Minneapolis is trying to lure the Sundance Film Festival away from its longtime home in Utah.
Organizers of the annual January festival last week announced they were exploring the idea of moving from its longtime home in Park City, Utah, and on Tuesday, Minneapolis City Council members, meeting as a committee, voiced unanimous support for trying to nab it. The council’s approval was needed so the city can sign what amounts to a confidentiality agreement with festival organizers before they can move ahead.
Mayor Jacob Frey supports exploring it. “Sundance and Minneapolis are an obvious and beautiful match,” Frey said in a statement. “We have a world-class arts and entertainment community, and a well-earned reputation for successfully hosting major events.”
The city, in collaboration with Meet Minneapolis and Film North, are planning to respond to the festival’s public request for information from suitors, Andrew Ballard, the city’s events manager, told City Council members Tuesday afternoon.
It’s unclear if the festival will move at all, but the festival’s growth over its 40 years in Park City during the height of the ski season has led to a chorus of complaints from local businesses, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Sundance is undertaking a two-step process, and this is step one: a request for information. Cities need to respond by May 1. It’s unclear how many other locales are trying.
If Sundance wants to take it to the next step, it will ask cities to submit a more detailed request for proposals starting May 7.
According to a statement from the festival:
