The local arts and culture scene generates about $177 million in economic activity, according to a new study presented by the Arts Council of Park City & Summit County.

The Arts Council partnered with Americans for the Arts, a nonprofit organization committed to advancing the arts and arts education, to participate in the Arts & Economic Prosperity Study for the first time. The study, in its sixth iteration, is intended to demonstrate the significant economic and social benefits of arts and culture in local communities across the nation. It represented 373 regions across all 50 states and Puerto Rico.

Jocelyn Scudder, the executive director of the Arts Council, said the nonprofit collected data from more than 750 events and at least 20 organizations in Summit County to document the industry’s contributions. About 59% of visitors were nonlocal compared to 41% residents.

“So what this study does, especially since it was so widely and broadly surveyed, it helps out community better understand the contributions of arts and culture from this economic and social benefit perspective, and supports our local advocacy efforts for increased investments,” Scudder said. “Arts and culture is truly a critical piece of life here in Summit County for both residents and visitors.”

Summit County added $176.8 million to the local economy through arts and culture events in 2022, bringing in more than $6.5 million in local tax revenue and supporting 2,000 jobs. Thousands of volunteers also donated 46,000 hours of time to 20 Summit County organizations, valued at an estimated $1.4 million.

Jake McIntyre, a data specialist for the Arts Council, explained that’s about 17% of the total industry spend in Utah. 

Attendees in Summit County spent around $84 per person per event on average, with tourists usually spending more than locals. The cost doesn’t include the cost of admission or data from the Sundance Film Festival. The film festival alone generated $126 million in visitor spending in 2023, skewing the overall data.

To compare, Salt Lake City generates about $512 million in economic activity while Salt Lake County creates $593 million. Arts and culture brings in about $31 million in Cache County and $13 million in Davis County. 

Around 75% of arts and culture attendees in Summit County said they would feel a great sense of loss if the activity or venue were no longer available, and 85% said the event promoted a sense of pride in the neighborhood. Almost 70% agreed the facility where they were surveyed is an important community pillar.

Scudder said the data shows Summit County is outpacing communities in similar areas or with comparable populations, opening up the potential for further economic activity.

“I think the biggest takeaways for me and for the Arts Council generally is, first of all, our local arts and culture organizations are powerhouses in this community. They contribute not only to the social well being of our community, but are also economic drivers here in Summit County,” she said.

The post New study reveals Summit County arts boost local economy more than Savannah, Boulder appeared first on Park Record.

Sundance Film Festival officials visited the state early in the week as they continue to consider whether to move the event elsewhere.

The Utah Film Commission released limited information about the visit. The bid to keep the festival in the state involves what is described as a “reimagined footprint” in Park City and Salt Lake City. The vision is “Two Cities, One Experience, preserving the legacy of the Park City experience while expanding the Salt Lake City footprint,” a statement from the Utah Film Commission said. It has previously been known that sort of vision for the festival was under discussion in the state.

The festival representatives stopped at prospective venues, theaters and restaurants.

“The group emphasized its unique ability to offer a blend of urban and natural environments, supported by robust infrastructure and a deep connection to the arts,” the statement said.

The statement did not provide details about the Sundance contingent’s stop in Park City, including which venues they were shown and which representatives from City Hall or other organizations in Park City addressed the festival officials.

The Utah Film Commission released a prepared statement from Mayor Nann Worel saying in part there is a need to “reimagine our future together.” 

City Hall and Sundance have an agreement that covers the festivals through 2026. The festivals in 2025 and 2026 are slated to be held as normal. Any relocation of Sundance, or an alteration to the event with Salt Lake City having a greater role, would begin with the event in 2027.

Sundance is expected to select a host sometime in early 2025, but a precise timeline is not known.

The other finalists:

• Atlanta
• Boulder, Colorado
• Cincinnati, Ohio
• Louisville, Kentucky
• Santa Fe, New Mexico

There have been limited details released about the bid by Park City and Salt Lake City. The dollar figure attached to the proposal from Park City and Salt Lake City, and the funding sources for any financial package, remain two of the key unknowns. A precise map of the venues in the proposal is also not known, but the heavy involvement of Salt Lake City seems to point to the possibility of a reduced footprint in Park City as activities are shifted to the capital city. The Salt Lake City footprint during the festival has traditionally been of much lesser scale than what occurs in Park City during Sundance.

