Sundance Film Festival to Continue as Planned Amid L.A. Fires: “It Is Important to Carry On”
As the devastating fires continue to burn around Los Angeles, the Sundance Film Festival will continue as planned in Park City.
In a letter released today, CEO Amanda Kelso and festival director Eugene Hernandez write, “Our community has a history of coming together when passion and perseverance are needed most, drawing strength from the deep bonds that make us so resilient. Right now, we may mourn, but we also know it is important to carry on.”
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The news that the annual indie festival will continue as planned comes after a week of cancellations of industry events, including the Critics Choice Awards, the BAFTA Tea Party and the WGA and PGA nominations. The 2025 festival is set to open in Park City, Utah on Jan. 23.
The fires have directly affected Sundance leadership. Michelle Satter, the Sundance Institute‘s beloved founding senior director of artist programs, lost her home in the Palisades, writing on social media, “Our heart goes out to everyone who’s experiencing loss during this devastating time in our city.”
With over 60 square miles burned, 12,000 structures have been destroyed or damaged in the Los Angeles fires, with 92,000 people under evacuation orders as of Monday morning. 24 deaths have been reported as a result of the fires.
Read the full letter from Kelso and Hernandez below.
Dear Sundance Community,
We’re reaching out today about the ongoing, devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area. First and foremost, our hearts are with everyone in our Sundance Institute community and with all affected by the unfolding tragedy. Please know that you are not alone right now; our thoughts are with you in Southern California and beyond.
Over the past few days, we’ve had many conversations with artists, volunteers, industry/press, trustees, donors, partners, and staff. The losses we’re witnessing and so many are experiencing are hard to fathom and deeply emotional. Yet, as we continue planning for the 2025 Sundance Film Festival—just 10 days away—we’re moved by the resilience amidst the devastating loss.
You are vital, vibrant members of our Sundance community, and we know that many of you have been and are being impacted by the ongoing tragic fires. Our community has a history of coming together when passion and perseverance are needed most, drawing strength from the deep bonds that make us so resilient.
Right now, we may mourn, but we also know it is important to carry on. Soon, we’ll gather for Sundance’s 41st Festival to discover a new year of films and filmmakers. Despite the challenges so many are confronting, we’re making our final preparations for this year’s Festival, as in times like these, our mission to support artists, uplift their work, and connect to communities is paramount. While it may challenge us in many ways, coming together will also empower and inspire us as we look to our future. With that in mind, we invite you to connect with us in the days leading up to the Festival. If you have been affected by the fires, and feel able or are in a space where you can, please share your situation in this form so we can understand how our community has been impacted.
Sundance exists to discover artists, celebrate their work, and support storytelling that connects people through the power of film and we know that coming together as a community can be both healing and catalytic.
Please stay safe as you care for yourselves and each other.
Thinking of you,
Amanda Kelso, Acting CEO
Eugene Hernandez, Director, Sundance Film Festival & Public Programming
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