On Feb. 24, the Sundance Institute announced the dates and locations for its upcoming move to Boulder, Colorado. Founded by the late Robert Redford in 1985, the festival ran in Park City until this year, closing out a 41-year journey. Acting as a bastion for independent film, Sundance has seen the debut of many prominent filmmakers that continue to impact the industry today. Ryan Coogler debuted there in 2013 with “Fruitvale Station,” and then proceeded to make “Creed,” “Black Panther,” its sequel, and “Sinners” last year.  Rian Johnson debuted “Brick” and has made “Looper,” “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” and the “Knives Out” franchise. Ava Duvernay premiered the “Middle of Nowhere” at the festival and has since made “Selma,” “13th,” and “Origin.” Sundance frequently acts as a launching pad for filmmakers’ careers. If a film can get into Sundance and gets attention, the door can open for filmmakers to have a successful career. The arrival of the festival in Boulder sees an exciting opportunity to open up not only for the festival, but for the independent film community at large. 

The festival will begin next winter, running from January 21st through January 31st. It will utilize an assortment of venues, such as different auditoriums, in Boulder middle schools and high schools, and a Cinemark. The festival will also use more art-centric venues such as the Dairy Arts Center, which showcases dance, theater, and more independent and artistic cinema. The Chautauqua Auditorium, a gorgeous concert hall that hosts music performances, will also be used. Finally, the festival will take advantage of the University of Colorado Boulder’s campus, utilizing the Macky Auditorium Concert Hall, the Muezinger Auditorium, and the Roe Green Theatre. The festival will also have talks and festival programming in the Boulder Public Library District in the Canyon Theater, the Dairy Arts Center, the eTown Hall, and the University of Colorado Boulder’s Old Main. These talks and programming have previously functioned as a space for artists to hold discussions and panels on different subjects relating to cinema. This is a very exciting opportunity for residents of Colorado. These events typically have high-profile guests with a lot of experience in the industry that will offer insight into the grander film world. 

The locations for the festival are particularly exciting because of how committed Sundance is to engage with the Boulder community. From arts centers to multiple levels of education, the Sundance Institute looks poised to reach multiple areas of interest and demographics throughout the area. The locations revealed also create exciting opportunities for the CU film programs in Denver and Boulder. CU Boulder students will get to experience the festival firsthand with it taking place on their campus, but in addition to that, Denver students will finally get to experience the hub of the independent filmmaking world. This is deeply exciting; the emphasis on independent cinema particularly feels like an inspiring and feasible goal students can work towards. Local festivals like the Telluride Film Festival also exist, yet they may feel too difficult to approach for students. Something more rooted in independent cinema feels approachable and manageable to apply to and potentially get into.   

In addition to the independent nature of the festival, Sundance will be a great area for students to network with other filmmakers, seeing what art they’re creating and potentially meeting people to work with creatively. 

The Sundance Festival’s move to Boulder is an exciting opportunity for Colorado based creatives, opening up a world of opportunity for students and filmmakers eager to get their name out there and begin creating on a larger scale. With the arrival of another prominent festival, the future of Colorado filmmaking looks very bright.