The Sundance Film Festival prepares to bid farewell to Park City, and Robert Redford

Key Highlights

• The pop ups and sponsors will be out in full force on Main Street.
• The lines to get into the 90 movies premiering across 10 days will be long and the volunteers will be endlessly helpful and cheery in subfreezing temperatures. But the country’s premier showcase for independent film is also in a time of profound transition after decades of relative stability.
• The festival is bidding farewell to its longtime home and forging forward without its founder, Robert Redford, who died in September.
• Next year, it must find its footing in another mountain town, Boulder, Colorado. It’s no surprise that legacy will be a through-line at this year’s final edition in Park City.
• There will be screenings of restored Sundance gems like “Little Miss Sunshine,” “Mysterious Skin,” “House Party” and “Humpday” as well as Redford’s first truly independent film, the 1969 sports drama “Downhill Racer.” Many will also pay tribute to Redford at the institute’s fundraising event, where honorees include Chloé Zhao, Ed Harris and Nia DaCosta.“Sundance has always been about showcasing and fostering independent movies in America.