Sundance South: Sen. Raphael Warnock On Why Georgia’s “Serious” Bids Should Snag Festival, POTUS Debate Fallout & Trump’s Lies

deadline.com:

EXCLUSIVE: “I hope the folks at Sundance have the clarity of perspective to recognize that it would be in their best interest to bring the festival to Georgia,” Sen.

Raphael Warnock says of the Peach State’s unique triple bids for the Robert Redford-founded film festival to move to Hollywood South starting in 2027.

Addressing competitors for Sundance and the “plague” of Donald Trump, Warnock spoke with Deadline on Friday morning about those three Georgia bids to be the indie festival’s new home just hours after the Atlanta-hosted debate between Trump and President Joe Biden.

Let’s just say that a week after the deadline passed to submit Request for Proposals in the Sundance bidding process, Georgia’s junior senator is coming out strong for bids by Atlanta, Athens and Savannah. “In 2023, over 86,000 people attended the Sundance Film Festival, including nearly 21,500 out-of-state visitors who needed essentials like lodging, car rentals, and meals during the festival,” Warnock wrote in a letter he sent today to Sundance leaders (read the full letter below). “Georgia is uniquely positioned to accommodate the growth of the festival and welcome all its visitors.” In April, Sundance announced it was opening the process of potentially leaving Park City and Utah after more than 40 years for a new location starting after the 2026 festival.