Robert Redford's Passion For Film

It Has Been 26 Years Since Actor Founded The Sundance Institute

(CBS)  Redford's experience with those hard-to-make films and his love of this dramatic Utah landscape led him to one of his most important off-screen roles founding the Sundance Institute.

"So it finally occurred to me when I started the institute and I watched how artists were here and I thought this is the perfect," Redford said. "This is it. It's a place for artists and the environment."

This year the Sundance Institute celebrates a quarter of a century of workshops where acting, directing, screenwriting and editing are all honed. The money comes from Redford himself as well as fundraising and grants. The idea is to help nurture smaller, so called independent films which big studios ignored for years. Hollywood personalities like Christine Lahti, who first came here for an acting workshop, return to coach newcomers.

"My specialty is helping these young directors learn a vocabulary to talk to their actors and being an actor myself and having directed I had," she said. "I know a lot about it."

And Lahti said it's all possible because of Redford. "He has nurtured independent film making like no one else, really put his money where his mouth is," she said. "And I have a huge amount of respect for him."

Victoria Mahoney says that being one of eight chosen from 3,000 applicants to participate in a director's workshop will make it easier for her to raise the money she needs to make her own movie.

"I think the film will be made sooner," she said. "Maybe it won't take ten more years to get a whisper in someone's ear, get a phone call returned."

Several successful movies got made after being worked on at the institute, including "Reservoir Dogs" and "Boys Don't Cry". And other independent films like "Sex, Lies and Videotape" and "Little Miss Sunshine" were launched at an off-shoot of the Sundance Institute, the Sundance Film Festival.

The Film Festival, which actually takes place in Park City, about an hour away from Sundance, was created by Redford to showcase Independent Feature Films and Documentaries. When the festival first began, Redford said he had to cajole people in to coming to see the films.

"I can't tell you everything I did," he said. "It's shameful. But really, a lot of people think I'm kidding, but we stand on a corner and tell people, 'You ought to go in and see this movie.'"

Now it's become an international happening; a chance to party and to see celebrities. Redford says the hoopla can be overwhelming, but it has not altered the original purpose of the festival.

"And to say, 'Look, we're into discovering these new voices and were bringing their work to you, you decide whether you like it or not,'" Redford said. "But you have such a wide choice it makes it the exciting place to be."

There is of course the Robert Redford cache associated with the festival that appeals to so many people. Redford may try to play it down, but he is still very much the center of attention at the festival and fledgling directors like Joseph Mathew credit him with drawing attention to their work.

His documentary about immigration called "Crossing Arizona" premiered at Sundance.

"I think it’s a miracle," he said. For me, personally, I would hope that the next film will be a little bit easier to make... I wouldn't have to put everything on my credit card."

Making movies and helping others to do so is all part of Redford's life philosophy. He's kept going by the belief that "if you can do more you should."

[bluestardad]

He is just living off the benefits of the men who died to provide his artistic freedoms? I cannot believe he has ever served in the Military.

[erikann-2009]

Redford's selfless commitment to independent filmmaking is an inspiration to me as a screenwriter. Regarding his environmentalism, he has no political agenda, save keeping our air supply from dwindling. His actions speak volumes. In Redford's case, "no good deed goes unpunished." He gets major flak for speaking out against big corporations which are harming our natural resources. If that is a "far left" conspiracy to overthrow the government, then maybe the government needs to be overthrown. Our current government is a joke, a farse and a lie.