--- title: Robert Redford Explains the 'Sundance Effect' description: Robert Redford, icon of both Hollywood and Independent Cinema, reflects on story of the iconic film festival he founded 30 years ago. canonical: https://time.com/72411/robert-redford-explains-the-sundance-effect/ author: Jim Fields article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-04-24T16:41:20.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-01T08:52:37.307Z article:section: Entertainment og:title: Robert Redford Explains 'The Sundance Effect' og:description: He founded the iconic film festival 30 years ago and now the screen legend reflects on the story and legacy of Sundance. og:url: https://time.com/72411/robert-redford-explains-the-sundance-effect/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Robert Redford Explains 'The Sundance Effect' twitter:description: He founded the iconic film festival 30 years ago and now the screen legend reflects on the story and legacy of Sundance. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production video:duration: 06:18 video:published: 2014-04-24 section: entertainment topics: independent film, Sundance Film Festival, filmmaking, film festivals, documentary film, mainstream Hollywood, Utah, new talent development, commercial success, artistic integrity genre: documentary, interview tones: reflective, earnest, candid, nostalgic emotions: pride (medium), nostalgia (medium), determination (medium), concern (low) sentiment: positive audience: film enthusiasts, independent filmmakers, Sundance attendees, general audiences interested in cinema people: Robert Redford, Quentin Tarantino, Darren Aronofsky, Kimberly Peirce, Steven Soderbergh, Roger Ebert, Harvey Weinstein organizations: Sundance Film Festival products: Hoop Dreams, Reservoir Dogs, Pi, Boys Don't Cry, Sex, Lies, and Videotape transcript_source: publisher captions transcript_reviewed: not applicable --- # Robert Redford Explains the 'Sundance Effect' > Sponsored content. 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Robert Redford, icon of both Hollywood and Independent Cinema, reflects on story of the iconic film festival he founded 30 years ago_ Description, summary, key points, chapters, key quotes, questions and transcript, where present, were produced automatically from the video or its captions and were not reviewed. ## Summary Robert Redford describes how his success in mainstream film let him make smaller, personal films about a different America, and how that led him to create a lab and festival for new independent filmmakers. He recounts the early years in Utah, when the festival had little support, and how films by Tarantino, Soderbergh and others brought attention. He also discusses the rise of documentaries like Hoop Dreams and his concern that success and money could threaten the festival's mission. ## Key points - Redford says his success as a mainstream actor allowed him to make smaller films telling stories about the America he saw. (00:09) - He wanted to tell a story about the America he grew up in that was different from the one being popularized after the Second World War. (00:48) - Redford describes Sundance as a place where new artists could develop, with experienced colleagues coming up for about a month to work with them. (01:14) - Early Sundance films by Quentin Tarantino, Darren Aronofsky and Kimberly Peirce came through the festival, helping new filmmakers get their movies made. (01:50) - The first festival year had only one theatre, the old Egyptian Theatre, with no promotion or support. (03:13) - Roger Ebert was described as the first real supporter of the festival, and Redford credits Harvey Weinstein for buying films and building them into more mainstream releases. (03:35) - Redford says documentaries like Hoop Dreams in the mid-90s raised the profile of documentary film and drew audiences to the festival. (04:10) - Redford says he did not want the festival to chase money and wanted it to remain free of the influence money can bring. (04:55) ## Chapters - [00:00 to 01:14] Redford's Motivation for Smaller Films. Redford explains how his acting success enabled him to tell stories about a different America. - [01:14 to 02:22] Founding a Lab for New Filmmakers. Redford describes creating a development space in Utah where experienced artists mentored new filmmakers. - [02:22 to 03:35] Early Years and Building a Community. Redford recounts the festival's rough early years, its Utah setting, and the early films and support that kept it going. - [03:35 to 04:41] Supporters and Documentary Growth. Redford credits key supporters and notes the rise of documentaries in the mid-1990s. - [04:41 to 06:18] Success, Money and the Festival's Mission. Redford reflects on the tension between success and mission, and on the festival's aspirations to give people a chance to be seen. ## Key quotes - [00:25] Robert Redford: "the stories I wanted to tell about the America that I saw." - [01:10] Robert Redford: "Sundance became an