CINCINNATI, Ohio — The largest independent film festival in the U.S. has officially made its return.  The annual Sundance Film Festival attracts thousands of film enthusiasts from across the nation, including those right here in the Buckeye State. 


What You Need To Know

  • The annual Sundance Film Festival made its return Thursday

  • Back in September, Cincinnati was announced as one of the top three finalists to host the festival starting in 2027

  • The festival could generate upwards of $132 million according to the Sundance Institute's 2024 Economic Impact Report

“We come out here every year to meet and connect with filmmakers and talk about Cincinnati,"  Film Cincinnati President Kristen Schlotman said. "We want to get them excited about Cincinnati as a destination for their independent production."

Back in September, Cincinnati was announced as one of the top three finalists to host the festival. 

Schlotman and Mayor Aftab Pureval made their way to this year’s celebration to continue efforts to make the Queen City the festival’s new home and to better understand the magnitude of what the city could potentially be taking on.

“We want to understand the logistics, safety concerns, and strategies. Also, understanding crowd control with that many people on foot walking around the various venues,” Pureval said.  

If selected, the city would host the festival for a decade, starting in 2027. According to the Sundance Institute’s 2024 Economic Impact Report, the event could generate upwards of $132 million in economic impact. 

Spectrum News 1 previously spoke with city council members who said that would be a game changer for the local economy. 

“The economic impact there is going straight to small businesses. It's going to go to bars and restaurants and the places that, in January and February, are kind of dealing with that post-holiday blues. That's when they always struggle,” Council member Seth Walsh said.  

Cincinnati was also recently named one of the top cities to live and work as a filmmaker by MovieMaker Magazine. Scholtman said that was the result of the city premiering several big productions last year. 

Pureval added that winning that bid could also be a strong rebranding for Cincinnati.

“If we get this, we turn into one of the hubs of international filmmaking in the entire world overnight," he said. "That is consistent with our long history of investing in the arts."

An economic impact study conducted by The Cincinnati Regional USA Chamber of Commerce found that the arts had a $1.6 billion impact on the local economy from 2019-2023.

Cincinnati will also host the Association of Film Commissioners International's global Cineposium in September.