'There's an exclusivity to Park City': Outrage ensues as Sundance Film Festival considers move to Cincinnati

The Sundance Film Festival is considering moving from Park City, Utah, after nearly 40 years of staging the exclusive festival in the snowy mountain town. New destinations in the running include Cincinnati, Ohio, and Boulder, Colorado. Sundance loyalists have expressed outrage that Cincinnati would even be considered as an alternative, suggesting that the midwestern city is unappealing to Hollywood superstars who may not attend the festival if it is moved to Ohio. They said that this could prevent them from being able to "party" with the privileged elite.

"I hate to say it, but there's just nothing sexy about Cincinnati," one attendee told Variety. "J. Lo isn't going to play a secret party in Ohio. Is there a scene out there? Are there film lovers there? People don't want to be honest about this, but there's an exclusivity to Park City, and just nothing seems cool about Cincinnati."

Other Sundance loyalists took aim at Ohio's flat, urban landscape, devoid of Park City's mountainous charm, which they said could strip Sundance of its soul. But Ohio advocates pushed back on critics, saying they were just displaying their "coastal elitist bias."

"I think moving to Cincinnati would certainly speak to a desire to be in a less rarified and more accessible place, not just geographically but socioculturally," Brandon Harris, a critic, filmmaker, and former development executive at Amazon Studios, told Variety. He was born and raised in Cincinnati, where he shot his 2012 Sundance film "Redlegs."

"It's a blue city in a red state that is vastly more diverse than Boulder or Park City," Harris continued. "It feels to me like a place is more representative of the America that Sundance is trying to reach than the other potential candidates, and the America that the film industry is struggling to figure out how to reach with its wares."

However, a source affiliated with the Sundance organization dismissed criticism of Cincinnati as "coastal elitist bias," asserting that the festival remains centered around film rather than "activations and parties at TAO."

In September, the mayor of Cincinnati, Aftab Pureval, and the president/CEO of Film Cincinnati, Kristen Schlotman, issued a statement advocating for their city after it was identified as one of the final potential locations: "We are ecstatic to continue being considered as the next host city for the Sundance Film Festival. As long-time attendees, we believe Cincinnati's dedication to the arts, hospitality, and historic theaters make it a great fit."

"We are inspired by the idea of partnering with the Sundance Institute to celebrate the festival's rich legacy while introducing a dynamic, walkable and accessible new venue," the statement read. "Cincinnati's blend of creativty, culture, and community promises to be an unforgettable experience for both filmmakers and audiences."

As the decision looms, Park City residents and Utah officials are fighting to keep Sundance close to home.