CINCINNATI — Weeks after Cincinnati made the short list of finalists in consideration to host the Sundance Film Festival, beginning in 2027, city council's budget and finance committee passed a motion Monday offering the festival $2.5 million "to show our commitment."
"City leaders have said they want Sundance, and now we’re putting our money where our mouth is," said council member Seth Walsh.
Council member Jeff Cramerding filed a motion on Oct. 23 suggesting the city allocate the funds from an estimated $14,859,008 remaining in the Capital Project Reserve.
The motion suggests providing the fund as a payment for the 10-year commitment that would be made by the festival if it were to move to Cincinnati. After that, city council will discuss forking over another $2.5 million for operating costs, meaning winning the event would cost $5 million for a festival that would span a decade.
According to the festival's 2023 economic impact report, the event is projected to bring dozens of new jobs to the city and generate at least $120 million annually in economic impact, totaling $1.2 billion over the 10 years the festival would operate here.
"That is on scale with what BLINK did for us a couple weekends ago," Walsh said in committee on Monday.
"This allocation is a 10-year commitment, allocated up front to show our commitment to the festival and to partner with the wider community in raising the necessary funds to make Sundance Film Festival a reality in Cincinnati," reads the motion.
The Sundance Institute announced on Sept. 12 that Cincinnati was one of three cities still in the running to host the festival in the future. The cities originally considered that didn't make the top three were: Atlanta, Georgia; Louisville, Kentucky; Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Now, Cincinnati is up against the festival's current home of Salt Lake City/Park City, Utah and Boulder, Colorado.
The festival's final decision will be announced sometime after the festival, held in January, concludes in 2025 — in late winter or early spring, the Sundance Institute said.
According to the release, the Sundance Institute assessed each applicant city's infrastructure, ethos and equity values, event-hosting capabilities and how each finalist city could sustainably serve and support the festival as it grows.
Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval and Kristen Schlotman, president and CEO of Film Cincinnati, issued a joint statement in the announcement from the Sundance Institute:
We are ecstatic to continue being considered as the next host city for the Sundance Film Festival. As long-time attendees, we believe Cincinnati’s dedication to the arts, hospitality, and historic theaters make it a great fit. We are inspired by the idea of partnering with the Sundance Institute to celebrate the festival's rich legacy while introducing a dynamic, walkable and accessible new venue. Cincinnati's blend of creativity, culture, and community promises to be an unforgettable experience for both filmmakers and audiences.
For 2025 and 2026, the festival is already slated to be held in Park City/Salt Lake City, Utah, where it's been held since it was started over 40 years ago.
In April, WCPO 9's sister station in Salt Lake City reported the film festival had announced it could move out of its longtime home.
"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 Sundance Film Festival and public programming, in a statement released by the Sundance Institute.
When Cincinnati made the initial list of six cities being considered, Pureval told the Sundance Institution that Film Cincinnati, a nonprofit dedicated to cultivating film and TV production in the region, uniquely positioned Cincinnati to be able to serve as a host for the Sundance Festival.
"For over a generation, with consistent support from the City of Cincinnati, Film Cincinnati has positioned the Cincinnati region as a go-to community for movies," said Pureval in the press release. "We know how to nurture creative talent and the skilled workers behind the scenes, and we know how to celebrate them when they are on the big screen. Easily accessible to so much of the US population, the Queen City is also a big league city for broader tourism, handling major events with professionalism and capacity. Both Cincinnati and the Sundance Film Festival are on the precipice for great change and we look forward to partnering and evolving together."
The Sundance Film Festival is part of the Sundance Institute, which was founded by Robert Redford in 1981 to support, sustain and discover independent filmmakers and storytellers. The festival just celebrated its 40th year in 2023. The festival took over what was then known as the Utah/U.S. Film Festival.
The Sundance Film Festival is typically held each year in January. The festival has featured films and episodic works like "Won't You Be My Neighbor?," "Little Miss Sunshine," "Reservoir Dogs," "Hereditary" and more.
Local Excitement
Popcorn isn't the only thing popping at the Mariemont Theatre — the excitement is too.
"We're so excited about this," said Diane Janicki, events coordinator with the Theatre Management Corporation. It operates the Esquire, Mariemont and Kenwood theaters.
"Being a locally-owned, independent theater, we have that ability to really tailor what we show to what the community has requested, and that is what we've always tried to do," Janicki said.
Janicki has worked for the company for more than two decades, going from the concession stand to the corporate office. She said the magic of the movie theater is what has kept her from working elsewhere.
"It's a communal experience. It's something that we've forgotten about experiencing together as a society," she said.
While the film's creators and actors drive a lot of the excitement, Janicki is excited to see an additional focus on the exhibitors.
There are independent films screened at the theater every day. You can view the full listing here.
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