The Sundance visits to the finalist cities have been ongoing. Media coverage has included highlights from the stops in Louisville and Atlanta.

Park City hopes to retain Sundance, even if the community’s role is reduced, with the festival being the most lucrative event on the calendar. The lodging, restaurant and transportation industries typically post some of the best numbers of the year during the 11 days of Sundance, with the opening weekend usually being especially busy in and around Park City.

There is also the cachet of hosting one of the top marketplaces of independent film on the international circuit, alongside festivals like those in Cannes, France, Venice, Italy, Toronto and Berlin.

The post Sundance contingent visits state as selection process for festival future continues appeared first on Park Record.

Park City and Salt Lake City have crafted a bid to keep the Sundance Film Festival in the state, likely involving financial inducements and other carrots.

But the Arts Council of Park City and Summit County wants to also show Sundance what the event has meant to the community over the decades. The group has drafted a questionnaire that inquires about someone’s experience with the festival.

The two key questions:

• “Tell us your Sundance Film Festival Story! What has opened your eyes, changed your mind or your heart? Have you connected with someone new or unexpected? Tell us how having the Festival in Park City impacted you positively!”
• “Are there any places in the Park City area that you have great Sundance memories of? Tell us about that place and what makes it special?”

It was not clear early in the week whether the answers will be made public.

“We are looking for stories about how the Sundance Film Festival in Park City has impacted lives and what makes this event special to our community, volunteers, film makers and visitors,” the questionnaire says.

The open-ended nature of the questions could solicit a wide range of answers in praise of Sundance as well as those critical of the festival’s impact on the community. There have long been Sundance supporters and detractors in Park City. The supporters see the festival as an opportunity for Park City crowds to watch some of the best works of independent film before they are widely distributed and point to the economic impact of the festival, which is the most lucrative event on the calendar in the community. The detractors, though, bemoan the traffic, parking restrictions and crowds the festival brings to Park City.

The questionnaire was posted amid a high-stakes process by Sundance as it considers whether to move the event elsewhere. City Hall and Sundance have an agreement that covers festivals through 2026, and the 2025 and 2026 events are scheduled as normal. Any move would begin with the event in 2027.

A combined effort between Park City and Salt Lake City, with the capital city envisioned as having a greater role in hosting Sundance, has advanced to another phase of the selection process. The others that advanced are Atlanta; Boulder, Colorado; Cincinnati, Ohio; Louisville, Kentucky; and Santa Fe, New Mexico. Site visits by Sundance officials are underway. Trips to some of the other finalist communities have drawn media attention.

Sundance is the top marketplace of independent films in the U.S. and one of the elite festivals on the international circuit. It generates some of the best economic numbers of the year in Park City sectors like the lodging, restaurant and transportation industries.

The questionnaire is available online at: https://tinyurl.com/es3pwzzz.

The post Sundance stories sought amid continued effort to retain festival appeared first on Park Record.

The future of the Sundance Film Festival has become politicized in one of the states attempting to lure the event.

In a move that spotlights the high level of interest elsewhere in a relocation of the festival from Park City, a U.S. Senate candidate in New Mexico in July drafted a letter to Sundance leaders in support of the Santa Fe bid. The New Mexico capital is one of six finalists for the festival.

Nella Domenici, a Republican, addressed her letter to Sundance founder Robert Redford and Amanda Kelso, who is the acting CEO of Sundance. The two-page correspondence was written on campaign letterhead and addresses the advancement of the economy and culture.

“As part of this visioning activity, I wanted to share that I see a unique and creatively rich opportunity in joining the forces of New Mexico’s emerging media community with the Sundance brand and festival,” she wrote.

“New Mexico showcases a broad range of scenic beauty and diverse landscapes for film settings and locations,” the letter continued. Santa Fe “has ideal venues for performance, presentation and exhibition ….”

The candidate wrote about “a growing reputation as a hub for the film and technology industries” and noted New Mexico has a “long history of hosting major film productions.”

