Shutterstock / Fer Gregorys
Months after the Santa Fe Film Office put in a bid to become the future host of the Sundance Film Festival, Sundance officials announced Thursday morning the City Different will not be named as one of the three finalists in the search for a new home base city.
Santa Fe Film Office Director Jennifer LaBar-Tapia tells SFR she’s “extremely disappointed” that the joint efforts from the office, local, state and national leadership did not pan out for the city to become the future host of the festival.
“We gave it our best shot and we put our best foot forward,” LaBar-Tapia says. “We answered everything they needed, and we had a ton of support from all levels.”
Narrowed down from a pool of 90 cities, Boulder, Colorado; Cincinnati, Ohio; and Salt Lake City, Utah remain in the running. Sundance has called Park City, Utah, home since its 1978 founding, though its Sundance Film Institute governing body announced earlier this year its search for a new home after 2026. The final decision is slated for an announcement in the first quarter of 2025, according to the organization’s news release.
Sundance officials assessed potential host sites on ethos and equity values, infrastructure and capabilities to host the festival, in addition to demonstrating ways in which the cities would “continue to foster the diverse Sundance community and inspire the next generation of independent filmmakers,” according to a Sept. 12 news release from the organization.
Yet “all hope is not lost” for Santa Fe, LaBar-Tapia notes, as the potential for future collaborations between Sundance and the city remains. When officials called to inform her of the decision, she says, they told her the city “knocked it out of the park” in its efforts.
“The selection committee was in awe of Santa Fe when they were here. They’re still buzzing about the trip, and that was nearly a month ago,” LaBar-Tapia says. “I don’t know what the deciding factor was as to why we didn’t get to the final three, but they did say that they’re looking forward to seeing how Santa Fe could be a fit with Sundance in another way.”
State and local leadership echoed those sentiments. In a statement on the outcome, Mayor Alan Webber thanked LaBar-Tapia and others who “gave it their all” in the bid to become the host site.
“They just opened the envelope, and Santa Fe didn’t get the Oscar from the Sundance Film Festival—disappointing!” Webber says in the statement. “But we did get nominated, and we put on a great show…Santa Fe should be proud.”
In another statement provided to SFR, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signaled New Mexico’s efforts to support the film industry are far from over.
“We’re proud that Santa Fe was named as a finalist in the search for a new home for the legendary Sundance Film Festival. New Mexico’s spectacular beauty, thriving arts and culture and world-class film industry make it an ideal destination for filmmakers and audiences alike,” Lujan Grisham said. “We will continue to explore opportunities to attract film events and initiatives that showcase our state’s creativity and innovation.”
