The Sundance Film Festival is more than an excuse to party and watch movies in the mountains; it is a place where dreams are idealized.
Since 1981, the event held in Park City, Utah, has ignited the passion of filmmakers, actors, enthusiasts, and everyone in between. During its most recent celebration, people were reminded of the vision of Sundance Institute founder Robert Redford, an Oscar-winning actor, director, producer, and activist.
Redford passed away at the age of 89 in September 2025, and the 2026 Sundance Film Festival is one of the first public memorializations of him. It was also bittersweet, as this year marks the event’s last occurrence in Utah, where it has been based since its inception 48 years ago.
Honoring Robert Redford
“There are just so many beautiful humans I gained as mentors, friends and family through this experience, but I do want to spend some time also talking about Bob Redford,” director Nia DaCosta said while accepting the Vanguard Award for Fiction, presented by Acura , during the Celebrating Sundance Institute: A Tribute to Founder Robert Redford on Jan. 23.
“He was a stunning human,” she continued. “He really saw you. … He mentored all of us at the Directors Lab, and he was also this presence that made the experience so singular.”
DaCosta’s award was presented by Tessa Thompson, a Sundance Institute trustee and Golden Globe nominee for Best Actress for Hedda, directed by DaCosta.
“The first time I ever came to Sundance, I was an interloper of sorts, because I was in a film that had been rejected from Sundance, and was at Slam Dance instead. And unbeknownst to my cohorts in the film because we were supposed to be mad at Sundance, I snuck down the hill to see some movies. And secretly, I dreamed one day to have a movie at Sundance,” Thompson said at the event.
She added, “And of course, I finally did. I’ve had many, and Sundance has also been so instrumental in the lives and careers of directors that I’ve had the great privilege to work with. One of them is the brilliant Ava DuVernay, Taika [Waititi], or Ryan [Coogler], who’s here, or Boots [Riley], and Nia, who I’m here to talk about tonight.”
Thompson went on to explain the time she met Redford herself during her time as a participant in the Sundance Labs, the immersive, noncompetitive workshops run by the Sundance Institute. The institute is a nonprofit organization created by Redford, designed to nurture film, theater and episodic storytellers alike through intensive mentorship, feedback and resources that help them take their projects to the next level.
Along with Thompson, other filmmakers like Ryan Coogler and Boots Riley, have gotten their start through films like Sorry to Bother You (Riley) and Fruitvale Station (Coogler), thanks to the labs.
“So for those of you who don’t know, I had the privilege of working with Ava [DuVernay] on her film Selma, and even before then, I was such an admirer of her work. But when I got to see it up close, what I understood, and the same thing that I understood when I watched Ryan work, or Boots, is that their work is grounded in the ethos of community,” Thompson said. “It’s really centered on community and service. And they are constant reminders of why I do what I do: storytelling.”
“When I did the labs… I had the chance, most extraordinarily, to see Robert Redford in person. I’ll never forget: He arrived on a motorcycle, wearing a leather jacket. And then we stood in a circle, all of us lab mates now, much like one you saw in a video. And for three hours, we were blessed with this time that we were going to spend together as something that was sacred,” Thompson said.
Continuing Redford’s legacy of championing creatives
Acura has served as a presenting sponsor at Sundance for 16 years, supporting the event’s ethos of pouring into the next generation of creatives and those with a love of storytelling.
Their Acura House of Energy was the destination to be during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival as guests were immersed in activities that ranged from the Buddy premiere party and screening, featuring stars like Keegan-Michael Key, Cristin Milioti and more; panels like the NAACP’s “From TV to Policy” that examined how harmful on-screen narratives can lead to harmful real-world policies; and a host of other events that proved to be much more than an on-the-ground activation at an event, and more like a presence with a purpose.
What support looks like moving forward
Sundance has now closed its 48-year chapter in Utah, bidding goodbye to Robert Redford while keeping his vision intact as the festival heads to Boulder, Colorado. Acura used the tribute night to announce its continued commitment to the film community with the announcement of the Acura NSX Roadster auction.
Thompson took the stage ahead of the tribute dinner to announce that the car, famously driven by Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark in the original Avengers, will be auctioned off later this year, with proceeds benefiting the winning bidder’s charity of choice.
Sundance has left its mark in Park City for the past four decades thanks to Robert Redford’s commitment to storytelling. His daughter, Amy Redford, took the stage during the tribute dinner to echo his sentiment and set the tone for what is to come.
“When my dad could have created an empire, he created a nest, and the Sundance Institute was designed to support and protect and nourish, and then to set free,” said Redford.
She concluded, “My dad used what he had to fix what was wrong. And if you would like to honor him, I think that’s a pretty good path. Who my dad was will live in all of you who loved him.”