In Atlanta’s bid for Sundance Film Festival, it’s all about ‘scale’

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Grab some popcorn because this movie might be good.

“This film festival was started by and for Atlanta,” said Chris Escobar, owner of the Plaza Theatre and head of the Atlanta Film Society.

It’s the 48th Atlanta Film Festival, a fast-growing part of a fast-growing media landscape.

“We have really phenomenal stuff,” Escobar said. “We don’t really have room to include all of it.”

Running through May 5, you can pick one of the innumerable independent films or roll the dice.

“No idea,” said one woman as she lathered her popcorn with butter. “I guess I’m just here for the surprise… and the popcorn.”

Atlantans were in for a surprise Sunday morning when it was announced that Atlanta was making a bid for the Sundance Film Festival. For the first time in its 45-year history, the festival is opening bids for a new home.

RELATED: Atlanta planning bid to host Sundance Film Festival, Atlanta Film Festival producer says

“Coming to Atlanta would allow Sundance to really grow in scale,” Escobar said.

Atlanta is moving to host Sundance starting in 2027 as the festival grapples with its growth and available infrastructure in Park City, Utah.

“They are definitely at capacity,” Escobar said.

Drew Sawyer owns Georgia-based Moonshine Post-Production. He’s worked and died in a film at Sundance.

“I did get murdered,” Sawyer said.

He sees the possibility of Sundance in Atlanta as completing a creative circle for the city’s film industry.

“Opportunities like this come once in a lifetime,” Sawyer said. “And this is a shortcut.”

If this all seems like it’s coming together quickly, it’s because it has, even for Gray Television CEO Hilton Howell, who admitted he first heard that Sundance was looking around last week.

“All of a sudden, out of nowhere, really, Atlanta is in serious competition for it, and I think that’s really exciting,” Howell said.

Howell has pledged to help in any way he can, but he also knows Atlanta faces stiff competition, including from neighboring Savannah.

Still, with the world’s busiest airport, a slew of theaters and countless hotel options, Howell believes Atlanta would make an attractive landing spot should Sundance decide to leave Utah.

“There are a lot of people out there who should be proud of what they’ve done,” Howell said.

People like Escobar, whose excitement is evident even in the very early stages.

“Atlanta has the ability and has the capacity to not just do it, but rock it and knock it out of the park,” Escobar said.

The city should know by May 6 if it will be considered for the move.

Copyright 2024 WANF. All rights reserved.