SUNDANCE film festival

PARK CITY, Utah (AP) _ The Sundance Film Festival will make an encore performance in Park City at least through 2005. <br><br>Festival officials have agreed to a four-year contract with the city, which

Tuesday, May 15th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

PARK CITY, Utah (AP) _ The Sundance Film Festival will make an encore performance in Park City at least through 2005.

Festival officials have agreed to a four-year contract with the city, which the city council is expected to ratify on Thursday. The agreement ends recent worries that the 10-day January showcase for independent filmmakers might move elsewhere, possibly Salt Lake City.

Park City leaders in recent weeks cobbled together a package of incentives aimed at addressing problems Sundance has had in holding its ever-growing festival in the resort town.

The incentives include space for a Main Street technology center, VIP ski passes during the festival and up to $250,000 in cash and services to Sundance.

The festival has been a Park City fixture for the past 17 years.

``A certain ambiance and joie de vivre would have disappeared if the festival would have relocated,'' said City Councilman Roger Harlan.

Sundance administrators say the event brings about $36 million a year to Utah, most of it spent in the Park City area. It attracts about 13,500 out-of-state visitors and draws another 7,500 from Utah.