In 1969, Robert Redford bought 5,000 acres in Utah to protect wilderness. 57 years later, 3,343 acres remain protected from development at Sundance Mountain Resort today

Places can carry the vision of the people who create them, particularly when that vision is shaped around protecting the land and giving others room to create. At Sundance Mountain Resort, Robert Redford’s connection to the Utah landscape became the foundation for a community centered on wilderness, creativity, conservation and storytelling.

More than five decades after Redford purchased thousands of acres in the area, the commitment to preserving the land remains central to the identity of Sundance Mountain Resort.

A Vision Built Around Preservation

In 1969, Robert Redford purchased 5,000 acres in the same area and named the land Sundance, after his role in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. That same year, he opened Sundance Mountain Resort to the public and designated a vast majority of the land as a wilderness preserve.


Today, 3,343 acres remain protected from development at Sundance Mountain Resort, according to the information provided, while more than 70% of the resort’s acreage remains protected through conservation easements.

Among the protected areas is the Redford Family Nature & Wildlife Preserve.

More than 860 acres of critical wildlife habitat, vital watershed and undisturbed alpine meadows have been protected in perpetuity under a permanent conservation easement donated to Utah Open Lands by Robert Redford and his family. The property is situated above Sundance property in Northfork Canyon and is visible to residents and national and international visitors traveling along Utah’s Alpine Scenic Byway.

The Man Behind Sundance

The Sundance community honors its founder, Robert Redford, not only for his work in Hollywood and filmmaking but also for his relationship with the land.

More than a Hollywood visionary and filmmaking legend, Redford was described as a passionate steward of the land, an artist who championed creativity and the person behind Sundance Mountain Resort’s distinctive character.

He was also a devoted environmental activist, storyteller and creator of place. His vision shaped Sundance Resort into a setting where art, nature and human connection could exist alongside one another.

Redford viewed Sundance Resort as more than a destination. His vision was for a community for artists, adventurers and nature lovers, balancing his personal passions while creating space for guests to feel grounded, inspired and connected.

The Beginning of Sundance

The roots of Redford’s connection to the area go back to 1961.

During a cross-country motorcycle trip, he was inspired by the remote location and wildness of Provo Canyon and the majesty of Mt. Timpanogos. He purchased two acres and built a small cabin with his own hands.

Eight years later, that connection to the landscape expanded dramatically.

1969 — The Name “Sundance”

Redford purchased 5,000 acres in the same area and named the land Sundance, after his role in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. He also opened Sundance Mountain Resort to the public and designated a vast majority of the land as a wilderness preserve.

For Redford, the goal was not simply to develop a destination. Captivated by Mount Timpanogos and the surrounding landscape, he saw the potential to create a place where protection, art and community could exist together.

The Sundance Institute Takes Shape

In 1981, the Sundance Institute held its first lab at the resort. Seventeen independent filmmakers developed original projects with advisors including Sydney Pollack and Waldo Salt. The lab provided resources and an environment designed to support the creative process while encouraging filmmakers to tell original stories in their own voices.

From Independent Films to a Global Movement

In 1983, Gregory Nava’s El Norte became the first lab-supported film to be produced. The critically acclaimed film tells of undocumented immigrants from Guatemala and their journey to the United States, and Gregory Nava and Anna Thomas received a nomination for the Academy Award for best writing.

The Institute’s work also expanded beyond film.

In 1984, the Utah Playwrights Conference formally became the Sundance Playwrights Laboratory, forming what would later become the Institute’s Theater Program.

A year later, the Sundance Institute assumed creative and administrative control of the 1985 U.S. Film Festival. The event was expanded into a 10-day showcase for new American independent narrative and documentary films, alongside international films. It was later renamed the Sundance Film Festival.

The Institute continued developing international creative exchanges in the following years, including the Latin American Exchange Program and Sundance Film Festival in Tokyo in 1986–1987.

Independent Film Finds a Larger Audience

The Sundance Film Festival became increasingly associated with independent filmmaking.

In 1989, Steven Soderbergh’s sex, lies, and videotape won the Dramatic Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival. The film went on to become the most widely successful independent film released up to that time, while the Festival further established itself as a major forum for independent film.

In 1991, the Park City at Midnight section was introduced, offering a mix of horror, comedies and genre-defying films. That same period saw Quentin Tarantino workshop his debut film, Reservoir Dogs, at the Directors Lab. The film later premiered at the 1992 Festival.

Expanding Voices and Opportunities

The Institute continued broadening its reach during the 1990s.

In 1993, it co-sponsored the first Mexican Screenwriters Lab with the University of Guadalajara. Lab fellow Guillermo del Toro brought his screenplay The Devil’s Backbone to the lab for continued development.

In 1995, Smoke Signals, directed by Chris Eyre and written by Sherman Alexie, became the first film written and directed by Native Americans. The Institute also expanded its international work through Latin American Producers Conferences and Screenwriters Labs in multiple countries. The Sundance Film Festival in Beijing marked the first-ever festival of American independent film in China.

In 1997, the Institute partnered with UCLA to establish the Sundance Collection at UCLA, an archive dedicated to collecting and preserving independent cinema.

That same year, Kimberly Peirce developed Boys Don’t Cry at the Directors Lab. The film later earned Hilary Swank the 2000 Academy Award for Best Actress.

