Veteran Entertainment and Brand Executive to Lead Global Communications Strategy as the Sundance Film Festival Begins Historic New Chapter in Boulder
PARK CITY, Utah – October 20, 2026 – The Sundance Institute today announced the appointment of Tracy Brady as its new Chief Marketing, Brand and Communications Officer. 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. Brady will report to Sundance Institute CEO David Linde and be based in Boulder.
Throughout her career, Brady has been a fierce advocate for independent filmmakers and artists. Her foundational experience in the entertainment industry includes vital roles in publicity, awards and marketing strategy at Fox Searchlight Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Turner Broadcasting, as well as agencies. Beyond the studio system, Brady has led major corporate communications strategies acting as a trusted advisor to CEOs, executive leadership, and board members during periods of organizational transformation and growth activity.
“Tracy is a visionary, strategic and results-oriented marketing and communications leader,” said David Linde, CEO of the Sundance Institute. “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. Tracy’s understanding of storytelling, brand marketing and strategic communications, coupled with her lifelong passion and dedication to the arts, makes her the perfect executive to guide our brand forward.”
In her new role, Brady will be tasked with unifying the organization’s messaging and public presence, ensuring that every facet of the Sundance Institute moves forward together. As the entertainment landscape rapidly evolves, her leadership will align the Institute’s brand reputation, media relations and digital strategy to reflect current trends in culture and independent filmmaking. Her mandate 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.
“I am thrilled and honored to join the Sundance Institute during a transformative moment,” said Brady. “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. 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.”
Most recently, Brady served as SVP of Communications and Social Impact at Green Thumb Industries, where she led enterprise-wide communications and social impact initiatives. Prior to that, she built and scaled the global communications teams and efforts for Curaleaf, the largest publicly traded multi-state operator in its industry. Her extensive agency experience includes serving as SVP of Corporate Communications and Marketing at Hill Holiday, where she directed sponsorship and experiential marketing strategies for the Sundance Film Festival and other key cultural events for clients including Bank of America, Dunkin’, Planet Fitness, Merrell, Liberty Mutual, and Cadillac. As VP at Arnold Entertainment and Arnold Brand Promotions, she also led partnership and sponsorship strategy for clients, including at the Sundance Film Festival.
An accomplished creator in her own right, Brady is a published novelist, essayist, an award-winning humorist, and the founder of Wit & Word, a live event series that features independent artists and writers. Brady holds a B.A. in Communications, Magna Cum Laude, from Fordham University and studied French Language and Civilization at Sorbonne University. She has been recognized in the PRNews Top Women in PR.
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About Sundance Institute
As a champion and curator of independent stories, the nonprofit Sundance Institute provides and preserves the space for artists across storytelling media to create and thrive. Founded in 1981 by Robert Redford, the Institute’s signature labs, granting, and mentorship programs, dedicated to developing new work, take place throughout the year in the U.S. and internationally. Sundance Collab, a digital community platform, brings a global cohort of working artists together to learn from Sundance Institute advisors and connect with each other in a creative space, developing and sharing works in progress. The Sundance Film Festival and other public programs connect audiences and artists to ignite new ideas, discover original voices, and build a community dedicated to independent storytelling. Through the Sundance Institute artist programs, we have supported such projects as Beasts of the Southern Wild, The Big Sick, Bottle Rocket, Boys Don’t Cry, Boys State, Call Me by Your Name, Clemency, CODA, Dìdi (弟弟), Drunktown’s Finest, The Farewell, Fire of Love, Flee, Fruitvale Station, Half Nelson, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Hereditary, The Infiltrators, The Last Black Man in San Francisco, Little Woods, Love & Basketball, Me and You and Everyone We Know, Mudbound, Nanny, One Child Nation, Pariah, Raising Victor Vargas, RBG, Requiem for a Dream, Reservoir Dogs, Sin Nombre, Sorry to Bother You, Strong Island, Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Swiss Army Man, A Thousand and One, Top of the Lake, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, and Zola. Through year-round artist programs, the Institute also nurtured the early careers of such artists as Paul Thomas Anderson, Gregg Araki, Darren Aronofsky, Lisa Cholodenko, Nia DaCosta, Ryan Coogler, The Daniels, Robert Eggers, Rick Famuyiwa, David Gordon Green, Sterlin Harjo, Marielle Heller, Miranda July, Nikyatu Jusu, James Mangold, John Cameron Mitchell, Kimberly Peirce, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Boots Riley, A.V. Rockwell, Ira Sachs, Walter Salles, Quentin Tarantino, Erica Tremblay, Taika Waititi, Lulu Wang, and Chloé Zhao. Support Sundance Institute in our commitment to uplifting bold artists and powerful storytelling globally by making a donation at sundance.org/donate. Join Sundance Institute on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X, and Bluesky.
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