Robert Redford’s Legacy Lives On: Sundance Film Festival Finds New Home in Boulder

Actor, producer, director and founder of the Sundance Institute, Robert Redford passed away on Sept. 16, 2025, at his home near the site of his legacy film festival. In 1981, Redford wanted to nurture new talent and new creativity, something he no longer saw in the mainstream film industry – the result was the Sundance Film Festival.

As an artistic training ground, networking hub, public venue and mentorship and grant center, the Sundance Institute and namesake festival nurtured two generations of independent filmmakers in Utah’s Wasatch Mountains.
At this year’s announcement of the festival’s move to Boulder, Redford stated, “As change is inevitable, we must always evolve and grow, which has been at the core of our survival. This move will ensure that the festival continues its work of risk-taking, supporting innovative storytellers, fostering independence and entertaining and enlightening audiences. I am grateful to the Boulder community for its support, and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for the festival there.”

Redford was a Hollywood icon, patriarch of the independent film industry, ardent conservationist, political activist and president of Sundance Institute’s Board of Trustees until his death. He earned an honorary doctorate from University of Colorado in 1987, after attending CU-Boulder in 1954-55. Two of Redford’s children, the late James Redford and Shauna Redford Schlosser, graduated from University of Colorado in 1985.