Honoring Redford: A Look at the Man Behind the Sundance Legend

At a recent event, people who knew Robert Redford well gathered to share their thoughts. They spoke about his impact on their lives and careers. This was during the Sundance Film Festival, which is moving to a new location soon. Redford's daughter, Amy, talked about her father's vision. She said he chose to create a supportive space for artists. Instead of building an empire, he built a nurturing environment. This place, the Sundance Institute, helps new filmmakers grow. The Sundance Institute has been around since 1981. It brings new storytellers to a quiet resort in Utah. Here, they can develop their skills away from the busy world of Hollywood. Many successful filmmakers, like Paul Thomas Anderson and Chloé Zhao, started here.Zhao spoke about how the institute helped her career. She learned to trust her own ideas and found a community of artists. Others, like director Nia DaCosta, shared stories of Redford's kindness. He would ride his motorcycle and chat with them about their projects. Ethan Hawke, a regular at the festival, talked about his first audition. Redford told him he was too young for the part but had a bright future. Hawke said Redford became one of his greatest mentors. The festival included a tribute video to Redford. Many volunteers wore buttons thanking him. Later, there will be a screening of his early film, "Downhill Racer. " Ava DuVernay, another filmmaker, spoke about her first experience at Sundance. She started as a publicist but later got her big break there. She said Redford showed the world that artists and imagination are worth protecting.