--- --- # Robert Redford Explains the 'Sundance Effect' by [Jim Fields](https://time.com/author/jim-fields/) ## Jim Fields Apr 24, 2014 4:41 PM UTC 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. Robert Redford Explains the 'Sundance Effect' ```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":"2026-07-21T07:15:14.495Z","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":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/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'"}}]}] ```