SANTA FE, N.M. — Santa Fe is one of several cities competing to host the Sundance Film Festival after its current contract in Park City, Utah expires in 2026.

“It’s a, you know, a mecca for movies, I could see why they’re so seriously considering it,” said Jacques Paisner, Santa Fe International Film Festival artistic director. “It’s a chance for, you know, Santa Fe to be noticed nationally in the news, as a film center and I think New Mexico in general being uplifted as a film hub.”

The Sundance Film Festival started in 1978 and is now one of the biggest in the world – welcoming more than 86,000 attendees in 2023. Since its inception, the festival has always taken place in or around Salt Lake City, Utah.

With an estimated $118 million economic impact, it’s not hard to see why several cities are campaigning to host the star-studded event.

“For a lot of people, it could really benefit them,” Paisner said. “Property owners, Airbnb owners. I think it could be a real opportunity for us to get more buses, more shuttles to the ski area, and beyond that.”

Santa Fe does have a slight advantage.

“They’d had their labs here, their Indigenous labs for about 10 years,” Paisner said.

He adds that Santa Fe’s own film festival already champions independent and foreign films, just like Sundance.

“I’m hesitant to think that it will leave Utah, but if it does, and they do, by chance, choose Santa Fe, I think the community here and the festival would be welcoming to more moviegoers,” Paisner said.

Even if Santa Fe is picked, the festival would not move to New Mexico until 2027. Other cities that have submitted bids include Boulder, Nashville, and Atlanta.

Sundance organizers say they will likely make a final decision by the end of this year or early next year. The festival usually takes place in January, so it’s possible they could make the announcement then.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham shared the following statement on the bid:

“New Mexico is making a strong play to become the new home to the legendary Sundance Film Festival, and what location could possibly be better than Santa Fe? Santa Fe is one of the world’s most in-demand travel destinations and our thriving film industry is the envy of other states. New Mexico has created an incredible space for independent filmmaking, and we stand ready, willing and more than able to welcome and host the world’s premier independent film festival.”

Sen. Martin Heinrich provided the following statement:

“There are a wealth of reasons why Santa Fe is home to authentic and vibrant, world-renowned artists. Every single one of those makes the city a perfect place to host a world-renowned film festival, particularly with such aligned commitments around inclusivity and sustainability. Whether it’s through this opportunity or growing our own home talent, or both, the arts community in New Mexico always has my full support.”

The Santa Fe Film Office issued this statement:

“The Santa Fe Film Office has formally submitted a proposal of interest to the Sundance Institute to host the Sundance Film Festival in 2027 and beyond. As part of this process, the City and County of Santa Fe have entered into non-disclosure agreements to protect the confidentiality of our proposal and the negotiation process. We will issue a formal press release with more details should our proposal be favorably received by the Sundance Institute.