“New Mexico’s tapestry of culture is also something that can provide an invaluable fresh perspective and context for a next generation of storytellers,” Domenici wrote.

She also discussed the role technology plays in the arts.

“We already have cutting edge supercomputing at our national laboratories, and we have a community of innovative companies exploring how technologies can be applied for a new generation of artistic-empowered experiences,” she wrote .

The incumbent Democrat in the contest in New Mexico, Sen. Martin Heinrich, also briefly addressed the Santa Fe bid for Sundance.

“Santa Fe is an authentic, vibrant, and world renowned artistic community. It would be the perfect place to host the @sundancefest, particularly with aligned commitments to inclusivity and sustainability. Very pleased to see Santa Fe selected as a finalist,” he said in a social media posting in July.

It is unlikely the future of Sundance will become a key issue in the Senate campaign in New Mexico, but the correspondence to festival organizers from Domenici and the posting by Heinrich show the attention the festival has garnered across political stripes.

Sen. Raphael Warnock, a Democrat from Georgia, in June touted the bids of three cities in that state — Atlanta, Savannah and Athens — in a letter to Sundance.

Information has trickled out across the country in recent months as communities publicized their interest in becoming the film festival host. Sundance in July narrowed the field to six finalists:

• Park City and Salt Lake City in a combined bid
• Atlanta
• Boulder, Colorado
• Cincinnati, Ohio
• Louisville, Kentucky
• Santa Fe

A Sundance contingent is visiting the finalist cities, but the organization on Thursday declined to provide details. It is not known whether the visit to Park City and Salt Lake City has occurred. Media coverage in Louisville indicated Sundance officials visited midweek, while coverage in Atlanta reported their Sundance visit occurred earlier in the week.

City Hall and Sundance have an agreement that covers festivals through 2026. The events in 2025 and 2026 are scheduled to be staged in the traditional manner. Any relocation of the festival, or a reimagining with Salt Lake City holding an expanded role, would begin with the event in 2027.

Sundance is the top marketplace of independent films in the United States and one of the elite festivals on the international circuit. It is also the most lucrative special event on the Park City calendar.

The post Sundance future politicized in Senate campaign in New Mexico appeared first on Park Record.

Sundance Film Festival organizers on Friday said a combined effort between Park City and Salt Lake City advanced to another phase of the selection process as Sundance considers whether to move the event from its longtime location in Park City.

Sundance said six places advanced. The other five:

• Atlanta

• Boulder, Colorado

• Cincinnati, Ohio

• Louisville, Kentucky

• Santa Fe, New Mexico

Sundance said members of a selection committee plan to visit the finalists shortly. It also said the evaluation process that narrowed the field included assessments of infrastructure, equity values and the capability to stage events.

“Each finalist was required to demonstrate how they would welcome and continue to foster the diverse Sundance community and culture of independent creativity that is an integral part of the Institute and Festival experience,” Sundance said.

The Utah Host Committee leading the efforts crafted a concept for the future of the festival that expands the footprint outside of Park City, dubbed “Two Cities. One Experience.” The vision essentially calls for Salt Lake City having a larger role in the festival than it currently has in staging the top marketplace of independent films in the United States and one of the top festivals on the international circuit.

“We’ve been fortunate to host the Sundance Film Festival and witness some of the greatest films made over the past 40 years. And now, we are committed to working in partnership on a new vision of ‘Two Cities, One Experience’ with a shared goal of reinvigorating the Festival with an even greater tradition for storytelling over the next 40 years. At the heart of our proposal is a commitment to ensuring it remains an inspiring showcase of independent film, bringing together audiences and creators from all walks of life,” said Mayor Nann Worel, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall and Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson in a statement.

The Utah Host Committee said the concept “will provide opportunities to utilize additional venues and reach new audiences.”

“This new vision also offers new ways to secure and expand upon the approximately $4 million in financial assistance the festival currently receives from government entities, as well as the $2 million in cash and in-kind support from local, corporate, foundation and individual donors,” the statement said.

The statement, though, did not provide details about any financial package that is part of the submittal to Sundance. There has been limited information about the financials released by the Utah committee even as some of the other places that are seeking the event have publicized numbers.

