Sundance to Honor Founder Robert Redford with Tribute and New Luminary Award

In November 2025, the Sundance Film Festival announced that it will offer a series of events next year to honor its late founder, Robert Redford, who passed away in September at the age of 89. The 2026 Sundance Film Festival, the last to be held in Park City, Utah, will take place from January 22 to February 1, 2026.

As part of the festivities, Sundance Institute will host a special event called "A Tribute to Founder Robert Redford" on January 23, 2026. The event will celebrate Redford's legacy, vision, and enduring mission to support independent storytellers. During the event, the inaugural Robert Redford Luminary Award will be presented to Ed Harris and Gyula Gazdag, two artists who have been deeply dedicated to the Sundance Institute labs and committed to elevating bold storytellers.

Harris and Gazdag have served as creative advisors for the Sundance Institute Directors and Screenwriters Labs for over two decades, offering guidance to artists as they develop and refine their projects and skills. They will be honored for their dedication to Redford's vision of elevating new voices, championing independent storytelling, and upholding that artistic endeavor for years to come.