It’s still not yet known when a final decision will be made from the list of 15 cities.
ATLANTA — Three signature Georgia cities have made an exclusive list of just 15 cities that have been narrowed down to host the preeminent film festival in the United States.
Out of 90 cities to apply to host the Sundance Film Festival beginning in 2027, Atlanta, Athens and Savannah were among three of the 15 cities to make the second phase.
The Sundance Film Festival, which has been based out of Utah for more than 40 years, announced in April that it is in the “process to explore viable locations in the United States to host the Sundance Film Festival beginning in 2027.”
Lynda Smith, the founder of the Entertainment Tourism Alliance of Georgia, said the opportunity for one of these Georgia cities to host the festival would have a major impact.
“It’s pretty amazing because, you know, you look at the Cannes Film Festival, you look at Toronto (International Film Festival), you look at Sundance, and they are defining events. They actually have made these cities into an international destination,” Smith said. “So, with Georgia already booming in the entertainment industry and already rising to the top nationwide as one of the highest production states in the country, this just solidifies our positioning if we were to be fortunate enough to land the Sundance Film Festival here in Georgia.”
That type of economic impact would continue to benefit Georgia’s economy, a state that has landed world-class events that are coming to the state in the near future.
“Last year, the governor announced that there was a $73 billion economic impact from tourism in Georgia. This would only compound that impact if we were able to land such a huge event,” Smith explained. “It’s not just the event itself, it’s just suddenly you’re put on the map. It’s like Atlanta hosting the Olympics, right? Or bringing the World Cup here in two years. It’s one of those monumental events that will have a ripple effect across the state.”
The Sundance Institute reported at least 86,824 people attended the festival in 2023, which ran from January 19-29.
It said attendees redeemed 138,050 tickets, and around 21,400 of them were out-of-state visitors. During the festival, visitors from other states spent an estimated $97 million in Utah, according to Sundance Institute.
The Sundance Institute also reported the following regarding the festival’s contribution to Utah’s 2023 economy:
- $118.3 million in Utah’s gross domestic product
- 1,608 jobs for Utah residents
- $63 million in Utah wages
- $12.8 million in state and local tax revenue
Smith said that these three cities in Georgia were likely selected as finalists due to the infrastructure already in place.
“I think it’s the infrastructure, it’s the number of hotels, there’s a lot of factors because it’s gotten to a point where you’re talking about tens of thousands of people who come in for this event every year. And so, you’ve got to have the infrastructure to be able to host that level of participants,” Smith said.
It’s still not yet known when a final decision will be made from the list of 15 cities.
