Which U.S. city was the Sundance Film Festival established in as the Utah/US Film Festival in 1978? It was established in Salt Lake City. The first festival took place there in August 1978 under the name Utah/US Film Festival, with the goal of attracting filmmakers and strengthening Utah’s film culture.
Robert Redford was the event’s principal founder, working with people including Sterling Van Wagenen, John Earle, and the Utah Film Commission. The early program showcased American films, retrospective screenings, filmmaker discussions, and a competition focused on independent cinema.
The most common mix-up is Park City, which became strongly associated with Sundance later. The festival moved there in 1981, changed its name to the US Film and Video Festival, and adopted the Sundance Film Festival name in 1991. The name came from Redford’s Sundance property, itself named after his character in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.