali. Now, Louisville is being considered as the next home for the most prestigious independent film festival in America, the world-renowned Sundance Film Festival.
On Friday, Louisville was named one of the six finalists to host the Festival beginning in 2027. Hosting this festival would bring the world to Louisville for ten days each year to enjoy a cultural phenomenon that serves as the premiere of innovative films and attracts more than 80,000 visitors annually.
“The City of Louisville and its diverse arts community is proud to be a finalist city for the Sundance Film Festival. Our rich history hosting world-class events, growing film industry, and commitment to sustainability position us as a perfect stage for the Festival’s future. We are home to the greatest two minutes in sports and we are ready to host the greatest ten days in film,” said Mayor Craig Greenberg.
As part of a thorough evaluation of each potential location, the Sundance Institute assessed each city’s infrastructure, ethos and equity values, event capabilities to host the Festival, and how each finalist could sustainably serve and support the ever-growing Sundance Film Festival community of independent artists and audiences. Each finalist was required to demonstrate how they would welcome and continue to foster the diverse Sundance community and culture of independent creativity that is an integral part of the Institute and Festival experience.
“Kentucky has a rich history of storytelling and will whole-heartedly embrace Sundance’s 40-year tradition of exploratory filmmaking,” added Governor Andy Beshear. “I’m proud to have Louisville — a vibrant, diverse city full of talent — represent our state in this very competitive process, and our entire commonwealth is united behind the effort to welcome Sundance to its new Kentucky home.”
Louisville’s arts ecosystem is driven by the community, and Louisville Metro Government has demonstrated a serious commitment to the Arts, launching the City’s first office dedicated to arts and culture in 2023. The Office of Arts + Creative Industries added two positions this year to expand city-wide programming and increase access to arts experiences for everyone. In Fiscal Year 2024, the Office offered more than $3.8 million in support for artists, cultural nonprofits, and community programs. The Office of Arts + Creative Industries will soon be stewarding a city-wide Comprehensive Cultural planning process.
“Louisville is home to a special community of artists, culture bearers, and storytellers who are value-aligned with the Sundance Institute. It is the perfect time to partner with Sundance as we are setting goals and charting Louisville’s future course to expand support for individual artists and creative organizations,” said Jessica Bennett Kincaid, Director of the Office of Arts + Creative Industries.
Louisville Metro Government also shares the Sundance Institute’s focus on sustainability and is addressing climate change through a citywide goal of achieving 100% clean energy and net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. Upon taking office, Mayor Greenberg elevated the Office of Sustainability and expanded its budget. Additionally, the city has invested millions to grow and improve public parks and was recently awarded $12 million from the U.S. Forest Service to improve Louisville’s tree canopy and limit future effects of the Urban Heat Island. The Festival’s presence represents an opportunity to amplify the city’s sustainability goals.
Sundance packs an economic punch
This news coincides with the expansion of Kentucky’s film industry. Since January 2022, 185 films have applied for the Kentucky Entertainment Incentive Program. LEX Studios, a state-of-the-art production facility in nearby Lexington, recently opened, and the state has allocated funding to renovate and transform historic Louisville Gardens into a film, music, and digital production studio.
If the Sundance Film Festival relocates to Kentucky, the legendary ten-day gathering would join a long list of notable events hosted in Louisville, including the Kentucky Derby, Bourbon & Beyond, Louder Than Life, and 2024’s record-breaking PGA Championship. As Louisville leaders prepared for their bid, a study conducted by Commonwealth Economics determined that the economic effect of a Louisville-based Sundance Film Festival is an estimated $171 million annually.
The festival has been held in Utah since its inception and remains in Park City. In early 2024, Sundance Institute officials announced they were accepting bids for a new festival home. The 2023 Sundance Film Festival saw more than 80,000 people attend in-person. The economic report from that year estimates the festival contributed more than 1,600 local jobs and the total economic activity associated was more than $200 million.
For more than 40 years, the Sundance Film Festival has served as the launch point for unforgettable, groundbreaking films. Notable films include ‘Get Out,’ the 2022 Academy Award winner for Best Picture Winner ‘CODA,’ and ‘Winter’s Bone’ starring Louisville’s own Jennifer Lawrence in her first Academy Award-nominated performance.
Sundance Institute officials will visit Louisville in the coming weeks. A decision about the festival’s future will be announced in the coming months.
About the Office of Arts + Creative Industries
With a focus on providing arts experiences for everyone and creative community spaces, the Office of Arts + Creative Industries strives to activate Louisville through the arts by providing programs and direct support across the following areas: arts experiences for everyone, a creative workforce, and creative community spaces and neighborhoods. Utilizing grants, the city has connected artists of all ages to resources and platforms for their creativity.
