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Sorry to all of them; perhaps theyll have better luck applying to be the new hosts of Cannes.
But before any final decision is made, its imperative that Sundance hear from a very important stakeholder me.
The contenders will be judged on the following statistical criteria:
Whats the weather like in January?
How much of Vox Medias money will I be squandering to get a decent Airbnb?
Can I get a tasty, moderately healthy meal in a 45-minute gap between screenings?
Are there enough movie theaters to host a full-size festival?
In addition, I will also offer a more amorphous vibes-based judgment.
So we must also ask how well each prospective host fits with the established Sundance atmosphere.
I want flat-brimmed hats and big ol boots.
Sundance should not be Santa Barbara.
Is the grass alwaysgreenerbluer on the other side?
Lets run down the likely candidates:
6.
Louisville
Average January temperature:36 degrees.
Flight time from NYC:About two and a half hours.
Flight time from L.A.:There are no direct flights; its around six hours with a layover.
Are there copious fast-casual restaurants?Apparently, theresa food halldowntown.
Funnily enough, one local landmark is a marquee fora movie theater that no longer exists.
Cincinnati
Average January temperature:31 degrees.
Flight time from NYC:About two hours.
Flight time from L.A.:The only nonstop option is a Delta red-eye, if youre up for it.
Otherwise, youre looking at a layover and a six-hour journey.
Will I need to Uber everywhere?Consensus says public transit isnot that bad.
Otherwise it seems like most of the placesworth checking outare around the university, not downtown.
I used to live in Cincinnati.
Heres my review: good playgrounds, excellent Chuck E. Cheese, gigantic kindergarteners.
(I was a toddler.)
Salt Lake City
Flight time from NYC:Around five hours.
Flight time from L.A.:Around two hours.
Average per-night cost of a guest favorite 1BR on Airbnb:$80.
Will I need to Uber everywhere?Theres a light-rail system called TRAX and a bus connection.
Residents hail the public transit asreliable.
Are there copious fast-casual restaurants?Enough to fill upan entire online listicle!
How many movie theaters are there already?There are a few multiplexes downtown.
(Plus, unless youre among the PJ set, you fly in here anyway.)
There is an argument that SLC is the best of both worlds.
It gives the festival all the infrastructure of a proper city while still feeling indisputably Sundance-y.
Reporters would barely have to change their tweets!
However, the home of the Jazz comes with one major sticking point.
Atlanta
Average January temperature:44 degrees.
Flight time from NYC:Over two hours.
(In fact,80 percent of the U.S. populationlives within a two-hour flight of the Atlanta airport.)
Flight time from L.A.:Sorry, L.A., youre in the 20 percent.
Its about four hours.
Average per-night cost of a guest favorite 1BR on Airbnb:$120.
Will I need to Uber everywhere?Atlanta has the MARTA rail web link, which isunderwhelming.
Over the past decade, Atlanta has become a center for film and TV production.
Sundance coming to town would fundamentally change Atlantas relationship with the industry.
This would be the opposite of sticking with Utah a vote for Atlanta is a vote for radical change.
(Its worth noting that Georgias record on LGBTQ issues isnt great, either.)
Santa Fe
Average January temperature:30 degrees.
Flight time from NYC:No direct flights; its around seven hours with a layover.
Flight time from L.A.:Albuquerque is only a two-hour flight.
Flying into Santa Fe requires a layover, making it a four- to five-hour journey.
Average per-night cost of a guest favorite 1BR on Airbnb:$170.
Will I need to Uber everywhere?There are buses, but theyre slow andnot always reliable.
Perhaps not, but who cares.
Martin and a Regal in a mall about 15 minutes away.
Its really expensive and a trek for New Yorkers.
Boulder
Average January temperature:34 degrees.
Flight time from NYC:Around four hours to Denver, which is 45 minutes away by car.
Flight time from L.A.:Over two hours to the Denver airport.
Boulder is the Goldilocks pick.
Its got the same small-city vibe as Santa Fe, but its cheaper and easier to get to.
Its conveniently located next to, but not in, a major urban center.
And it even has a Robert Redford connection the star attended CU Boulder in his pre-fame days.
