This year, be part of a special evening honoring Sundance Institute’s Founder Robert Redford — his legacy, vision, and enduring mission to support independent storytellers. We'll come together for food, music, and to honor his impact with special moments. We invite you, along with the many influential artists embodying his enduring vision, to raise a glass and connect with fellow members of the Sundance Institute community about how we carry on Redford’s mission for the next generation. 

From its start in the mountains of Utah and for over four decades, Sundance Institute — a nonprofit Mr. Redford founded in 1981 to develop and support groundbreaking independent artists and storytellers — has shaped independent film and shifted culture by introducing fresh perspectives and voices. That work has found audiences across the globe, including at the preeminent Sundance Film Festival, which has launched the careers of countless groundbreaking filmmakers.

This is more than an event — it’s a once-in-a-lifetime gathering to celebrate the visionary founder who established Sundance Institute and redefined independent film. 

Your support will directly contribute to Sundance Institute’s vital year-round work, providing grants, mentorships, and critical resources that enable artists across the globe to bring their stories to life.

We hope to see you at Celebrating Sundance Institute: A Tribute to Founder Robert Redford at Grand Hyatt Deer Valley in Park City, Utah, starting at 6:30 p.m. MT.

Join us!

If you’re unable to join us, please consider making a general contribution to Sundance Institute, which directly supports independent artists through resources such as labs, grants, and fellowships. Reach out to benefitevent@sundance.org with any questions.

Honorees

We’re thrilled to announce our 2026 lineup of  esteemed honorees for Celebrating Sundance Institute: A Tribute to Founder Robert Redford.

Sundance Institute Trailblazer Award Presented by Google: Chloé Zhao

Recognizing an artist’s unwavering dedication and notable contributions to the field of independent film, the Sundance Institute Trailblazer Award presented by Google will be presented to Academy Award–winning filmmaker Chloé Zhao. Previous honorees include Christopher Nolan and James Mangold.

Chloé Zhao is a Beijing-born writer, director, editor, and producer. Her debut feature, Songs My Brother Taught Me (2015), was supported by the 2012 Sundance Institute Directors and Screenwriters Lab and later premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. Zhao’s other films include The Rider (2017), Eternals (2021), and Nomadland (2020), which won three Oscars. Most recently, she directed, co-wrote, and co-edited Focus Features' Hamnet (2025), from the best-selling novel of the same name. Led by her masterful creative vision and collaborative storytelling, the film has earned nine audience awards, as well as Golden Globe and Critics Choice Association nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. She launched the production company Book of Shadows in 2023 and Kodansha Studios in 2025

Sundance Institute Trailblazer Award Presented by Google: Chloé Zhao

Sundance Institute Trailblazer Award Presented by Google: Chloé Zhao

The annual Sundance Institute Vanguard Awards presented by Acura honor emerging artists whose work highlights the art of storytelling and creative independence in both fiction and nonfiction. The Vanguard Award for Fiction will be presented to Nia DaCosta, director of Hedda (2025), and the Vanguard Award for Nonfiction will go to Geeta Gandbhir, director of The Perfect Neighbor (2025). Previous honorees include Sean Wang, Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie, Celine Song, Maite Alberdi, Ryan Coogler, W. Kamau Bell, Nikyatu Jusu, Siân Heder, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Radha Blank, Lulu Wang, Boots Riley, Dee Rees, Marielle Heller, Damien Chazelle, Benh Zeitlin, and many more.

Nia DaCosta wrote, directed, and produced Hedda, which was released this fall. Previously, DaCosta directed and co-wrote The Marvels (2023), Candyman (2021), and Little Woods (2018), her debut feature supported by the 2015 Sundance Institute Directors and Screenwriters Labs. Her next film, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, will be released in theaters on January 16, 2026.

Director Geeta Gandbhir is an Emmy, Film Independent Spirit, and Peabody Award–winning filmmaker. Her documentary The Perfect Neighbor (Netflix) premiered in the U.S. Documentary Competition category at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival and won the juried Directing Award: U.S. Documentary. As a director, her other recent credits include Katrina: Come Hell and High Water (2025), Eyes on the Prize (2025), The Devil is Busy (2024), How We Get Free (2023), Born in Synanon (2023), and Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power (2022).

Vanguard Awards Presented By

Trailblazer Award Presented By