An Open Letter to Robert Redford on Why Sundance Should Move to St. Louis
Dear Robert Redford,
I recently read that you are looking to move your much beloved Sundance Film Festival to a new city. I know you have already fielded multiple inquiries of interest, but I really think you should go with the obvious choice of St. Louis.
To make your decision even easier than it already is, I have compiled a list of 10 reasons for why you should move your high-profile independent film festival to Missouri, a state that is synonymous with progress and equality.
1. Because I want you to.
I could have filled the lead-off reason with a less self-serving argument, but the truth is this is why I wrote the whole article. I’ve always wanted to go to Sundance and moving it here would make that a really attainable goal for me.
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PHOTO COURTESY OF THE LAWRENCE GROUP
2. We’ve got movie theaters you could put your movies in.
The only thing a film festival really needs is movie theaters, and we’ve (quickly double checks) got them. I mean, some of the theaters with even a tiny bit of character have shuttered, but we do have an Alamo Drafthouse, and they have boozy milkshakes, so what more could you need?
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PHOTO BY ZACHARY LINHARES
3. Honestly, we could kind of use a win right now.
Look, you don’t owe us any favors. You might not even know where to find us on a map. But if I could be real with you for a second, Robert (I can call you Robert, right?), this would really help us out right now. We’ve been in the news a few times over the last decade, and most of it hasn’t been very flattering. This could really be good for us.
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PHOTO VIA FLICKR /
PATRICK GIBLIN4. We have the Arch.
You’ve heard of the Arch right, Robert? I bet you’ve never been in it. Wouldn’t it be nice to tell your friends you went up in the Arch?
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PHOTO VIA FLICKR /
JOE WOLF5. We’re in the middle of the country.
Whenever I plan on meeting up with friends, it’s always polite to try to pick a location that kind of meets in the middle. When your industry mostly operates on the far ends of the coasts, what better place to meet than in the middle of the country? I asked ChatGPT what the middlemost major city would be between New York and Los Angeles, and it said St. Louis! It also said Indianapolis, but that place sucks!
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6. The guy from Mad Men grew up here.
You know Mad Men, right? A show that was popular a decade ago? Well the main guy grew up in St. Louis. He could show you around or whatever. Mark Twain also grew up three hours from here like 200 years ago. Is that doing anything for ya?
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PHOTO BY ERIC FRAZIER
7. We have deep-fried pasta.
I know coastal elites kind of see the Midwest as a haven for unhealthy habits, but would an unhealthy population deep-fry their ravioli and refer to it as “toasted?” They would? Oh, OK, never mind then.
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PHOTO COURTESY OF THE LAWRENCE GROUP
8. We’ve got movie theaters you could put your movies in.
Look, 10 reasons is a lot, and honestly I’m kind of struggling right now to come up with that many, but having movie theaters seems like the most important reason, so I don’t feel too bad about putting it twice.
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PHOTO BY DANNY WICENTOWSKI
9. Ooh, I got a real one.
In 2011 governor Jay Nixon (you might remember that last name from All the President's Men) pushed to have Missouri’s film tax credit removed, which had a pretty devastating effect on the film and video community in the state. But a lot of those tax incentives were recently brought back, and now that community is starting to regrow. These are the people who are actually making the independent movies that embody the spirit of Sundance, and they deserve the chance to get a first look at these films as much as anyone.
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PHOTO VIA FLICKR/
MACK REED10. I will personally take you out to dinner.
Look, Robert, I don’t know how many people can say no to a free meal. I will take you wherever you want to go. Google says you’re like 87 years old, so I was thinking maybe something like Miss Sheri’s Cafeteria at 3:30 in the afternoon. Or if you want, we can go crazy and get some deep-fried pasta.
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