Sundance Institute Names Tracy Brady Chief Marketing Officer

The Sundance Institute has named Tracy Brady its Chief Marketing, Brand, and Communications Officer, filling the seat left vacant by Tammie Rosen, the Chief Communications Officer who died in December 2025. Brady will report to CEO David Linde and be based in Boulder, Colorado, where the Sundance Film Festival relocates in 2027.

The announcement comes with the institute in mid-transition. Per the official release, Brady "will lead the Institute's comprehensive marketing and communications strategy and joins the executive leadership team at a pivotal moment, taking the helm to connect the nonprofit's diverse artist initiatives under a singular, cohesive brand vision as the Sundance Film Festival prepares for its relocation to Boulder, Colorado in 2027."

That is a long sentence carrying a heavy load. Strip away the framing and two facts remain: a new executive, and a festival that must reintroduce itself to audiences, filmmakers, and industry partners in an unfamiliar city within roughly two years.

Who is Tracy Brady?

Brady's résumé spans studios, networks, and — more recently — the cannabis industry. Her entertainment credits include publicity, awards, and marketing strategy roles at Fox Searchlight Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Turner Broadcasting. Most recently she served as SVP of Communications and Social Impact at Green Thumb Industries, leading enterprise-wide communications and social impact initiatives there.

Before that, she built and scaled global communications teams for Curaleaf, described in the release as the largest publicly traded multi-state operator in its industry. She also held posts as SVP of Corporate Communications and Marketing at Hill Holiday and VP at Arnold Entertainment and Arnold Brand Promotions. Notably, through several of these roles she counted the Sundance Film Festival itself as a client.

She brings a literary side as well: Brady is a published novelist and essayist, an award-winning humorist, and the founder of Wit & Word, a live event series featuring independent artists and writers. She holds a B.A. in Communications, Magna Cum Laude, from Fordham University and studied French Language and Civilization at the Sorbonne.

What does the appointment change?

For an organization whose identity has been fused with Park City and Utah for four decades, the practical question is what a unifying brand officer actually does before the 2027 move. The release spells out the mandate: Brady "will be tasked with unifying the organization's messaging and public presence, ensuring that every facet of the Sundance Institute moves forward together."

Her brief also "centers on a holistic approach to storytelling, tying together the Institute's impact, artist programs, and the upcoming Sundance Film Festival in Boulder to create a powerful, unified experience for artists, industry partners and audiences alike." The release adds that her leadership "will align the Institute's brand reputation, media relations, and digital strategy to reflect current trends in culture and independent filmmaking."

What the release does not say is equally telling. It offers no metrics for success, no timeline beyond the 2027 festival date, and no detail on how the institute will manage the reputational risk of leaving a host state that has staged the festival since 1981 — a fact the announcement simply omits.

The two statements

Linde's endorsement leans on the transition. "Tracy is a visionary, strategic, and results-oriented marketing and communications leader," he said. "As we transition to our new home in Boulder and embrace the evolving future of independent cinema, we need a trusted voice to bring our community, artists and global audience together."

Brady's own statement strikes a similar chord. "I am thrilled and honored to join the Sundance Institute during a transformative moment," she said. "As a lifelong fan of independent filmmaking and a dedicated storyteller, I have always believed in the power of artistic expression to shape culture and forge connection."

She was more specific about the task ahead: "As we move toward the 2027 Sundance Film Festival in Boulder, my focus will be on bringing our entire community together, both inside the Institute and out. My aim is to continue to align our communications and marketing efforts under a unified mission so we can better support artists, adapt to the dynamic changes in the entertainment industry, and ensure the Sundance Institute remains the premiere champion for independent filmmakers worldwide."

Both statements promise unity. Neither addresses the harder questions — how Boulder will house a festival built for a different geography, or how the institute measures whether its brand survives the move intact.

Brady starts work now, from Boulder, with one festival cycle left in Utah and a brand to rebuild before the first Colorado edition opens in 2027.

By Tom Whitfield