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Sundance Subsidy Stirs Conservative Pushback

Robert Redford's annual Sundance Film Festival draws thousands of filmgoers and millions of dollars to snowy Park City, Utah. But a state subsidy contributing to the event is drawing controversy from some conservatives, who say films screened at the festival don't reflect the values of the state.
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Robert Redford's annual Sundance Film Festival draws thousands of filmgoers and millions of dollars to snowy Park City, Utah. But a state subsidy contributing to the event is drawing controversy from some conservatives, who say films screened at the festival don't reflect the values of the state.

A disagreement between supporters of the Sundance Film Festival and a conservative think tank in Utah is raising questions about whether tax dollars should support the arts. The Sutherland Institute says some films screened at Sundance do not reflect Utah values.

The controversy began with a blog post on the Sutherland Institute's website. Writer Derek Monson called on Utah to end its sponsorship of Sundance because some of the movies shown there portrayed sexual promiscuity.

Paul Mero, president of the Salt Lake City-based Sutherland Institute, says the state should spend money on other priorities rather than subsidizing the financially successful film festival, founded by actor Robert Redford.

Sundance Film Festival founder Robert Redford speaks with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and former Sen. Chris Dodd, chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America, at an event at the festival in Park City, Utah.
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Sundance Film Festival founder Robert Redford speaks with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and former Sen. Chris Dodd, chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America, at an event at the festival in Park City, Utah.

"It's almost like we're buying a friendship that doesn't naturally exist between Mr. Redford and the state of Utah," Mero says. "If that's the case, that's pretty pathetic."

Mero says his organization is uniformly opposed to any kind of business subsidy, and that some of the films screened this year — like a bio-drama about the late porn star Linda Lovelace — cast an immoral shadow over the festival no matter how much money it brings in.

"A lot of these film festivals are held in major cities and elite enclaves. In those circles, maybe it complements their values," Mero says. "But these highly sexualized films don't complement the values of most Americans, let alone Utahans."

On Main Street in Park City this weekend, festival goers visited the Hub, set up to act as an information center about making movies in the state. On the walls are posters of films shot in Utah, including 127 Hours and the upcoming reboot of The Lone Ranger.

The state invested $300,000 in the festival this year. In exchange, Utah's tourism logo is branded on everything from signs to brochures to lanyards. And the logo is on screen credits before each film, says Marshall Moore, director of the Utah Film Commission.

"We were a significant contributor in terms of sponsorship, but it's something we build into our budget every year, and [something] that allows Sundance to realize that the festival is important to the state," Moore says.

Moore says the festival introduces many filmmakers to Utah. "When we make trips to Los Angeles to promote Utah, we talk to 20 filmmakers in a week," Moore says. "We're getting hundreds of people through our hub every day. And it's not just film — it's tourism, and it's business, and it's new businesses considering moving their companies here."

Moore says if Utah lost Sundance, it would be devastating to the state. But it doesn't look like Robert Redford is ready to leave yet. During a press conference on the festival's opening day, he said he's not swayed by Sutherland.

"If they'd like us to go away, we'd probably take, what, $70 [million], $80 million with us — $80 million comes to the local economy in 10 days," Redford said. "Pretty good."

And for the Utah Film Commission, $80 million is an excellent return on that $300,000 investment.

Copyright 2020 KUER 90.1. To see more, visit KUER 90.1.

Terry Gildea comes to KUER from San Antonio where he spent four years as a reporter and host at Texas Public Radio. While at KSTX, he created, produced and hosted the station's first local talk show, The Source. He covered San Antonio's military community for the station and for NPR's Impact of War Project. Terry's features on wounded warriors, families on the home front and veterans navigating life after war have aired on Morning Edition, Weekend Edition and All Things Considered. His half-hour radio documentary exploring the burn unit at Brooke Army Medical Center was honored by the Houston Press Club and the Texas Associated Press Broadcasters. Prior to his position in San Antonio, Terry covered Congress for two years with Capitol News Connection and Public Radio International . He holds a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Washington and a master's degree from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. Terry enjoys spending time with his wife and two young sons, fixing bicycles and rooting for his hometown Seattle Mariners.