Sundance Film Festival eyes move to Ohio after 'Superman' wraps filming

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- After a new Superman movie filmed in Ohio, a prestigious film festival that has taken place annually in Utah for more than 40 years is considering moving to the Buckeye State.

Cincinnati is among the six U.S. cities that could begin hosting the Sundance Film Festival starting in 2027, the festival's parent organization, the Sundance Institute, announced this month. Film Cincinnati President Kristen Schlotman said in a news conference on July 19 that the institute is searching for a long-term host city and that the next step in the selection process is a site visit.

"They're looking for a city that is ready to go, they're looking for a city that is right on the precipice of transformational change that will be catalyzed by bringing Sundance's brand here," Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval said at the conference. "Cincinnati, I think, is the obvious and natural choice."

Gov. Mike DeWine has also voiced his support, arguing that the state is "an ideal location of entertainment production" when announcing on Monday $36.7 million in state tax credits were awarded to projects in Ohio. These include 14 feature films, one TV miniseries, one TV series and one Broadway production which are expected to create around 500 jobs, nearly $122 million in eligible expenditures, and $150 million in total expenses.

"Both Cincinnati and Ohio pride ourselves on being a world-class destination where movies are made and celebrated," DeWine said. "And whatever the entertainment is -- creative, cultural, or sports -- Cincinnati is known for being a city that knows how to do big things. We love to roll out the red carpet and will do the same for a festival as iconic as Sundance."

The announcement came as a new DC Studies movie titled simply "Superman" concluded a several-week stint of filming in Ohio, shooting in Cleveland beginning in June and wrapping in Cincinnati in July. The crew shot in the cities' most iconic locations, including Cleveland's Public Square and Progressive Field and Cincinnati's Union Terminal.

The movie received $11,091,686 in tax credits, according to an Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit application filed under the project's code name, "Genesis." DC's Ohio-related expenses were also projected to exceed $36 million, which makes up about 10% of the movie’s total budget of more than $363 million. The film is directed and written by American filmmaker James Gunn and started filming on Feb. 29.

Sundance's 2025 and 2026 festival will continue in partnership with Park City, Utah, where the organization is headquartered and has served as the festival's home since its founding in 1978. However, the festival's contract with Park City is up for renewal in 2027, and the institute announced in April it would begin searching for new, viable locations.

Given Sundance's long-standing relationship with Utah, Salt Lake City is among the six locations on the organization's shortlist which also includes Atlanta; Boulder, Colorado; Louisville, Kentucky; and Santa Fe, New Mexico.

"We are in a unique moment for our festival and our global film community, and with the contract up for renewal, this exploration allows us to responsibly consider how we best continue sustainably serving our community while maintaining the essence of the festival experience," said Eugene Hernandez, director of the festival.

The institute said it will make its decision by early next year. Should the festival move to Cincinnati, Schlotman said Sundance would maintain its 10-day program and could sprawl throughout the city from Over-the-Rhine to downtown to The Banks along the Ohio River.

"These are buildings that we have preserved that are world-renowned and beautiful," Schlotman said. "Why not be in those buildings watching movies with the rest of the world?"

Sundance boasted 138,050 in-person attendees and 285,184 virtual attendees in 2023, for a total viewership of more than 423,000. The institute also reported $118.3 million in Utah gross domestic product from last year's festival, along with 1,608 new jobs for residents, $63 million in wages and $12.8 million in state and local tax revenue.

The festival is known for showcasing high-profile independent movies and has previously boosted filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson and Wes Anderson. Celebrities are also known to attend, like last year when Glenn Powell, Camila Cabello, Sebastian Stan, Chrissy Teigen, Saoirse Ronan, and Kieran Culkin walked the festival's carpet.