City Hall and Sundance have an agreement that covers festivals through 2026. The events in 2025 and 2026 are scheduled to be staged as normal. Any relocation of the festival, or a reimagining with Salt Lake City holding an expanded role, would begin with the event in 2027.

Sundance is the most lucrative event on Park City’s calendar, and City Hall leaders and the tourism industry want to keep the festival in the community, even if the role is smaller under a new concept.

“‘Two Cities, One Experience’ leverages what has worked for the last 40 years with our dedicated funding assistance, our amazing volunteers, and of course this world-class venue we call home,” Worel said in a statement. “From the beginning, this has been an all-hands-on-deck approach to keep Sundance in Utah and that is reflected in this exciting new vision.”

Eugene Hernandez, the Sundance Film Festival director, spoke in broad terms Thursday about the process.

“Now, after months of more private conversations as our committee has been meeting with governors, mayors, local officials, film commissioners and arts advocates, we’ve had a chance to evaluate the many pitches that have come from around the country,” he said. “And it’s really exciting for us in all seriousness to like be at this stage of the process so we can go visit and have those conversations openly. That’s the next vital stage.”

Scene Editor Scott Iwasaki contributed to this report.

The post Park City advances in Sundance selection process with combined effort with Salt Lake City appeared first on Park Record.

It seemed almost certain it would take a package of inducements worth millions of dollars for a community to land the Sundance Film Festival.

Media coverage this week in Minnesota highlights another place attempting to lure the festival with a seven-digit or even an eight-digit financial package.

The Star Tribune in Minneapolis indicated a host committee there is readying a financial package that is valued at around $2 million each year. The host committee includes politicians and corporate figures from firms like Target and Best Buy, the newspaper reported.

Information about the financial packages offered by places seeking to host the festival has slowly been publicized in media across the country, as governments in the various places debate the numbers.

The interest by Minneapolis in hosting Sundance has been known since the spring, and the city advanced to another stage in the selection process. A Minneapolis City Council committee in April authorized staffers to respond to a Sundance call for places to signal their interest in becoming the festival host.

The mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey, at that time noted the city has “a world-class arts and entertainment community, and a well-earned reputation for successfully hosting major events.” The effort also includes Meet Minneapolis and Film North.

Minneapolis joins other cities in moving through the current round of the selection process. They include Boulder, Colorado, and Atlanta. Officials in those two places have offered seven-figure incentive packages, should the festival relocate. Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Nashville, Tennessee, are also under consideration, according to recent media coverage.

Even as information trickles out elsewhere, little is known about the Park City effort to retain Sundance, the most lucrative event on the community’s calendar. City Hall has declined to discuss details of the bid for Sundance, though it seems almost certain the effort involves other jurisdictions alongside Park City. The dollar figures involved, how a package of inducements would be funded, and the logistical concept for the festival if it remains in the community are not known.

It is not clear when Park City may publicize details of the bid and whether they would ever be released if Sundance selects another community as the festival host. The details of a package of inducements would need to be made public if they are put to the Park City Council or another body of elected officials for a vote, though. That may not occur until a final step.

Park City and Sundance have an agreement that covers festivals through 2026. The festivals in 2025 and 2026 are scheduled to be staged as normal. Any relocation of Sundance, or a reimagining of the festival in and around Park City, would begin with the event in 2027.

Sundance is one of the top marketplaces of independent films on the international circuit and it brings some of the largest crowds of the year to Park City. The lodging, restaurant and transportation sectors typically enjoy some of their best numbers annually during Sundance.

The post Minneapolis offers millions of dollars in inducements for Sundance to relocate from Park City appeared first on Park Record.

There is more becoming known about the cast of cities seeking the Sundance Film Festival.

Media reports this week point to efforts by Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Nashville, Tennessee, to become the host city of the festival, the top marketplace of independent films in the U.S.

The media coverage in Santa Fe and Nashville provided limited details about the bids by those two communities, but the information is notable with Sundance itself providing almost no information as it continues the selection process.

The effort by Santa Fe is likely not a surprise to those who follow Sundance. The capital of New Mexico is one of the nation’s top arts destinations and has the infrastructure that would be needed to stage Sundance. There has been scattered chatter for years, long before the current process, about Santa Fe perhaps someday becoming the Sundance host.

