‘Bye Felicia?’: Salt Lake City not elaborating on report claiming Sundance may leave over pride flag bill

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Debate over whether the Sundance Film Festival will stay in Utah is heating up after a new report from Deadline claimed that the festival is in jeopardy of leaving Utah over a recent bill barring pride flags on schools and government property.

The Deadline report says the festival’s concerns were discussed in a meeting held between Salt Lake City leaders and members of the festival’s selection committee Tuesday. Local leaders confirmed the meeting took place but wouldn’t specify what was discussed.

“What are they thinking?” a Sundance insider told Deadline about passing H.B.77. “Utah is Utah, but this goes to the heart of the community Sundance has worked years and years to develop,” the insider reportedly said.

Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall told ABC4 that “there is not a state in this nation where inclusivity, diversity, and empathy aren’t under attack,” adding that “everyone has a role in standing up for those values.”

“Salt Lake City will never stop supporting our neighbors, including the lgbtqia community, and Sundance is an incredible partner in that support. The power of amplifying voices and creating change through art is needed now more than ever in this ongoing work,” Mendenhall said.

Seemingly at the center of this is H.B. 77, which awaits Gov. Spencer Cox’s signature or veto. The bill prohibits the display of pride flags in classrooms and government buildings.

The bill’s House Sponsor, Trevor Lee (R – West Jordan), didn’t mince words on Sundance’s reported concerns about the bill.

“A pathetic excuse in my opinion,” he said. “This bill makes flags politically neutral on taxpayer-funded entities, not private, not businesses, those groups can still do whatever they want.”

The bill’s Senate Sponsor, Daniel McCay (R – Riverton), took to social media with his thoughts, sharing the deadline article with the caption, “Bye Felicia.”

“Sundance promotes porn, Sundance promotes alternative lifestyles, Sundance promotes anti-lds themes,” McCay wrote. “Sundance does not fit in Utah anymore.”

But not every Republican lawmaker agrees. Just over a week ago, Senate President Stuart Adams (R – Layton) — one of the state’s top GOP leaders — told ABC4 that he wants to keep Sundance in Utah. He said that’s why lawmakers allocated $3.5 million, the amount the festival organizers requested, to support the film festival.

“I’m very clear. I want Sundance to stay,” Adams said. “I’ve expressed that to them. I think many people have. I don’t think they’ll have the same notoriety if they leave Utah.”

Lee said he doesn’t care if Sundance leaves.

“It’s just not a good representation of what Utah is and what our values espouse in the film industry that they push there, and for that side of it, I would be okay if they left Utah,” Lee said. “As it pertains to the business and economics side, I mean, I really do believe we’ll do fine without them.”

Sundance’s decision is expected in early spring.

ABC4 reached out to festival organizers for comment but did not hear back by the time of publishing.