Keepin' it real

In 1980, actor/director Robert Redford started the Sundance Institute - part artist's retreat, part ski resort - on several thousand acres of land in Park City, Utah. Along with several friends and colleagues, Redford created the institute as a non-profit foundation dedicated to the "support and development of emerging screenwriters and directors of vision." Today, the Sundance Institute's largest undertaking is the Sundance Film Festival, an annual event featuring the films of emerging writers and directors. Sixty percent of the Institute's $4 million annual budget comes from contributions from the film industry, the corporate sector, state and federal arts programs, and individuals.

Independent film has another outlet to the public through the Sundance Channel, which is jointly owned by Redford, Showtime Networks Inc., and PolyGram Filmed Entertainment. The channel is available through various cable services and satellite services including Primestar and Echostar. In November 1998, Sundance inked a major deal with Tele-Communications Inc. for the distribution of the Sundance Channel as part of TCI's digital and analog services. In the first quarter of 1999, that deal ensures Sundance access to 20 million American households.

In addition to its summer and winter artists' retreats, the Institute sponsors a variety of annual workshops and conferences. Among these are programs for the development of stage and screen plays, and a program specifically created to support and encourage Native American filmmakers. Sundance also supports international filmmakers by sponsoring Filmmakers and Screenwriters Labs in Central and South America, Tokyo, and Beijing; the company plans to expand into Spain and Portugal as well. Furthermore, Sundance is looking to expand into The Presidio Theatre in San Francisco.