Why Is Minnesota Now Out Of Hosting The Sundance Film Festival?
Well, that was quick. Just a couple of weeks after applying, Minnesota is now out of the running to host this famous film festival.
The Sundance Film Festival has been an annual event held each January for over 40 years out in Park City, Utah. Earlier this year, the festival announced it had opened bids for other cities to host the festival beginning in 2027. Minnesota's largest city of Minneapolis had applied, but is now out of the running-- and we think we now know why.
The Sundance Film Festival is put on the Sundance Institute, which was founded in 1981 by actor Robert Redford. And every year in January, the Sundance Film Festival 'introduces a global audience to groundbreaking work and emerging talent in independent film,' its website notes. And while it's been hosted every year in Park City, Utah, Sundance said it was 'welcoming bids for a potential new home starting in January 2027.'
And earlier this month, the city of Minneapolis said it was one of 15 cities vying to host the festival. This MPR story said the Minnesota proposal included 'Corporate and nonprofit support from Target, Best Buy and U.S. Bancorp, as well as the McKnight Foundation and Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies.'
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But just a few days ago, Minneapolis got word that it was NOT moving on to the next round of qualifying cities and was officially out of the running, as KSTP noted in this story. But just what sunk the Bold North's bid? We haven't heard specifically, but here's the criteria upon which the Sundance Institute was apparently judging the contending cities, according to US News & World Report:
- Infrastructure
- Accessibility
- Event venues
- Logistical capabilities
- Alignment with Sundance's values
Reading through that list, I'm more puzzled about just why Minneapolis didn't make the cut. Minnesota would seem to check most of those boxes if you ask me. Heck, we even passed the rigorous vetting of the NFL and were allowed to host Super Bowl LII back in February 2018, right?
Perhaps there IS one reason we can't change: Our cold and snowy winter weather. While January 2024 didn't see much snow or cold temperatures, that's not the norm here in the North Star State. And while there was no official word, it's possible extreme cold or snow could impact the categories of 'accessibility' and 'logistical capabilities,' though I'm only speculating.
But my anti-cold weather theory is somewhat supported by this tongue-in-cheek Vulture story which notes that Minnesota's winter weather is even colder than the chilly Utah weather in January. That theory doesn't completely hold, however, seeing as the Park City area is home to several big ski resorts, which mean festival organizers are familiar with cold and snow-- so why not Minnesota?
Either way, here are the six cities that beat Minneapolis and will be moving on to the final selection phase:
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Boulder, Colorado
- Cincinnati, Ohio
- Louisville, Kentucky
- Park City/Salt Lake City, Utah
- Santa Fe, New Mexico
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