This event is part of “The Sundance Institute Founder Series: Honoring Robert Redford,” a series of live, online events on Sundance Collab in memory of Robert Redford, founder of the Sundance Institute.

Celebrated filmmaker David Lowery directed Robert Redford in two of the late icon’s final roles: Pete’s Dragon in 2016 and The Old Man and the Gun in 2018. In this very special online conversation, Lowery joins Sundance Collab to discuss the formidable task of directing one of the great legends of American cinema. 

Lowery has a long and significant history with the Sundance Institute and Film Festival. His 2011 short Pioneer screened at the Sundance Film Festival, and his breakout debut Ain’t Them Bodies Saints participated in the Sundance Institute’s Screenwriters Lab and premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, as did his 2017 feature A Ghost Story. 

Lowery has called it “the privilege of a lifetime" to direct Redford in two of his final on-screen performances. In this conversation, Lowery shares insights and memories from his time at the Screenwriters Lab, the Sundance Film Festival, and on the set of his two Redford-starring films. Lowery discusses how he crafted The Old Man and the Gun as a vehicle for Redford to “lean into his legacy” in his final leading role. He also discusses casting Redford in a supporting role in Pete’s Dragon, a big-budget family film he co-wrote and directed for Disney. The conversation includes clips from the films and behind-the-scenes glimpses into their production.