New Technology, Theater and Documentary Work

The new millennium brought additional changes.

In 2000, the Sundance Film Festival became one of the first festivals to offer digital projection as the industry debated the future of digital technology.

In 2002, the Soros Documentary Fund became the Sundance Documentary Fund and was adopted as a core Institute program. The Documentary Film Program also expanded to provide creative and strategic support alongside grants for nonfiction filmmakers.

From 2003 to 2004, the Documentary Film Program added a Composers Lab and an Edit and Storytelling Lab.

In 2004, I Am My Own Wife, developed by Doug Wright with support from the Institute’s Theater Program, received the Pulitzer Prize, the Tony Award for best play and the Tony Award for best actor for Jefferson Mays’s performance.

International Connections and New Forms of Storytelling

Between 2005 and 2007, the Sundance Film Festival launched its World Cinema Competition and the New Frontier section, which celebrated innovative work at the intersection of film, art and technology.

The Theater Program also expanded its global connections, including work with the Stary Theatre of Krakow, Poland, and the first annual Theatre Lab in East Africa on the island of Manda.

In 2009, the Institute offered its first Native Filmmakers Lab on the homelands of the Mescalero Apache tribe in New Mexico.

Reaching Audiences Through Digital Platforms

In 2011, the Institute launched #ArtistServices, later renamed the Creative Distribution Initiative. The program allowed Sundance Institute alumni to retain ownership of their work while reaching audiences through digital platforms such as iTunes, Amazon and Netflix.

The Institute also launched the New Frontier Story Lab to support storytelling pioneers working with new mediums and methodologies.

Supporting More Artists and Stories

In 2013, the Film Music Program partnered with Skywalker Sound to expand its Composers Lab to include sound design.

In 2016, the FilmTwo Initiative was introduced to support independent filmmakers developing and completing their second feature film. The Documentary Film Program also completed the pilot year of its Art of Nonfiction Initiative.

In 2018, the Indie Episodic category was officially introduced at the Festival to showcase new talent in independent television.

A Focus on Access and Inclusion

In 2019, the Sundance Film Festival introduced the Press Inclusion Initiative, offering stipend grants to help defray travel costs for more than 50 freelance critics and journalists. The Festival also introduced Talent Forum, a multi-day event connecting artists and industry.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought another major change in 2020. In response to closures and restrictions, the Sundance Institute created the Respond & Reimagine Plan, redistributing funds to support artists and arts organizations around the world. The summer labs were also held online through Sundance Collab.

Sundance Adapts During the Pandemic

The 2021 and 2022 Sundance Film Festivals were offered digitally through a custom-designed online platform alongside screenings at local cinemas and arts organizations across the United States through Satellite Screens.

The changes also brought increased accessibility, with attendance tripling and the Festival receiving industry praise for its user experience.

The Institute also expanded funding and support for Latinx and Asian American and Pacific Islander artists and created a new initiative focused on transgender storytellers of color. Its work supporting artists with disabilities also continued, including a year-round team focused on accessibility.

A Return to the Mountain

In 2023, after two years of online Festivals, the first hybrid Sundance Film Festival was held in person and online. The Festival featured films reflecting communities from around the world, live musical performances and discussions about the future of the film industry.

In 2024, the Institute celebrated the 40th edition of the Festival after receiving a record-setting 17,000 film submissions from around the world. The Festival looked toward the future while also celebrating important work from its history.

The Institute also partnered with The Walt Disney Company and The Doris Duke Foundation in 2024 to support Muslim artists and their stories through fellowships, creative resources, mentorship and community opportunities.

Honoring Robert Redford’s Legacy

The Sundance community continues to honor Redford’s influence on the resort and the creative movement that grew from it.

In 2025, the Sundance Institute described his legacy as the vision of a space for independent voices that launched a movement which, more than four decades later, had inspired generations of artists and reshaped cinema in the United States and around the world.

The Institute also remembered his generosity, clarity of purpose, curiosity, rebellious spirit and love for the creative process.

The commitment to independent artists remains tied to the original idea of creating and preserving a space for them for years to come.

At Sundance Mountain Resort, that legacy is also visible in the land itself. More than 860 acres of wildlife habitat, watershed and alpine meadows have been placed under permanent conservation protection, while the broader resort continues to preserve more than 70% of its acreage through conservation easements.

A temporary memorial has also been created in the Resort Village at the Rehearsal Hall Pond, where guests and fans of Robert Redford are invited to pay their respects.

From the two acres Redford purchased after his 1961 motorcycle journey to the 5,000 acres he purchased in 1969, and from the wilderness preserve to the Sundance Institute’s decades of support for independent storytellers, the story of Sundance remains closely connected to Redford’s original vision: protect the land, encourage creativity and create a place where those two ideas can exist together.

This version keeps the provided timeline and details, while making the article flow as one continuous story rather than reading like a copied chronology.


Sources: Sundance Mountain Resort, Sundance Institute, and Utah Open Lands.

FAQs:

Q1. Who was Robert Redford?

Robert Redford was the founder of Sundance Mountain Resort and a Hollywood filmmaker and visionary. He was also known for his commitment to conservation, creativity and storytelling.

Q2. When did Robert Redford purchase the Sundance land?

Redford purchased 5,000 acres in the area in 1969. He named the land Sundance and opened Sundance Mountain Resort to the public that same year.