2026 Sundance Film Festival to Honor Robert Redford with Inaugural Luminary Award Presented to Ed Harris and Gyula Gazdag

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Nov 12

Written By Jonathan P. Moustakas

The Sundance Institute launches the Robert Redford Luminary Award, honoring Ed Harris and Gyula Gazdag for their decades of mentorship and creative dedication.

PARK CITY, UTAH — The Sundance Institute has announced details for its 2026 Sundance Film Festival annual fundraiser, Celebrating Sundance Institute: A Tribute to Founder Robert Redford, taking place Friday, January 23, 2026, at the Grand Hyatt Deer Valley. The evening will honor Robert Redford’s enduring legacy and the independent spirit he ignited more than four decades ago, marking a major milestone with the creation of the inaugural Robert Redford Luminary Award, to be presented to Ed Harris and Gyula Gazdag — two artists whose commitment to mentorship has helped define the Institute’s creative DNA.

The 2026 Sundance Film Festival will run January 22–February 1, 2026, with in-person screenings in Park City and Salt Lake City, and an at-home program streaming nationwide from January 29–February 1. The annual event raises critical funds for Sundance Institute’s year-round artist programs, supporting independent filmmakers through labs, grants, and fellowships that continue to shape the global landscape of storytelling.

“This will be a profoundly meaningful year for Sundance Institute as we honor our Founder, Robert Redford,” said Ebs Burnough, Sundance Institute Board Chair. “This special evening supports the mission that he built this organization upon — to nurture and elevate independent artists.” Acting CEO Amanda Kelso added, “We are pleased to introduce the Robert Redford Luminary Award to Ed Harris and Gyula Gazdag, who have been guiding voices for generations of filmmakers. Their mentorship embodies the spirit of Robert Redford’s vision.”

Both honorees have long been fixtures within Sundance Institute’s Directors and Screenwriters Labs. Ed Harris, a four-time Academy Award nominee and two-time Golden Globe winner, has served as a creative advisor since 2002. His storied career spans Apollo 13, The Truman Show, The Hours, Pollock, and Westworld, among others. “Those weeks at the Labs have been among the most rewarding experiences of my life,” Harris said. “I’m eternally grateful to Robert Redford for his vision and passion. This honor is deeply humbling.”

Gyula Gazdag, an acclaimed filmmaker, screenwriter, and professor emeritus at UCLA, has been a creative advisor since 1994 and the Artistic Director of the Directors Lab since 1997. “The Sundance Labs became my second home,” Gazdag said. “It’s a space where nurturing art is second nature — where fresh air, inspiration, and camaraderie fuel free creation. Receiving this award bearing Robert Redford’s name is one of the great honors of my life.”

The Robert Redford Luminary Award recognizes individuals who, in a visionary way, use their craft, compassion, and creativity to expand what’s possible. Its establishment reflects not only Redford’s artistic philosophy but also his belief in mentorship as a cornerstone of independent cinema. For Redford — who founded the Institute in 1981 to support emerging artists — the Labs were always more than a training ground; they were a sanctuary for experimentation, collaboration, and courage.

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Now, 45 years later, that ethos continues to define Sundance. The 2026 tribute will gather filmmakers, alumni, and supporters to honor Redford’s lifelong mission: to protect independent voices and preserve the integrity of creative risk. The event also serves as a vital fundraiser ensuring the Institute’s programs — from the Feature Film Program and Documentary Lab to the newly expanded Sundance Collab digital platform — can sustain the next generation of boundary-pushing storytellers.

In addition to the tribute dinner, the 2026 Sundance Film Festival will showcase a diverse slate of films across fiction, documentary, and episodic storytelling. Over the decades, the Festival has premiered such landmark works as CODA, Get Out, Minari, Whiplash, The Farewell, and Fire of Love. This year’s event will once again spotlight daring new voices, while the Redford tribute reminds audiences why Sundance remains more than a festival — it’s a movement.

Single film tickets for the 2026 Festival go on sale January 14 at 10 a.m. MT, with limited passes and packages still available. For full details, visit festival.sundance.org.