Utah is well-known primarily for the rare natural scenery within the state’s borders. With awe-inspiring canyons, mountainous terrain, and dry deserts, it has one of the most unique landscapes of anywhere in the country. However, every year, Utah becomes known for something else entirely. The Sundance Resort, Park City, and Salt Lake City become one of the central spots for the film industry as the site of the Sundance Film Festival.
The Sundance Mountain Resort is widely considered one of the best ski resorts in America. It is based on Mount Timpanogos in the Wasatch Mountain Range, and with 44 ski runs, and 450 acres of skiable terrain, it is an expansive resort with a lot to offer. It is widely known not just for the film festival, but for the incredible lodging and hotel options, the luxury dining, and the Instagrammable views.
The resort’s legacy as a film hotspot stretches back to the late 1960s when Robert Redford acquired the area. Redford is one of the most notable actors of his generation, and he turned Sundance into a year-round resort and one of the most notable artistic hubs in Utah.
Redford founded the Sundance Institute in the early 1980s. Along with his partner Sterling Van Wagenen, he took over a quickly growing Utah film festival called the US Film and Video Festival. It was then renamed the Sundance Film Festival.
In the time since Sundance Film Festival was established, it rapidly grew to become the largest independent film festival in the United States. The film festival was created to highlight American films, showcase independent filmmakers, and call attention to the Utah film scene. It has done just that, and it brings in tens of thousands every year to its three locations in Salt Lake City, Park City, and Sundance.
The Film Festival has been the site of many major breakthroughs over the year, playing host to major Hollywood releases and independent, low-budget movies alike. Numerous directors and actors have experienced their stars’ rise due to a major Sundance showing. It is now a major Hollywood hotspot, with paparazzi, celebrity appearances, and more.
Sundance will constantly have major distributors present, hoping to find the next breakout hit independent film. It is a competitive, extensive process to reach the Sundance screen, but it can spell the start of a massive Hollywood career if one does. A-List filmmakers from Quentin Tarantino to Paul Thomas Anderson can attribute some of their initial success to Sundance’s platform.
In 2021, as a result of the global pandemic, Sundance went virtual for the first time. However, after a one-year in-person absence, Sundance is returning to Utah. The 2022 Sundance Film Festival will be a major event that brings thousands of film and art lovers to Utah. Taking place from January 20th-30th, it is one of the events of the year and shouldn’t be missed. Ticket packages will be on sale starting December 17th, and single film tickets will start being sold on January 6th. The program schedule will begin being announced on December 9th.
While it is unclear which films will be premiering, there are sure to be a wide range of significant releases at the festival. Most of the big films that premiere at Sundance are artistic, buzzy releases rather than major blockbusters. However, there will still certainly be top-tier Hollywood talent in front of and behind the camera for many of the movies shown.
Sundance is significant not just because of the platform it provides emerging filmmaking talent but also for the platform it provides Utah. Utah isn’t typically considered one of the primary artistic hubs in the United States, but Sundance makes it one of the most important places in the film industry every year.
Sundance brings in a massive number of tourists to the economy as well. With the primary venues all located in Salt Lake City, Park City and Sundance, it spreads the visitors across three different areas in the state. Sundance brings in as many as 50,000 tourists every year, giving a massive number of people a view into Utah life and all the great art you can find within the state.
After a year of virtual spectating, 2022 is the return of Sundance to where it belongs: Utah. It will be a major event that could lead to the emergence of the next great filmmaker and will be a vital showcase for the film industry as a whole.