extension of that giving other people a chance to do the same thing." - [04:55] Robert Redford: "I didn't want to us to be chasing the money, it was tempting to chase the money." - [05:58] Robert Redford: "I think we created an aspiration." ## Questions this video answers - Why did Robert Redford start making smaller films? [00:09] - What was the purpose of the lab and festival Redford created? [01:14] - Who were some early filmmakers who came through the Sundance festival? [01:50] - Who supported the festival in its early years? [03:35] - How did documentaries change at the festival in the 1990s? [04:10] - What concern did Redford have about success at the festival? [04:55] by [Jim Fields](https://time.com/author/jim-fields/) ## Jim Fields Apr 24, 2014 4:41 PM UTC Robert Redford, icon of both Hollywood and Independent Cinema, reflects on story of the iconic film festival he founded 30 years ago by [Jim Fields](https://time.com/author/jim-fields/) ## Jim Fields Apr 24, 2014 4:41 PM UTC Back in 1978, Actor and Director Robert Redford attended a humble event in Salt Lake City called “The United States Film Festival.” There, he found himself in a theatre with maybe four other people, watching a small movie that looked like it was made in someone’s garage on weekends. The experience led to an epiphany: “This guy has something special to say,” Redford recalls, “I wish there was a way to help him.” Six years later, in 1984, The Sundance Institute — a sort of boot camp for filmmakers on Redford’s Utah property — assumed control of the U.S. Film Festival. The first Sundance Film Festival followed in January, 1985\. The rest, as they say, is history. On the occasion of 30th anniversary of The Sundance Film Festival, Redford talks with TIME about the rise (and maybe fall) of one of cinema’s most influential institutions. ## Transcript [00:00] [ MUSIC ] [00:09] I was able, with the success I'd had as an actor in [00:12] mainstream film, it allowed me to at least be able [00:16] to make these smaller films. Son, you're a [00:21] politician and that were, were the stories [00:25] I wanted to tell about the America that I saw. [ MUSIC ] [00:32] I remember at the end of the Second World War there [00:34] was a lot of sloganeering in the country about, there [00:34] was all red, white and blue talk. How great we were, [00:38] and we are great, we're a great country. Did Deep [00:40] Throat say that people's lives are in danger. Yes. What [00:42] else did he say? He [00:46] said everyone is involved. But when I became a [00:48] filmmaker, I wanted to tell a story about the America [00:52] that I grew up in that was different than the one that [00:53] was being popularized. I lied to the American people, I [00:59] lied about what I knew. That I would see a gray zone. [01:03] [ INAUDIBLE ] There was a grey area that wasn't being [01:04] touched on, where things were more complex and so [01:07] that, Sundance became an extension of that giving [01:10] other people a chance to do the same thing. [ MUSIC ] [01:14] But what I wanted to do was to create a mechanism [01:16] where new artists would have a place to come [01:18] develop, and I would call on my [01:22] own colleagues who were experienced. They were, [01:24] writers, directors, actors, cinematographers, editors. [01:30] Would they come up for period of about a month to, [01:32] the other place where I could afford to give over was [01:35] the property in Utah, in a month. Would you come up [01:38] and work with these new filmmakers? At the time, I [01:41] didn't know if it was going to last or not. You could see [01:44] that we were, we were building some, some new talent [01:48] and they were being able to get their movies made. [01:50] Say your names. Mr. Brown. Mr. [01:54] White. Mr. Blonde. Mr. Blue. Mr. Orange. [01:59] Mr. Pink. Why am I Mr, Pink? Then there was [02:03] Reservoir Dogs, Quentin Tarantino. Mathematics is the [02:06] language of nature. Darren Aronofsky in Pi. He had [02:10] Kimberly Peirce in Boys Don't Cry. And, you know, [02:12] there were a number of films that came through. Why [02:14] not you're beautiful? And that allowed me to stay alive [02:17] because it got just enough attention to keep going, but [02:20] it was a rough road for about ten years on Sundays. [02:22] [ MUSIC ] But the mainstream [02:26] wasn't allowing any space in the threatre. Well it'd be [02:30] sad to just have it evaporate after they come through [02:33] this lab, so maybe what we can do is create a festival, [02:36] and have them gather and just create a community of, [02:38] of film- makers to look at each others work. The [02:43] next think was to how do you get people in Utah, a lot [02:46] of people see Utah as a theocratic state, you know, you [02:49] know, a culture that's very religious basically. And that [02:53] religion doesn't seem to, let's just say would frown on, [02:55] on all kinds of films so what are you doing, you're [02:57] crazy. I said well maybe that's why we should do it, we [03:01] should, we should make this weird. What are you doing [03:04] up in Utah? Let's make it in the winter now, [03:08] it's really getting weird. Maybe it's just so weird people [03:10] will come because it's weird. I think about that first [03:13] year, when we only had one theatre there, the old [03:16] Egyptian Theatre and there was no promotion, no [03:20] support. When some of these films [03:24] came through, Quentin's film and then Soderbergh's [03:27] film 'Sex, Lies and Videotapes'. Suddenly there [03:31] was an attention there in Park City that didn't exist and [03:35] we were able to survive but just barely. I think Roger [03:40] Ebert was the first real supporter and he stayed that [03:43] way all the way through, I won't be forever in debt to [03:45] Roger and to Harvey Weinstein. That's why Harvey [03:49] Weinstein was so valuable because he came in and he [03:51] wanted to, to buy films there and then build them into [03:55] something that was, that could be considered more [03:58] mainstream. Now, I didn't feel that that was our [04:01] mission to see who buys, it was our mission just to [04:05] show the work. Things [04:10] started to move with Hoop Dreams. Well Hoop Dreams [04:12] was a documentary that came the mid 90s suddenly [04:16] documentaries step up a level. Can I watch you walk? [04:18] Sure. So the people begin to look at them differently [04:22] rather than just something that you do like castor oil. [04:25] This is a story of us and our band over seven years. [04:29] And suddenly the documentaries begin to really move, [04:32] and the support of them begin to move, and I was [04:34] thrilled. [ MUSIC ] [ NOISE ] [ LAUGH ] [ MUSIC ] Things [04:41] really started to move in the '90s I thought, wow. Oh, [04:46] I get it. People are coming here because they, they're [04:49] gonna be able to see something they wouldn't get to [04:50] see normally in the, in the mainstream market. Success [04:55] is, it has a dark side and [05:00] I realize that the tension we were now were now going [05:02] to be facing was going to be tight, but I didn't want to [05:04] us to be chasing the money, it was tempting to chase [05:05] the money. There's a reason I didn't [05:10] have this in the beginning in Beverly Hills or [05:16] New York City. It's gotten very big obviously, but [05:18] everyone's been super supportive. I wanted to be [05:21] removed, I wanted to be removed and isolated, and [05:26] more intimate, but completely free of any kind of [05:29] influence that money can bring. I [05:33] just feel that if we don't close this down now, it's gonna [05:36] grow itself into a mess. I [05:41] don't think we can do what we started out to do. To do [05:43] equal. That hasn't happened yet, but in, if that [05:47] moment came, I, you know, what do you do? You ever [05:50] see Manhattan? You ever see the Seven Sea where they [05:53] have these great dialogues with these great [05:55] backgrounds? I think we created an aspiration. I think [05:58] creating something new that gave people a chance who [06:02] wouldn't normally have that chance to be seen. And to [06:05] give audiences a chance to see something they might [06:08] not normally see. That, to me, is a huge plus if it's [06:11] done that, then I'm happy. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/72411/robert-redford-explains-the-sundance-effect/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/72411/robert-redford-explains-the-sundance-effect/"},"headline":"Robert Redford Explains the 'Sundance Effect'","datePublished":"2014-04-24T16:41:20.000Z","dateModified":"2026-10-01T08:52:37.307Z","description":"Robert Redford, icon of both Hollywood and Independent Cinema, reflects on story of the iconic film festival he founded 30 years ago.","url":"https://time.com/72411/robert-redford-explains-the-sundance-effect/","keywords":["TIME 100","Sundance","TIME 100","Robert Redford"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Jim Fields","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/jim-fields/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/tag/time-100/","name":"TIME 100"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/72411/robert-redford-explains-the-sundance-effect/","name":"Robert Redford Explains the 'Sundance Effect'"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Robert Redford Explains the Sundance Effect","description":"Robert Redford, icon of both Hollywood and Independent Cinema, reflects on story of the iconic film festival he founded 30 years ago","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/0fLDD8s1/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2014-04-24T10:24:57.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/0fLDD8s1.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/72411/robert-redford-explains-the-sundance-effect/","duration":"PT6M18S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/72411/robert-redford-explains-the-sundance-effect/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```