March 27, 2025
For immediate release
Media Contact: Utah Film Center, Meagan Benensohn, pr@utahfilmcenter.org
SALT LAKE CITY, UT – After the recent announcement that Sundance Film Festival is moving to Boulder, Colorado, Utah Film Center reaffirmed their commitment to serving Utahns with high-quality film exhibition, education, and filmmaker support. ”Utah is built into our name. Our film exhibition, film festivals, and youth and family education programs are focused on Utah audiences, and our filmmaker programs are dedicated to collaborating within the Utah film ecosystem. Utah Film Center remains focused on championing independent cinema in Utah,” explained Mariah Mellus, executive director of Utah Film Center.
Utah Film Center is in the process of renovating a building north of downtown Salt Lake in the Marmalade District. When open, the facility will allow the Film Center to offer several of its well regarded film programs and cultural opportunities year round. The building also allows the Film Center to scale filmmaker talent development through an onsite filmmaking incubator, education, and film exhibition spaces, highlighting the great creativity and enterprising nature of Utah’s homegrown artists and connecting them with Utah audiences.
Since the Film Center was founded in 2002, the organization has had a strong local relationship with Sundance Film Festival. “While we are sad to lose the geographic connection to the Sundance Film Festival, our Sundance friendships remain strong. We look forward to collaborating year round with other local film organizations and festival supporters to continue the excitement that Sundance brought each January to Utah,” Mellus continued.
Along with the Film Center’s work, a group of Utah stakeholders, filmmakers, exhibitioners, and curators are meeting to discuss ways to advance Utah’s long history of independent film exhibition into the future. Mellus said, “As Utah’s statewide resource for film exhibition, education, and artist support, Utah Film Center is excited to help usher in the next iteration of independent film appreciation in Utah. We look back at Sundance’s contribution to a 100-year legacy of film in Utah, and forward to the bright future era of film in Utah!”
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About Utah Film Center
Utah Film Center connects people, stories, and ideas through film, artist support, and media arts education. In addition to free monthly film screenings and two specialized film festivals, Utah Film Center provides free, statewide K-12 media arts education, fiscal sponsorship to over 400 active independent film projects, and a co-working space for Utah-based filmmakers.
For more information or to subscribe to news, visit utahfilmcenter.org.
