The Sundance Institute announced more honorees for its annual fundraiser, Celebrating Sundance Institute: A Tribute to Founder Robert Redford, this morning. Chloé Zhao will receive the annual Trailblazer Award. Nia DaCosta will be presented with the annual Vanguard Award for Fiction. Geeta Gandbhir will receive the annual Vanguard Award for Nonfiction.
The event will take place on Friday, January 23, in Park City, Utah.
Zhao, a Sundance Institute Labs attendee, premiered her first film, “Songs My Brothers Taught Me,” in Park City in 2015. Her follow-up, “The Rider,” debuted at Cannes in 2017. The Beijing-born Zhao won two Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director for “Nomadland” in 2021. She then shepherded Marvel Studios‘ “Eternals” in 2021. Her latest feature, “Hamnet,” debuted at the 2025 Telluride Film Festival and received three Oscar shortlist mentions.
In a statement, Zhao noted, “Sundance Institute was where my journey as a filmmaker truly began, so to be honored with the Trailblazer Award by this community feels like coming home. I’m deeply grateful for the support, friendship, and inspiration I’ve found here over the years, and I feel incredibly lucky to be a part of this empathetic and fearless community of storytellers.”
DaCosta developed her 2017 feature debut, “Little Woods,” at the 2015 Sundance Institute Directors and Screenwriting Lab. Her other credits include 2021’s “Candyman” and 2023’s “The Marvels.” Her latest release, “Hedda,” premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. It earned multiple accolades for stars Tessa Thompson and Nina Hoss, as well an Original Score Oscars shortlist mention. Her next film, “28 Years Later: The Bone Collector,” opens in theaters on Jan 16.
The New York City native remarked, “It is such an honor to be receiving the Vanguard Award from the Sundance Film Festival. It’s also incredibly fitting because all of the qualities of creative independence and intentional storytelling I am being recognized for are things I learned there, on the mountain during the Sundance Institute labs with Bob Redford, Michelle Satter, and their wonderful team. I can’t wait to accept this award, but most importantly, I cannot wait to celebrate Bob, the Festival, and all of the amazing filmmakers in Park City next year.”
An Emmy, Independent Spirit, and Peabody Award–winner, Gandbhir just saw her award-winning documentary “The Perfect Neighbor” land on the Oscars’ Documentary shortlist. A massive hit on Netflix, “Neighbor” premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival in the U.S. Documentary Competition category, winning the juried Directing Award in that category. Her other directing credits include 2025’s “Katrina: Come Hell and High Water,” 2025’s “Eyes on the Prize,” 2024’s “The Devil Is Busy,” 2023’s “How We Get Free,” 2023’s “Born in Synanon,” and 2022’s “Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power.”
Gandbhir added, “For many years, the Sundance Film Festival has been a guiding light for me — a place where bold, uncompromising stories find their home. The Festival has always embodied the kind of filmmaking I strive for: courageous, deeply human, and unafraid to confront difficult truths. What has meant the most to me is how the Festival continues to build community — one that not only celebrates artistic excellence but actively uplifts underrepresented voices and filmmakers who challenge the status quo. As someone whose work is rooted in justice, empathy, and the power of storytelling to spark change, being recognized with the Vanguard Award is profoundly meaningful. I’m deeply honored to be part of this community and this legacy of truth-telling and transformation.”
The festival previously announced that Ed Harris and Gyula Gazdag will receive the Robert Redford Luminary Award honors.
Amy Redford, Ava DuVernay, Ethan Hawke, David Lowery, and Thompson are expected to attend as special guests.
The 2026 Sundance Film Festival runs from January 22–February 1, 2026, in person in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah. The at-home program is available online from January 29–February 1, 2026.
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