Sundance South: Sen. Raphael Warnock On Why Georgia’s “Serious” Bids Should Snag Festival, POTUS Debate Fallout & Trump’s Lies
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.
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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. As Deadline exclusively reported, following up on our exclusive last year about plans for a location change, about 15 jurisdictions have thrown their hats in the ring, with a decision by Sundance anticipated for this fall and to be made public during next year’s festival.
“The Sundance Institute is currently in the process of completing a fair and comprehensive review of all possible partners,” a spokesperson for the institute told Deadline today. “We will be providing more information about the next step of our process once the review process is complete.”
For Warnock, where that possible partner should come from is already as clear as a Georgia morning.
DEADLINE: Senator, there are three metropolises in the Peach State that are bidding for the Sundance Film Festival. I know that you represent the whole state, but honestly, who do you think might have the advantage?
SEN. RAPHAEL WARNOCK: Well, I think the fact that you have not one, not two, but three Georgia cities competing for the Sundance festival is indicative of what we’ve done here in Georgia. It underscores the arc of Georgia’s history, evolution in the entertainment and economic and cultural realms, which makes all of these cities formidable competitors in this effort.
Georgia is a great place to tell a great story. People have been doing that for a long time.
We have the infrastructure to embrace Sundance. As a senator from all of Georgia, I’ve been happy to see it in any of these three cities.
DEADLINE: As we’ve been reporting, it looks like the Sundance Institute has taken in bids from just over a dozen locations for a potential 2027 move. Yet, in the view of some, this is a dog and pony show, and Sundance just really wants to get the state of Utah to put up more money for the festival to stay. What’s your opinion on that, as Georgia makes its triple bids?
WARNOCK: I can tell you that people know that Georgia is a powerhouse in the film industry.
I was out on the West Coast a while ago when I was campaigning, and at a meeting out there I literally had a high-ranking official in California, who I will not name but you would know, ask me in an unguarded moment: “What could California do to stop Georgia from eating their lunch?”
DEADLINE: I think I do know who this high-ranking California official is…
WARNOCK: (laughs) Yes, and told him I have no interest in helping him in that regard. So, what I’m saying to you is that Georgia is a serious player in any serious conversation about where to have this film festival.
DEADLINE: You’ve spoken about the advantages the state presents, in terms of infrastructure, in terms of facilities, clearly …
WARNOCK: And the world’s busiest airport.
DEADLINE: … Atlanta has become Hollywood South. So, let’s just center on the great city of Atlanta. How would you envision Sundance 2027 taking place in Atlanta if it were to win the bid?
WARNOCK: Oh, listen, I’m not going to take that bait (laughs).
I live in Atlanta. I was born and raised in Savannah. Athens is a very charming city that hosts the University of Georgia and the Bulldogs. All of Georgia will joyfully embrace the Sundance festival. 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.
DEADLINE: As you know, Utah is taking a joint approach in its bid to keep Sundance in the state. It’s no longer just Park City trying to retain Sundance. It’s Park City, it’s Salt Lake City and the surrounding areas. Is that something that you think might work for the Georgia bids?
WARNOCK: I’m going to let the folks who can directly engage in this operate in that lane. But we’re a big state. So, you know the geography is different from Utah.
But, you know, when the Super Bowl came here in 2019, that helped the whole state. When FIFA brings the World Cup here in a few years, the whole state will participate. And I think it’ll be no different if Sundance comes to Athens, Savannah or Atlanta.
DEADLINE: So, with that Senator, who do you see as the biggest competitor to snagging Sundance to the Georgia bids?
WARNOCK: Dominic, there is no serious competition to the Georgia bids.
DEADLINE: Spoken like a true son of the Peach State, Senator Warnock. I have to ask you, because it occurred in your hometown, last night saw the first presidential debate between Donald Trump and a struggling Joe Biden. What’s your take on what we saw?
WARNOCK: I hate to admit this to you, but I almost forgot how much Donald Trump lies. That man stood on the stage and lied for 90 minutes straight.
He even lied about trying to take credit for something that I did alongside the president, which was to keep the cost of insulin low for seniors. He is a clear and present danger to our democracy. He’s a plague on the American conscience, and we’ve got to make sure he gets nowhere in the Oval Office.
Here is Warnock’s letter to the Sundance Institute:
I am pleased to write this letter to encourage the full and fair consideration of Georgia’s three applications to host the Sundance Film Festival in 2027.
Emerging as the “Hollywood of the South,” Georgia is a modern-day epicenter for visual storytelling. Our scenic landscapes, diverse cities, and warm and welcoming people have provided the backdrop for countless films and television series, captivating audiences around the world and bringing stories to life. The arc of Georgia’s history and its evolution into an entertainment, economic, and cultural powerhouse beckons a renowned event like the Sundance Film Festival to make our great state its new home.
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. Georgia is uniquely positioned to accommodate the growth of the festival and welcome all its visitors. The state successfully hosted the Super Bowl in 2019 and will soon host multiple FIFA World Cup matches in 2026, including a semifinal match. Georgia boasts strong aviation and transportation infrastructure, including Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world’s busiest airport, which can accommodate visitors from across the globe.
Additionally, Georgia’s film and television workforce is rapidly growing. Productions have become increasingly attracted to the state, and institutions such as the Savannah College of Art and Design and the University of Georgia are preparing the next generation of film workers. In fact, in 2023, film and television productions spent $4.1 billion in Georgia on nearly 400 productions of films, television shows, commercials, and music videos. Film and television production companies have also invested millions of dollars in production facilities and theaters across the state. Hosting the Sundance Film Festival in Georgia would showcase the state’s significant contributions to the film industry and provide an unparalleled opportunity to foster connections between independent filmmakers, industry professionals, and audiences.
I encourage your full and fair consideration of the applications to host the Sundance Film Festival in Georgia.