Remembering Sundance Institute Founder Robert Redford

"The loss of our founder and friend Robert Redford, leaves us bereft and grateful for his life’s work. Bob’s vision of a space and platform for independent voices launched a movement that, over four decades later, has inspired generations of artists and redefined cinema in the U.S. and around the world. Beyond his enormous contributions to culture at large, we will miss his generosity, clarity of purpose, curiosity, rebellious spirit, and his love for the creative process. We are humbled to be among the stewards of his remarkable legacy, which will continue to guide the Institute in perpetuity."

Sundance Festival

ROBERT REDFORD Founder, Sundance Institute 1936–2025

Robert Redford led a life defined by a love for nature, art, activism, and storytelling. After growing up in Southern California, he attended art school before becoming an actor on Broadway and in Hollywood. His role in the 1969 instant classic Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid firmly cemented his on-screen career.

That same year, Redford opened Sundance Mountain Resort, named after his newly iconic title role. He had purchased the land in Utah after driving through the beautiful Provo Canyon during a cross-country motorcycle trip in 1961, and he had even built a small cabin there with his own hands before creating the resort.

This secluded place in the mountains later became a center for the work of Sundance Institute, which was born out of Redford’s desire to support independent filmmakers. “I wanted to have a sense of place, I wanted to create a sense of home, I wanted to have a sense of community,” he said. “I wanted to be able to do projects that were different from the run of the mill. That’s how this thing started.”

Though Redford enjoyed a fruitful acting and directing career (he would win the Academy Award for Best Director the following year for Ordinary People), his success didn’t deter him from recognizing that there were many other talented filmmakers who weren’t getting the opportunities they deserved, as the industry was being dominated by big studios that were only interested in making blockbusters.