The Sundance Film Festival, the nation’s largest independent film showcasing, could be looking for a new host city to call home for the legendary festival — and Savannah might just fit that bill.
The festival has been held in Park City, Utah, since 1978 and is by far the biggest event held there. From the festival’s inception, Sundance and Park City have kind of come as a package deal, as synonymous as Freaknik was with Atlanta in the 80s and 90s. Now it seems they could be looking for a new home.
“The buzz within the industry is that the possibility of the Sundance Film Festival leaving Utah is actually very real. My first reaction when I heard the news was that it was likely just a ploy for leverage to negotiate a more favorable deal with Park City,” said Charles Bowen, founder of the Savannah Film Alliance. “Industry insiders, however, are convinced that the Sundance Institute is legitimately open to considering other cities and states.”
According to a report from Axios Atlanta, city officials from Savannah and Atlanta submitted their names in the Request for Information period, which ended May 1.
So, why does Savannah have a shot? For any city to get Sundance to move from Utah, it would certainly be an uphill battle. However, this wouldn’t be the first time a city in Georgia threw its hat in the ring for a longshot bid — the 1996 Olympics were thought of as a lock for Athens, Greece, who hosted the first game 100 years prior. Nevertheless, Atlanta prevailed.
While Sundance isn’t quite on the same level as the Olympics — although its notoriety in the independent film world should not be understated — it is, in fact, another huge event that may find reason to explore the possibility.
Atlanta, while throwing its name in the preliminary field of interest along with Savannah, is thought to have less of a chance than Savannah because of its size; Sundance has been known to be a rather enclosed event within Park City, where A-listers from the movie industry can move about relatively freely. That sense of intimacy and smallness might be lost in a city the size of Atlanta.
Still, either city could make a compelling bid. For one, it would just make sense: Georgia has become the “Hollywood of the South,” and while that may not translate directly into independent films, the fact that the state is competing with — if not outright beating — California in the film industry shows how important the industry is in the state, and how much it has grown. Home to several megastudios and the location of countless films from the last decade, Georgia’s film scene has never been hotter.
More specific to Savannah, however, is how it is the perfect city for a 10-day festival like Sundance. Savannah is right on the coast with warm weather year-round — a far cry from the cold of Park City, Utah. Savannah also has a smaller, walkable, historic downtown that is complete with its own identity, culture, and beauty; there’s a reason Sherman couldn’t bring himself to burn it to the ground.
“Like Park City, Savannah is a relatively small city with a very centralized and walkable downtown area. Savannah is beautiful in February, with a temperate climate that would make walking in the festival area extremely enjoyable,” said Bowen. “There is plenty of existing infrastructure to support the Festival as well as locations available for the numerous lounges and event spaces for which the Sundance Film Festival is well-known.”
An event of this caliber could be well-served by a historic city like Savannah that offers unique food, wildlife attractions both in the swamps and shore, history, architecture, and people. Moreover, Savannah is home to one of the largest and most prestigious film schools in the country: Savannah College of Art and Design.
“Savannah also has a thriving media, art, and music scene and fully embraces the environmental and educational ethos that the Sundance Institute represents so effectively,” Bown added. “The vast majority of the film productions that shoot in Savannah are independent productions which would directly support the mission of the Festival.”
Media professionals at the Atlanta Film Festival, which is ongoing until May 5, generally agreed that Savannah has a better chance between the two Georgia cities, yet most were skeptical it is anything but a negotiating tactic.
The Request for Proposal period begins May 7, when the public will presumably learn more about which cities have a chance.
