The Sundance Institute has named Tracy Brady as its new chief marketing, brand and communications officer, a role in which she will lead comprehensive marketing and communications strategy while reporting to Sundance Institute CEO David Linde.
The appointment comes as the organization prepares to mount the Sundance Film Festival in Boulder, Colorado in January 2027, marking Sundance’s first edition in its new home after departing Park City, Utah. Brady will be based in Boulder.
Brady joins the institute from a post as senior vice president of communications and social impact at Green Thumb Industries. Before that, she steered global communications for Curaleaf.
Two other previous roles found her working closely with and around Sundance, making the new position familiar terrain. She served as senior vice president of corporate communications and marketing at Hill Holliday, where she directed sponsorship and experiential marketing strategies for Sundance and other cultural events for clients such as Bank of America, Dunkin’, Planet Fitness, Merrell, Liberty Mutual and Cadillac.
She also worked as a vice president at Arnold Entertainment and Arnold Brand Promotions, leading partnership and sponsorship strategy for clients in work that also led to Sundance.
Brady also has roots in Hollywood, having worked in publicity, awards and marketing strategy at Fox Searchlight Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Turner Broadcasting. The Fordham University graduate has worked as a novelist, essayist and humorist, and she founded Wit & Word, a live event series featuring independent artists and writers.
“Tracy is a visionary, strategic and results-oriented marketing and communications leader,” Linde said in a statement. “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.”
“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,” Brady said. “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.”