Nashville, another state capital, also offers the infrastructure required by Sundance. It has a thriving arts scene, and the music scene stretches beyond the country genre for which it is known.

The information about the work by Santa Fe and Nashville follows shortly after bids by Boulder, Colorado, and Atlanta received publicity. Officials in Colorado and Atlanta have crafted seven-figure incentive packages for Sundance, should the festival relocate.

Park City is mounting a bid to keep Sundance in its longtime location. The festival is the most lucrative event on the community’s calendar, with the lodging, restaurant and transportation industries usually enjoying some of the best numbers of the year during Sundance.

City Hall has declined to provide details about the submittal to Sundance and recently declined to provide comment regarding the total dollar value of the proposal, the parties that contributed to the proposal, and the mechanism to fund the proposal.

Park City and Sundance have an agreement that covers festivals through 2026, and the 2025 and 2026 editions are planned to be held as normal. Any relocation of the festival would begin with the 2027 event.

The post Sundance courted by Santa Fe, Nashville appeared first on Park Record.

City Hall early in the week declined to provide details about Park City’s submittal to Sundance Film Festival organizers as they consider whether to move the event to another community, opting to guard key points in the bid while at least a couple of other competitors have released some information.

Communities that earlier advanced to another stage in the process were required to submit proposals to Sundance by Friday. City Hall on Monday stayed close to the vest with the submittal from Park City. The municipal government declined to provide comment regarding:

• The total dollar value of the proposal through direct payments, value in-kind, discounted lodging incentives or any other unspecified categories of incentives offered in the submittal.

• The parties that contributed to the proposal’s total dollar value.

• The mechanism to fund the proposal.

“We will not be sharing details … such as these figures,” the municipal government said in a prepared statement, adding that “Sundance has stipulated confidentiality” through the process.

The statement also said the municipal government wants to “maintain our competitive edge.”

“We believe our history with the festival, strong partnerships across the region, and world-class natural assets have allowed us to put forward a compelling case that the festival should remain in Utah,” the statement also said.

The municipal government, meanwhile, did not immediately render a decision on a Park Record request under state open-records laws for the release of the submittal to Sundance. City Hall in May turned down a Park Record request seeking the release of an earlier submittal to Sundance regarding the selection process, citing negotiations protected from public release and Sundance’s insistence on confidentiality with potential host communities.

The submittal involves some sort of consortium from the tourism industry in the community and elsewhere in the region. A group known as the Utah Sundance Film Festival Host Committee involves government figures as well as tourism officials, business executives and the state film commission. Park City business groups and the two mountain resorts in Park City are also involved.

The process is underway even as Sundance continues to prepare to hold the festival in Park City in 2025. City Hall and Sundance have an agreement covering festivals through 2026. The 2025 and 2026 editions are planned as normal. Any relocation of the festival would begin with the 2027 event.

Sundance is by a wide margin the most lucrative event on Park City’s calendar, with the lodging, restaurant and transportation industries typically enjoying some of the best numbers of the year.

Information is emerging from elsewhere in the country as communities that advanced in the selection process outline their submittals to Sundance.

The Colorado Economic Development Commission agreed to a onetime $1.5 million incentive within a broader package of inducements to relocate the festival to Boulder, Colorado. The government in Atlanta and partners have readied a package valued at $2 million with other in-kind support included.

The post Park City guards key points of bid to continue hosting Sundance appeared first on Park Record.

Sundance Institute officials appeared at the Marsac Building on Thursday for a talk with Mayor Nann Worel and the Park City Council.

The meeting, though, was most notable for a topic that went unmentioned.

There is often a briefing involving Park City leaders and Sundance in the months after the January festival and as organizers are readying the plans for the event the next year. The meeting on Thursday, however, was also held as Sundance is continuing to consider whether the festival will relocate to another community starting with the 2027 edition.

Neither Sundance nor the Park City officials on Thursday broached the ongoing selection process of a host city. It is a high-stakes time for both sides. Sundance wants to ensure its decision about a host city fits best for the future of the festival, while Park City is attempting to keep Sundance — the most lucrative event on the community’s calendar — in its longtime location.

