“Storytellers broaden our minds: engage, provoke, inspire, and ultimately, connect us.” -- Robert Redford, President and Founder

As a champion and curator of independent stories for the stage and screen, Sundance Institute provides and preserves the space for artists in film, theatre, film composing, and digital media to create and thrive.

Robert Redford founded the Institute in 1981 to foster independence, risk-taking, and new voices in American film. That year, ten emerging filmmakers were invited to Sundance Resort in the mountains of Utah, where they worked with leading writers, directors, and actors to develop their original independent projects.

Today, over 20,000 artists from all over the world make the Sundance Institute Collective,  with artists emerging from the Sundance Film Festival as well as out 25 residential labs, grants, and ongoing mentorships that continue to support more than 900 artists each year. In addition to the Festival, Sundance Institute hosts many public programs in the US and around the world to connect artists with audiences to present original voices, inspire new ideas, and create community around independent storytelling.