Sundance Communications Chief Tammie Rosen Dies, Leaves Local Legacy

Tammie Rosen, who had served as the Sundance Institute chief communications officer since 2020, died December 3 at age 49 after a battle with cancer she announced publicly in May. The Institute issued a statement mourning her passing and praising her leadership, compassion and service. Colleagues across the film festival world offered statements of sympathy and remembrance, including Tribeca cofounders Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal.

Rosen played a central role in how the Sundance Film Festival and related Institute programs navigated the pandemic years. She helped lead communications during the Institute pivot to virtual programming in 2021 and guided messaging as the festival returned in person. Those decisions had immediate practical consequences for Summit County, where Park City hosts the festival, affecting local tourism, business planning and the logistics of staging large public events.

Her professional background included work at Rubenstein Communications and coordinating public relations for the Tribeca Film Festival, experience that festival leaders said informed her approach to crisis communications and stakeholder engagement. At Sundance she was responsible for framing public health guidance, festival schedules and media access during a period of rapid change, tasks that required coordination with local officials, hospitality operators and the press corps that covers the festival.

Local journalists and community members noted Rosen's impact on relationships between the Institute and Summit County. An editor at a local paper recalled Rosen's kindness and support to reporters covering festival developments, and industry colleagues pointed to her steadying presence during difficult years. Those ties shaped how information reached residents and businesses, and they helped mitigate confusion when programming models shifted from virtual events back to in person showcases.

Rosen's death removes a senior communications leader with deep festival experience at a moment when cultural events are still adapting to post pandemic operations. The loss is personal for many who worked with her and institutional for Summit County, where the Sundance Film Festival remains a focal point of cultural activity and seasonal economic planning. The Institute and festival community have signaled continued outreach to mourners and partners as local stakeholders absorb the loss and consider next steps for festival communications and community coordination.