Colorado's film industry sees an opening with Sundance
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Director AJ Campli (left) directs Susan Messing at Foot of the Mountain Motel. Photo: Mitchell Byars/Axios Boulder
The arrival of the Sundance Film Festival next year could help Colorado turn its growing indie-film scene into a bigger production hub.
Why it matters: Local filmmakers hope Sundance won't just make Colorado a place to watch movies — but a place to make them.
The big picture: Colorado's film industry has grown, but filmmakers say the state still struggles to compete with states that offer richer incentives and more established production infrastructure.
- Colorado gives productions a 20% tax credit, or up to 22% for qualifying rural productions.
- That's compared with incentives of up to 40% in neighboring New Mexico.
State of play: Sundance makes its Boulder debut Jan. 21-31, 2027 — launching a 10-year run in Colorado.
- The festival will draw thousands of filmmakers and other industry professionals, giving Colorado a rare chance to show off.
- "They're gonna see how wonderful this place is, and I think it's gonna inspire people to write scripts that take place here," AJ Campli, co-director of Colorado-made indie film "Durango Seems Like A Great Place to Die," told Axios.
Case in point: The film follows a Boulder mother and son on a road trip as the woman decides to end her life on her own terms.
- For Campli, shooting on location was nonnegotiable.
- "You could put it on an LED screen and we could shoot it and … make our lives easier logistically," Campli said. "But I think by shooting on location in Colorado, you get that heart and soul, and you can't replace that."
Zoom in: The 25-person crew, all Colorado residents, shot across the state this summer, from Boulder County to the Western Slope.
- Producer Tyler Sapp said the crew's adventures mean money for local businesses, but filming locally also created free buzz and curiosity about the film.
- "People have been so excited about a movie being filmed here, and I think that there's a huge appetite for productions. It's a great economic driver and cultural driver."
Between the lines: Building the industry presents a chicken-or-the-egg conundrum: Colorado needs more productions to demonstrate the value of stronger incentives, but increasing incentives would make it easier to attract those productions.
- Campli said a few "guinea pigs" will likely need to score a hit to attract more risk-averse studios.
- "We have to continue to make strong movies that I think will then start the domino effect of better tax incentives, better structures, better resources."
The bottom line: Sundance can put Colorado in front of Hollywood. The bigger challenge is turning that attention into productions that actually stay and shoot here.