Illustrations by Dana Heimes

Lori Call was back on the scene where her CU life began. 

A delegation from the Sundance Film Festival was in town, seeking a new home to inspire the next generation of independent movie fans. When Call swung open the doors to Macky Auditorium, it was an awe-inspiring moment for the visitors—as well as a sort of homecoming for an alumna whose journalism classes were held in the basement of the century-old neo-Gothic gem. 

“I watched their jaws drop, looking at this magnificent, historic auditorium,” said Call (Jour’94). “And I thought to myself, ‘Wow, I think we have a good shot at this.’”

You might not connect a journalism degree with the ability to sell Boulder to Sundance. But the skills Call learned at CU have been a key part of her success in the public affairs world, including her current role as the university’s associate vice chancellor for local government and community engagement.

“I learned so much in my journalism classes on how to communicate and interact,” she said. “Whether you are interviewing people or engaging the community, it’s really vital.”

A few months after the Macky tour—and tireless efforts from a unified bid from the city, university and business community—the country’s most prominent film festival announced it would relocate to Boulder starting in January 2027.

The city’s slowest month for visitors is about to get busy, with 100,000 attendees expected to descend on Boulder over 11 days. Locations across the city will serve as screening venues; on campus, films will be shown at the Roe Green Theatre, Muenzinger Auditorium and 2,036-seat Macky, the festival’s largest facility.

Those venues, and the work of advocates like Call, are helping Boulder get ready for its close-up.

“Being on a college campus, there’s an endless dream of very cool possibilities,” said Kim Kruchen, one of CU Boulder’s planning co-leads with the Office of Strategic Initiatives. “Imagine film directors speaking in our classes. Imagine all the volunteer opportunities. Our students have so many good experiences in the classroom to learn about business, cinema and other areas. And now they can apply that theory to a film festival.”

State-of-the-art renovations, including the addition of Dolby immersive sound systems, took place over the summer and will be available to the campus community year-round, providing one of the festival’s many lasting benefits.

“My hope is that Sundance’s presence elevates the arts in new ways,” Call said. “Imagine a student who’s mentored by a film expert, has access to experiential projects and then gets hired by them after they graduate. 

“Sundance is bringing the absolute best of the world—and they want to share it with the next generation.”