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.
Even as the festival heads to its new home, the piece of Redford’s legacy that his daughter said meant the most to him will remain in Utah: the institute’s lab programs for writers and directors.
“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.”
Källa: Robert Redford remembered for his mentorship of new filmmakers at Sundance gala
