Sundance opened its final Park City edition with a farewell that balanced gratitude and transition. Amy Redford paid tribute to her father, Robert Redford, and to the community that helped build the festival’s identity, as organisers confirmed the event will relocate to Boulder, Colorado, in 2027. In parallel with opening-day events, Hulu ordered a three-part docuseries from Searchlight Television about the Sundance Institute, with filmmakers Ryan Coogler, Lynette Howell Taylor and Braden King attached. The twin developments, one on the ground and one on screen, frame this year’s festival as both a closing chapter in Utah and a curated look back at the institution that helped shape independent film.
The remarks came at the festival’s welcome press conference in Park City, Utah, on 22 January 2026. The docuseries order arrived as the festival kicked off its final year in the mountain town before the planned move to Colorado in 2027.
Park City’s last stand before the move to Boulder
Festival organisers set a firm timeline for change, stating that 2026 marks Sundance’s final outing in Park City before the event relocates to Boulder, Colorado, in 2027. The move formalises a new chapter for the festival after decades of association with Park City, where filmmakers, distributors and audiences have congregated each January. The shift to Boulder positions the festival in another mountain community with a strong arts culture and a university base.
The confirmation follows months of industry attention on Sundance’s future footprint. By naming Boulder as the next host city and setting a clear date, the festival provides clarity to filmmakers and buyers who build their release and acquisition calendars around Sundance. Organisers continue to run this year’s programme in Park City, while planning logistics for the 2027 transition.
Amy Redford’s tribute to Robert Redford and the community
Amy Redford set the tone for the send-off with a reflection on her father’s guiding principle. “Everyone has a story… Those were words out of my dad’s mouth on more than one occasion,” she said, underscoring the focus on storytelling that has long defined Sundance. She added: “My dad loved this place and its people,” a nod to Park City’s role in supporting artists who premiered films in its cinemas and venues.
Her remarks recognised both the founder’s legacy and the town’s contribution to Sundance’s growth. Over the years, Park City’s local businesses, volunteers and screening sites have hosted debuts that later reached global audiences. Amy Redford’s comments captured that partnership as the festival prepares to depart its Utah base.
Hulu orders three-part Sundance Institute docuseries
As the festival opened, Hulu greenlit a three-part docuseries about the Sundance Institute from Searchlight Television. The series will explore the Institute’s story, which spans artist development, labs and year-round support for independent film. Ryan Coogler, Lynette Howell Taylor and Braden King are attached to the project alongside Searchlight Television.
The order places the Institute’s history on a major streaming platform, broadening access to archival material and first-hand accounts. The series structure suggests a focused, chaptered approach to the Institute’s milestones, its artist programmes and the community it has fostered across film, documentary and episodic work.
Industry focus on legacy, continuity and access
This year’s opening emphasised continuity of mission even as the festival changes cities. By celebrating Park City while preparing for Boulder, Sundance presents a narrative of evolution rather than rupture. The Institute-focused docuseries complements that message by preserving the story behind the festival’s infrastructure: the mentoring programmes, labs and initiatives that operate beyond the January showcase.
For distributors and sales agents, the move and the docuseries both carry practical value. The new host city will influence travel, venue planning and hospitality partnerships. The series provides a curated primer on Sundance’s role in discovery, which may attract new audiences and prospective artists who seek context for the festival’s place in the broader industry.
What this means for independent cinema and the festival ecosystem
Sundance’s relocation marks one of the most significant shifts in the North American festival calendar in recent years. A confirmed 2027 move gives stakeholders time to adjust. Filmmakers can plan premieres with travel and exhibition needs in mind. Buyers and press can re-map coverage strategies around Boulder’s venues and infrastructure. The festival’s identity remains tied to the Institute’s artist-first ethos, which the docuseries aims to document.
The Hulu order signals ongoing demand for behind-the-scenes storytelling about influential cultural institutions. By centring the Institute, the series highlights a pipeline that has supported new voices and sustained careers. That approach aligns with a broader trend: audiences seeking context for how creative ecosystems work. The timing, coinciding with the Park City farewell, reinforces a coordinated reflection on legacy and next steps.
Park City’s role in shaping Sundance’s profile
Park City helped build the festival’s reputation as a launchpad for independent features and documentaries. Its winter setting created a distinct identity, drawing industry figures for a concentrated period of screenings, Q&As and deals. Amy Redford’s salute to the town acknowledged that track record and the relationships formed over time between residents, volunteers and visiting artists.
As Sundance prepares to leave, Park City’s contribution remains central to the narrative of what the festival achieved. The farewell moment does not diminish the town’s role; instead, it frames it as a foundational chapter in a story that now continues in Boulder. The Institute’s docuseries will add another layer by recording the internal work that made those Park City premieres possible.
Boulder steps into view for 2027
Boulder enters the picture as Sundance’s next base, with organisers pointing to the 2027 edition for the formal transition. The city offers a different geographic and cultural landscape while preserving certain similarities, including a mountain setting and an active arts scene. Those features will shape how audiences and industry participants experience Sundance in its new home.
For the wider film calendar, a confirmed move supports scheduling stability. Festivals, awards campaigns and release strategies depend on predictable dates and logistics. By locking in 2027 and naming Boulder, Sundance provides that certainty, while this year’s Park City edition carries forward as planned.
Closing perspective: a farewell anchored in clarity and continuity
Sundance opened in Park City with a clear view of the road ahead. Amy Redford’s tribute connected the founder’s ethos to the town that hosted the festival’s growth, and organisers confirmed Boulder as the next host city in 2027. Hulu’s three-part docuseries order from Searchlight Television, with Ryan Coogler, Lynette Howell Taylor and Braden King attached, will chart the Institute’s story for a wide audience. Together, these developments balance sentiment with structure: a defined timeline for change, a record of institutional history, and a final Park City edition that honours the community that supported independent film for years. As the industry plans for a Colorado shift, Sundance keeps its focus on artists, access and the stories that will define its next chapter.
