BOULDER, Colo. — The University of Colorado Boulder has been named the official university partner of the Sundance Film Festival ahead of its debut next year.

In a news release Tuesday, CU Boulder officials said the Sundance Institute had reached an agreement with the university that “deepens their partnership” as the town prepares to welcome the prestigious film gathering to its new home in the Centennial State.

Denver7's Tyler Melito spoke to Boulder business owners earlier this year about what the Sundance Film Festival could mean for them in the video below:

Boulder gears up to host Sundance Film Festival in 2027

The Sundance Film Festival, taking place Jan. 21 through Jan. 31, 2027, will take over several of the city’s theaters, including the Boulder Theater, Chautauqua Auditorium, the Macky Auditorium Concert Hall at the CU Boulder, and the Gordon Gamm Theater at the Dairy Arts Center.

The new partnership will establish “a broad slate of year-round academic, student, and community engagement commitments.”

Under the agreement, CU Boulder students will have access to internships, volunteer positions, leadership opportunities, behind-the-scenes festival experiences and academic programs and panels, university officials said Tuesday.

“Great universities do more than simply prepare students for the future. They connect them to the people, ideas, and experiences that shape it,” said CU Boulder Chancellor Justin Schwartz.

Eugene Hernandez, the director of public programming for the Sundance Film Festival said the partnership will help engage students, faculty and staff on campus during the festival and beyond.

Some of the perks CU Boulder students will receive as part of this partnership include discounted festival tickets, free on-campus screenings, and student-only conversations with filmmakers and festival participants.

CU Boulder officials said at least 100 students will have opportunities to volunteer during the festival, while at least 30 students will serve on a Student Advisory Board that will help shape the campus festival experience.

The partnership also aims to launch a pilot internship program for at least eight students and provide opportunities for qualifying student journalists to receive festival press credentials, a spokesperson said.

As part of this partnership, the Sundance Institute will also support students in CU Boulder’s Masters of the Environment program “as they develop a framework for measuring greenhouse gas emissions associated with the Festival, advancing sustainable event practices through applied research,” officials said.