Redford’s Revolution

This year marks the thirty-eighth year of the annual Sundance Film Festival. The Sundance Film Festival is the most celebrated independent film festival in the United States. Founded by Robert Redford in 1978, Sundance is an event where independent filmmakers can come to get their work widely noticed and viewed. It takes place mainly in Park City, Utah, but also in many other locations in the state, including Salt Lake City, Ogden, and the Sundance Ski Resort. Since 1978, the festival’s size has increased dramatically. Today, there are over twelve thousand films submitted to the festival, about three-hundred of which are accepted to screen.

In 1969, Robert Redford bought the estate where the festival originated. The property was previously owned by a Scottish family who had created a ski resort called Timp Haven. New York businessmen had the desire to transform the property into a financial hotspot. However, according to the Sundance Mountain Resort website, Redford declined the offer. He thought that the land was sacred, especially for the Ute tribes that lived on the land prior to the creation of the ski resort. Many years after the purchase of the land, Redford began the film festival in the small area. As the festival continued to grow, it was in dire need of more facilities, which led to Redford’s decision to expand the event into Park City, Utah. Since then, the festival has expanded to Salt Lake City and Ogden because of the lack of viewing spaces in Sundance and Park City.

Today, the Sundance Film Festival is a big occurrence attended by people from all over the world, including many stars. Many people have differing opinions concerning Sundance. For example, Sharon Maddux, the Filmmaking teacher at Treasure Mountain Junior High in Park City, said that she has been participating in the festival for about fifteen years, and loves the variety of films brought to Sundance. When asked what her favorite all-time film was from the festival, she admitted that she couldn’t decide. She stated, “This is a tough question to answer because different films generate my appreciation for many different reasons.” This interview showcased some of the reasons Sundance is so loved.

There is no doubt that Sundance is a very special event for many people, and will continue to be for many years to come.

-Ellie and Rachel


Main Street, Park City

Sources

"About Us." Sundance Mountain Resort Founded by Robert Redford. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2016.
"Sundance Film Festival Announces 2016 Lineup of In-competition Films." Sundance Film Festival Announces 2016 Lineup of In-competition Films. N.p., 3 Dec. 2015. Web. 28 Jan. 2016.
Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2016.
"30 Years of Sundance Film Festival - Sundance Institute." 30 Years of Sundance Film Festival - Sundance Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2016.