Utah Gov. Spencer Cox walked the press line for the Sundance Film Festival premiere of “Train Dreams” at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday night. “It’s going to be an amazing festival, 41 years of Sundance here in Utah,” Cox said. “I think this is going to be the best one ever.”

Utah leaders, locals and longtime attendees of the Sundance Film Festival are making their final push to keep the world-renowned independent film festival in the state as its directors consider uprooting it.

Gov. Spencer Cox and other Utah elected officials welcomed the 2025 Sundance Film Festival Saturday night. They attended a screening of “Train Dreams" directed by Clint Bentley.

Utah's challengers are reportedly offering strong incentives to lure the event out of the Beehive State. Colorado lawmakers, for example, are looking to offer up to $34 million in tax incentives for a festival that sells over 100,000 tickets and brings in more than 10,000 out-of-state visitors, the Durango Herald reported.

Park City and Salt Lake City are continuing to guard many of the details of the bid to retain the Sundance Film Festival in the state. But the governor of Utah and the leader of the Park City Chamber/Bureau have recently entered the scene with limited information.

Sundance is considering three finalists for a new 10-year contract: a dual bid of Park City and Salt Lake City, Boulder, Colorado, and Cincinnati, Ohio. The nonprofit announced in April 2024 it was considering a move, citing financial pressures and a lack of accessibility in Park City.

A festival attendee, left, and security guard, right, stand outside the Egyptian Theatre following a film screening inside the theater on Main Street during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City ...

While the Sundance Film Festival mulls a big move for 2027 , the 2025 program is under way. The event’s 41st edition kicked off January 23 in Utah, and you can look below for all of Deadline’s reviews from the fest so far.

Access to the Sundance Film Festival doesn’t require a trip to Park City, Utah anymore; Just an internet connection.

Sundance Film Festival carried on this year despite wildfires that greatly affected the entertainment industry.

Amid a number of thin, depressing movies at this year’s edition of the Utah festival, a pair of funny, big-hearted films stood out, alongside the typical contingent of thoughtful character studies and powerful documentaries.

The Sundance Film Festival is the largest and among the most prestigious independent film festivals in the U.S., and it could soon be getting a new home. The festival, which is taking place now through Feb.