Sundance CEO addresses film festival's future

Catch up quick: Utah locals have been advocating for the event to stay in Utah, but Sundance's contract with Park City expires in 2026.

• The finalists are Boulder, Cincinnati and Salt Lake City/Park City.

What they're saying: Kelso, who was named the Sundance Institute's CEO in March, tells Axios the deciding factor in choosing a host city will be sustainability.

• "It is expensive to put on a festival in a mountain town."
• "The accessibility component is something that we feel is important, not just to us, but also to the artists and the audiences who come to these festivals and we want to acknowledge that as well," Kelso said.

Kelso also wants to expand the institute's short film tour so that filmmakers can continue to reach audiences after the festival wraps.

• "Connecting them to the next generation of audiences is a really important mission to us because we want independent storytelling to remain a vibrant area where people want to come together and convene."

What's next: Sundance's future location will be announced in late winter/early spring.