"Filmmakers and actors whose careers were shaped by Robert Redford and the Sundance Institute he founded reflected on his legacy as the godfather of independent cinema at a star-studded gala Friday night during the first Sundance Film Festival since his death. The 2026 festival - its last in Utah, before relocating to Boulder, Colorado - is a love letter to the haven Redford established in the state decades ago for stories that didn't fit into the mainstream."
""When my dad could have created an empire, he created a nest," said his daughter, Amy Redford. "The Sundance Institute was designed to support and protect and nourish and then set free." She said there was no place her father would rather be than sitting with a new filmmaker at the Sundance Mountain Resort he founded, about 34 miles (54 kilometers) south of Park City."
"The labs, which started in 1981, bring emerging storytellers to the rustic resort in northern Utah to nurture their talents under expert guidance and away from the hustle and bustle of Hollywood. Three of the five best director nominees at this year's Academy Awards - Paul Thomas Anderson, Chloé Zhao and Ryan Coogler - came up through the labs."
The 2026 Sundance Film Festival marked the first since Robert Redford's death and the festival's final year in Utah before a planned move to Boulder, Colorado. The festival celebrated the Sundance Institute's legacy of supporting stories outside the mainstream and emphasized the enduring value of the institute's lab programs for writers and directors. The labs, established in 1981, bring emerging storytellers to a rustic resort in northern Utah for mentorship and creative development. Notable filmmakers such as Paul Thomas Anderson, Chloé Zhao and Ryan Coogler emerged from the labs. Amy Redford highlighted her father's emphasis on nurturing and setting creatives free.
Read at The Independent
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