Atlanta, Savannah and Athens Named Finalists to Host Sundance Film Festival – WABE

Three Georgia cities are in the running to host the Sundance Film Festival, one of the most prestigious film festivals in the United States.

Pat Mitchell, media director and board member of the Sundance Institute, confirmed Wednesday that Atlanta, Savannah and Athens were among a group of 15 cities approved to submit proposals for the event, according to Georgia Entertainment.

The announcement was made during “Shaping the Future of Georgia Entertainment Tourism,” a luncheon hosted by the Georgia Entertainment Tourism Alliance and Georgia Entertainment. Mitchell was one of the guest speakers.

“Whatever happens, this is something that should make Georgians proud,” Mitchell said at the event, noting that 90 U.S. cities had initially submitted proposals.

Originally established as the Utah/USA Film Festival in 1978, Sundance has been held annually in Park City, Utah for 45 years.

The festival has become well known as a hub for premieres of films that have become part of the fabric of American cinema, ranging from “Precious” and “Sex, Lies, and Videotape” to “House Party” and “Clerks.”

Starting in 2023, news began to circulate of Sundance’s interest in seeking a new location due to growing budget and development concerns.

Last month, it was announced that Atlanta and Savannah were both exploring a bid to bring the festival home, which attracted more than 100,000 attendees in January.

“Atlanta is the perfect place,” Chris Escobar, executive director of the Atlanta Film Society, said in an April interview with WABE.

“It is one of the world’s leading production centers and, even before that, it is already a creative place, as evidenced by our vibrant arts and cultural community. »

Of the Georgia cities studied, Atlanta saw the most production and media projects, with film and television giants such as Tyler Perry Studios and Trilith located in the metro area.

While the Savannah area has hosted productions such as “Lady and the Tramp” and the Amazon miniseries “The Underground Railroad,” Athens has seen only a handful of major projects in recent years.

Georgia, along with California and New York, is among the nation’s top filming locations.

If one of the three cities is selected, it would begin hosting the festival in 2027, with the potential possibility of a lucrative long-term contract with Sundance.

The deadline for all 15 cities to submit their proposals is June 21. A formal decision on a host city is not expected to be made until late 2024 or early 2025, according to Deadline.