The Utah Sundance Film Festival Host Committee in May indicated it had advanced to a next step in the selection process. Little is known about the details of the proposal and whether it seeks to keep the logistics of Sundance largely as they have been or whether there is the possibility of a recasting of the event. The list of other communities that advanced to a next step is not known, but there has been interest expressed publicly from places across the U.S.

Important sectors of the Park City economy normally post strong numbers during Sundance. The festival is usually busy for the lodging, restaurant and transportation industries as large crowds of film-industry figures and film lovers arrive in Park City.

The elected officials on Thursday provided limited comments about the festival held in January or other Sundance-related topics. City Councilor Jeremy Rubell spoke of Sundance being part of the Park City community while Bill Ciraco, another member of the City Council, talked about the strength of the Sundance brand. City Councilor Ed Parigian suggested Park City may have been too quiet during this year’s Sundance.

The Sundance officials on Thursday also provided a preview of an annual report that tracks the economic impact of the festival. The full report is expected to be released later in the year. Sundance said this year’s festival generated $132 million in economic impact, an increase of 11.6% from 2023.

The full report usually includes numerous data points illustrating the economics of Sundance and highlighting the demographics of the festival attendees. 

Sundance, the top marketplace of independent films in the U.S. and one of the elite festivals on the international circuit, is continuing a comeback from the pandemic-forced cancellations of two consecutive in-person festivals, in 2021 and 2022. The event was moved online in both of the years.

Sundance officials often return to City Hall later in a year for more talks as they finalize the logistical details of the festival that will be held in the following January. 

The post Sundance, Park City meet but avoid talk of festival’s future appeared first on Park Record.

Sundance Film Festival officials are expected to appear at the Marsac Building on Thursday with plans to cover topics like highlights from the event in January and to provide a preview of an upcoming economic report.

But the meeting with Mayor Nann Worel and the Park City Council is scheduled at a time of high drama as Sundance continues to consider whether it will relocate the festival — the most lucrative event on the Park City calendar — to another community.

Sundance and Park City leaders typically hold a debriefing session like the one scheduled on Thursday, but there’s heightened interest this year from Parkites and businesses.

Sundance on Tuesday did not address the process of selecting a host city for the festival in a prepared statement requested by The Park Record in anticipation of the City Council meeting. The organization has said it does not intend to make additional public statements about the selection process until later.

The Utah Film Commission in May, speaking on behalf of the Utah Sundance Film Festival Host Committee, indicated the effort to continue to stage Sundance had cleared a step in the process.

The discussion between Park City and Sundance on Thursday will occur while Sundance is collecting proposals from communities selected to advance into the current phase. The submission deadline for proposals is June 21. Sundance anticipates announcing their selection of a host in the fourth quarter of 2024 or the first quarter of 2025.

Details of the work by City Hall and others involved in the effort to retain Sundance are not known. The municipal government in May turned down a Park Record request under state open-records laws seeking the release of an earlier submittal to Sundance regarding the selection process, citing negotiations protected from public release and Sundance’s insistence on confidentiality with potential host communities. It is believed the various parties involved in the effort are crafting a package of financial and other inducements to present to Sundance.

It is also not known what other communities have advanced to the current stage. Places across the U.S. early on publicly expressed interest in becoming the host of Sundance, but like Park City are not saying much if anything publicly.

Sundance and City Hall have an agreement that covers festivals through 2026, and the 2025 and 2026 editions are planned as normal. Any relocation of the festival would begin with the 2027 event.

The festival is regarded as one of the top marketplaces of independent films on the global circuit and draws an international crowd to Park City. Sundance is typically financially rewarding for the lodging, restaurant and transportation sectors.

The Sundance appearance at the Marsac Building on Thursday is expected to center on the event that held in January. Park City officials and Sundance usually spend a limited amount of time on any one topic at the debriefing, with the possibility of more detailed discussion later. There is the possibility operational issues could be broached, however. The elected officials will accept public input about Sundance on Thursday.

The meeting is scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. at the Marsac Building. More information about the meeting is available on the municipal website, www.parkcity.org. The direct link to the meeting materials is: https://parkcity.org/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/39634/15.

The post Sundance plans appearance in Park City amid high drama about festival future appeared first on Park Record.