Robert Redford was disillusioned with the Hollywood mainstream. The Sundance Kid, who died Tuesday at age 89, knew that there were more stories out there, ones that weren鈥檛 getting made into films because of the rigidity of the business. So he made something different, founding Sundance Institute and the Sundance Film Festival as an alternative avenue for emerging filmmakers, where independence was a virtue, not a liability.
, the institute and the festival have given an early platform to countless young filmmakers, including Steven Soderbergh, Paul Thomas Anderson, Quentin Tarantino, Ryan Coogler, Chlo茅 Zhao, Nicole Holofcener, Nia DaCosta, Taika Waititi, Ava DuVernay, Rian Johnson, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert and many more.
鈥淔or me, the word to be underscored is 鈥榠ndependence.鈥 I鈥檝e always believed in that word. That鈥檚 what led to me eventually wanting to create a category that supported independent artists who weren鈥檛 given a chance to be heard,鈥 Redford told The Associated Press in 2018. 鈥淭he industry was pretty well controlled by the mainstream, which I was a part of. But I saw other stories out there that weren鈥檛 having a chance to be told and I thought, 鈥榃ell, maybe I can commit my energies to giving those people a chance.鈥 As I look back on it, I feel very good about that.鈥
In 2019, Redford said he intended to step back from his public facing role at the festival, though he remained the organization’s president and founder until his death.
鈥淚 think we鈥檙e at a point where I can move on to a different place, because the thing I鈥檝e missed over the years is being able to spend time with the films and with the filmmakers and to see their work and be part of their community,鈥 he said at the 2019 kickoff. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think the festival needs a whole lot of introduction now: It runs on its own course, and I鈥檓 happy for that.鈥
Inspiration in Utah
Redford鈥檚 love affair with Utah began much earlier, on a cross-country motorcycle road trip in 1961 when he bought 2 acres of land. By 1969, with more money in his pocket from his film successes, he鈥檇 purchased 5,000 acres, some of which was a mountain resort but most of the land was for wilderness preserves. He named it Sundance, after his character in
In 1981, the year he won best picture and director for 鈥淥rdinary People,鈥 he established the Sundance Institute, a nonprofit organization and held the first filmmakers lab at the Sundance Mountain Resort, about 13 miles northeast of Provo. A few years later, in 1985, the institute took over what was then known as the U.S. Film Festival, which would later be renamed the Sundance Film Festival. The festival in the mid-80s hosted the Coen brothers 鈥淏lood Simple鈥 and Jim Jarmusch鈥檚 鈥淪tranger Than Paradise.鈥
鈥榮ex, lies and videotape鈥 and the birth of an indie boom
The festival was really put on the map when Soderbergh premiered 鈥渟ex, lies and videotape鈥 in Park City in 1989. A true indie, the film went on to win the Palme d鈥橭r at Cannes and get an Oscar nomination, but it was its box office success that ignited a veritable indie film boom. And Sundance was where all the discoveries were happening. In 1991, the festival premiered 鈥淒aughters of the Dust,鈥 鈥淧aris is Burning鈥 and 鈥淪lacker,鈥 in 1992, Tarantino鈥檚 鈥淩eservoir Dogs,鈥 in 1993, Wes Anderson brought 鈥淏ottle Rocket,鈥 and in 1994 鈥淗oop Dreams鈥 and 鈥淐lerks.鈥
鈥淚f it weren鈥檛 for Robert Redford, independent art houses might not have succeeded,鈥 said Gary Meyer, cofounder of Landmark Theatre, and a former festival director at Telluride who also worked with Redford. 鈥淗aving the 鈥楽undance Kid鈥 give his stamp of approval to independent features and documentaries brought audiences to our theaters, while helping launch the careers of dozens of filmmakers 鈥 He made it 鈥榗ool鈥 to see adventurous movies when they came to commercial neighborhood theaters.鈥
In 1994, the Sundance Institute also made a commitment to Indigenous filmmakers by launching a festival program to showcase Native and Indigenous films that continues to this day.
