On Friday, January 23rd, 2026, the Sundance Institute hosted their annual fundraiser at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, Celebrating Sundance Institute: A Tribute to Founder Robert Redford.
This year, Chloé Zhao (Kanbar Institute, Graduate Film) received the annual Trailblazer Award Presented by Google, and Nia DaCosta '11 (MFA, Kanbar Institute, Graduate Film) was presented with the annual Vanguard Award Presented by Acura for Fiction.
The evening was a tribute to Sundance Institute’s Founder, Robert Redford, and his legacy, vision, and enduring mission to support independent storytellers.