After four decades of launching independent films and discovering new voices, Sundance Film Festival is saying goodbye to Park City, Utah.
Amy Redford, daughter of festival founder Robert Redford, delivered an emotional farewell speech at this year’s welcome presser.
Her words weren’t just about moving venues — they were about honoring legacy, place, and the people who made magic possible.
And yes, she got a parking ticket on the way.
A Father’s Vision, A Festival’s Soul
Amy Redford opened her speech by recalling something her Oscar-winning father used to say.
Everyone has a story.
Those words, she explained, weren’t just casual wisdom — they became the heartbeat of Sundance Film Festival.
Robert Redford didn’t just create a festival. He built a platform where unknown filmmakers could share their vision with the world, where stories that might never see the light of day found their audience.
Amy, now a member of the Sundance Institute Board of Trustees, emphasized that Park City itself has been central to that mission.
Every place has a story, so let’s talk about this extraordinary place: Park City, UT.
Mountains, Perspective, and Gratitude
Throughout her speech, Amy Redford invited attendees to really see Park City — not just as a festival backdrop, but as a living, breathing community.
I invite you to look out and up when you can, these mountains have a funny way of adding perspective. Utah is the bedrock that allowed us to build.
She thanked the town for taking a chance on what she called “this crazy idea” four decades ago.
Park City didn’t just host Sundance. It embraced it, lending its streets, venues, and spirit to filmmakers from around the globe.
Amy urged journalists and attendees to pay attention to the locals — the servers, shopkeepers, residents who’ve supported the festival year after year.
Maybe when you eat your meals, walk the streets, get a parking ticket — like I did this afternoon — pay attention to the people who are serving you. There might just be a lot about Utah you don’t know.
Then she added something deeply personal.
My Dad loved this place and its people.
Boulder: The Next Chapter
Starting next year, Sundance will call Boulder, Colorado, home.
The festival secured a ten-year deal worth approximately $34 million in tax incentives, promising expanded accommodations and cinema spaces.
But Amy Redford was candid about what lies ahead.
This festival has found a new iteration, that will be exciting and imperfect and might feel like our beginnings 40 years ago.
She reassured attendees that despite the change in geography, Sundance’s mission remains unchanged.
We will ground our next chapter in the founding values Dad articulated on a single sheet of paper; if you’ve read them, they are simple and strong.
Those values? Championing independent voices. Discovering unknown filmmakers. Creating space for stories that challenge, provoke, and inspire.
Honoring the Unknowns
One of the most powerful moments in Amy’s speech came when she honored the festival’s true lifeblood: emerging filmmakers.
She gave a shoutout to the “shivering filmmakers who you’d never heard of…who might be the next one who will change the world.”
This wasn’t just poetic language. Over its 40-year history, Sundance has launched careers that reshaped cinema.
Think about it:
- Quentin Tarantino premiered Reservoir Dogs at Sundance
- The Blair Witch Project became a cultural phenomenon after screening there
- Directors like Ryan Coogler, Ava DuVernay, and Damien Chazelle all got early breaks at the festival
Amy concluded her tribute with words that perfectly captured her father’s ethos.
To seek the unknowns and find out who they are — it was really my Dad’s favorite part.
What This Means for Independent Film
Sundance’s move to Boulder signals both continuity and evolution.
Park City offered intimacy, mountain magic, and a scrappy underdog energy that matched the independent films it showcased. Boulder will bring new infrastructure, potentially larger audiences, and fresh opportunities.
But the heart of Sundance — the commitment to storytelling that matters — travels with it.
As Amy reminded everyone, places have stories too. Park City’s chapter with Sundance is closing, but its impact will echo through every film that found its voice on those snowy streets.
The 2025 Sundance Film Festival runs from January 22 through February 1 — Park City’s final curtain call before Boulder takes the stage.
If you’re there, take Amy’s advice: look up at those mountains, pay attention to the people around you, and remember that everyone has a story worth telling.