The behind-the-scenes power of the labs
The festival might get the most headlines, but it鈥檚 the year-round work of the Institute that has really left a mark on independent cinema. The have been just as, if not more, influential in helping to launch the first films of many of Hollywood鈥檚 top filmmakers over the past 40 years, under the leadership of Michelle Satter, who has helped shepherd projects from 鈥淗ard Eight鈥 to 鈥淔ruitvale Station鈥 and 鈥淟ove & Basketball.鈥
鈥淪undance changed the trajectory of my career,鈥 filmmaker and labs adviser Gina Prince-Bythewood told the AP in 2023. 鈥淗ow many of these special projects would have never seen the light of day without Michelle, without Robert Redford鈥檚 vision, without this incredible place? It鈥檚 actually really scary to think about.鈥
Native filmmaker Sterlin Harjo (鈥淩ez Ball鈥) said that his career as a young man was defined by Redford鈥檚 support for independent cinema and supporting Native storytelling.
鈥淚 went to the Sundance Filmmakers lab at 23 years old,鈥 Harjo wrote on Instagram on Tuesday. 鈥淭he support from Sundance made me feel like I belonged in an industry that most times felt so unreachable. He personally taught me things about story, shooting, and editing that I take with me today.鈥
Oscar winners and enduring classics
The list of notable films that have played at Sundance grows every year. Some enduring favorites include: 鈥淕et Out,鈥 鈥淲hiplash,鈥 鈥淟ittle Miss Sunshine,鈥 鈥淢emento,鈥 鈥淏efore Sunrise,鈥 鈥淏oyhood,鈥 鈥淵 tu mam谩 tambi茅n,鈥 鈥淏rick,鈥 鈥淭he Squid and the Whale,鈥 鈥淢anchester by the Sea,鈥 鈥淐all Me By Your Name鈥 and 鈥淎 Real Pain.鈥
The festival got its first best picture winner with 鈥淐ODA,鈥 which played at the festival in 2021. Questlove鈥檚 鈥淪ummer of Soul,鈥 which also debuted in 2021, won the academy鈥檚 documentary award that year as well.
Many best documentary winners start at Sundance, including 鈥淲hen We Were Kings,鈥 鈥淏orn Into Brothels,鈥 鈥淎n Inconvenient Truth,鈥 鈥淢an on Wire,鈥 鈥淭he Cove,鈥 鈥淪earching for Sugarman,鈥 鈥20 Feet from Stardom,鈥 鈥淚carus,鈥 鈥淎merican Factory,鈥 鈥 and .鈥 The most recent winner, 鈥淣o Other Land鈥 was supported by the labs.
The future of Sundance
Redford had worried for years that the Park City, Utah. In 1996, an estimated 15,504 attended the festival. In 2015, the number had ballooned to 46,100. It peaked in 2018 with 124,900 festivalgoers. The festival estimated that the 2025 edition had 85,472 in-person attendees, a 17% increase from 2024.
Earlier this year, the decision was made to relocate to . That means there will be one last festival in Park City in January.
鈥淏ob鈥檚 vision launched a movement that, over four decades later, has inspired generations of artists and redefined cinema in the U.S. and around the world,鈥 Sundance leaders said in a statement Tuesday. 鈥淭he vibrant storytelling landscape we cherish today, both as artists and audiences, is unimaginable without his passionate drive and principled leadership.鈥
There were already plans in the works to celebrate the vision of Redford. In the wake of his death, that tribute will be even more deeply felt.
Former Sundance director John Cooper, a close friend of Redford鈥檚 who led the festival from 2009 to 2020, told The Associated Press in an interview earlier this year that he felt like his role was 鈥渢o be a keeper of the flame for Robert Redford and his legacy.鈥 Now, Cooper, the artistic director of Sonoma’s True West Film Center who is still a regular presence at Sundance said, that mission is more important than ever. It鈥檚 鈥渁 lot to process, going from a legacy that was alive in him to one we have to carry on,鈥 Cooper told the AP. That legacy, he said, centers on spreading the power of storytelling.
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Associated Press writer Hannah Schoenbaum contributed from Utah.
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