Organizers have hosted or partnered with more than 100 community events

Beloved actor Robert Redford’s brainchild, the Sundance Film Festival has strategically partnered with local Denver and Boulder events to build a community presence even before its first Colorado Festival in January.

After nearly 50 years of being rooted in Park City, Utah, the Sundance Film Festival moves to Boulder in 2027 for its 49th year. The dramatic shift in location demands shifts in the festival’s outreach approach as well, organizers said.

“From Boulder to Denver and beyond, our audience development efforts for the Sundance Film Festival’s debut in Colorado next January aim to foster community through collaborative partnerships,” said Jeff Levine, head of Audience Development & Experience, in an email to The Denver Gazette. “In the past year, we’ve co-presented or participated in more than 100 events, meetings, and gatherings to introduce the Festival to a wide range of organizations and individuals.

“It’s inspiring to see the enthusiasm for the Sundance Film Festival coming to Colorado.”

The event can no longer rely on a built-in audience base from its long-standing geographical ties and has announced promotional programming in the Denver/Boulder area to kickstart its inaugural festival. Partnering with local events, Sundance officials will hold various panels and movie screenings this summer to build anticipation and raise visibility among Coloradans, a press release said.

This past weekend, Kahlil Joseph’s 2025 film “BLKNWS: Terms and Conditions,” which first premiered at Sundance’s 2025 festival, was screened at the MCA Holiday Theater in Denver. The event included “a social hour, bookstore pop-up, and a post-film conversation,” at which Joseph himself was present, according to the release.

At Outside Days, in its second year in Denver this past weekend, Sundance hosted a screening of Tamra Davis’s film, “The Best Summer.” It also had a booth at the festival to spread information about the upcoming January event and establish community relationships.

In July, Red Rocks Amphitheatre will include Denver Film’s Film on the Rocks, which Sundance is partnering with: a screening of former Colorado Poet Laureate Andrea Gibson’s poetry set “Love Letters from the Afterlife,” and Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris’s “Little Miss Sunshine.” On the Sunshine event — which premiered at the 2006 Sundance Festival — the musical guest is DeVotchKa, who is on the soundtrack. Searchlight Pictures is also a partner.

Sundance Film Festival will also have a presence at several Denver and Boulder area Pride events. Throughout June, Sundance will have booths at Longmont Pride, Boulder Pridefest, and Denver Pridefest.

“Everything we’re building around Sundance Film Festival’s new chapter in Colorado is rooted in community,” said Paula DuPre’ Pesmen, managing director of Festival and Institute Operations, in an email to The Denver Gazette. “We want this cultural event to be a welcoming experience for people across Boulder, Denver, and beyond, using the power of storytelling, creativity, and shared experiences to bring people together.”

Sundance is clearly chasing this goal through increased presence in its soon-to-be home, but can the Boulder area accommodate it?

DuPre’ Pesman said Sundance is working with local officials to broaden “transportation options such as hotel shuttles and buses between Denver and Boulder, as well as local transit solutions that help residents and visitors move easily throughout the festival” to make the event feel as “accessible and welcoming” as possible.

Boulder will likely be at capacity during the festival, as the city recently created a Festival Lodging Rental License allowing homeowners to rent their properties for up to 29 days during the city-approved festival.

Given the city’s reputation for eccentricity and artistic inclination, residents are projected to welcome the film festivities.

Institute officials said they selected Boulder because of its “art community, open-minded culture accepting of filmmakers and access to the Rocky Mountains — as well as its ability to help the festival grow,” according to a 2025 Denver Gazette article. Overall, the city presents a ripe opportunity for growth and to add new flavor to Sundance’s culture.

“While the festival will be based in Boulder, we want people across the state to feel connected to the Sundance Film Festival and know there’s a place for them here,” DuPre’ Presman added. “Our hope is that it serves as a bridge between communities, bringing people together through a shared love of film, storytelling, and culture, and creating an experience that belongs to everyone.” 

Ticket information, and more on Sundance’s community events, can be found on its website festival.sundance.org.