The Sundance Film Festival proved to be an economic blockbuster for Utah again this year.

The Sundance Institute reported Tuesday that the annual event brought in about $59.6 million in estimated total spending.

The institute collaborated with the Bureau of Economic and Business Research at the University of Utah's school of business on the report, which was based on festival attendees surveys in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and the Sundance Resort about where visitors spent their money and how much they spent.

This is the fourth year the institute and the bureau have worked together to estimate the amount of economic impact the festival has on Utah. Attendance and revenue have grown throughout the existence of the festival, but the largest increase occurred in 2006.

"This year's numbers were consistent with last year and indicate a leveling of the growth we had between 2005 and 2006," said Patrick Hubley, spokesman for the institute. "We're thrilled the numbers were in the same range as they were last year."

The festival generated about $2 million less than last year. However, although the numbers are lower, they are "still in the same statistical range," Hubley said.

Nearly 49,000 people attended the festival this year. Of those, about 29,000 were out-of-state visitors and about 8,000 were international.

This year, 48 percent of those who attended the festival were here for the first time. Most of the overall attendee group indicated they want to return, both to Utah and the festival.

"We know that 98 percent intend to come back because they have a positive experience," said Jill Miller, managing director of the institute.

Skiing and celebrities pose some draw for the festival, but the main attractions are the independence and individualism it promotes, Miller said.

"We are a film festival of discovery," she said. "We are not necessarily mainstream. We encourage independent thought and independent vision. It distinguishes us from national and international events that occur."

The festival also boasts an ability to attract people to Utah. Of those who took the survey, 65 percent said they would visit Utah again for vacations.

"We know that a number of our attendees come to the festival for business and may come back a month or two later with their families to ski," Miller said.

Leigh von der Esch, managing director Utah Office of Tourism, said many Sundance attendees are filmmakers who eventually shoot movies in Utah.

"I think it's fair to say the direct infusion of that money into the economy is a great thing," she said. "A lot of film commissions have to go to Los Angeles and pay to get people there. The Utah Film Commission has filmmakers come to their state and spend money. There is a dual purpose in marketing both as a tourist and also as a filmmaker."

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E-mail: csmith@desnews.com