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.


In 2005, the late Robert Redford founded The Redford Center with his son, the late James Redford. Since then, The Redford Center has produced and supported 150 films dedicated to environmental impact filmmaking.


As you might know, Redford was an environmental activist early in his life, when he fought for land conservation and helped sound the alarm about climate change in the 1970s and 80s, managing to preserve over 1.7 million acres of Utah wilderness to protect it from development. His legacy continued through the work of films that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, as he has always recognized the importance of storytelling for social change, including in his own films.


In this session, you will hear from a panel of environmental filmmakers including Jill Tidman, Executive Director of The Redford Center and Producer (Watershed: Exploring a New Water Ethic for the New West, Happening: A Clean Energy Revolution), Producer Paula DuPré Pesmen, (The Cove, Chasing Ice), and Director Louie Psihoyos (The Cove, The Plastic Detox). They’ll discuss Redford’s impact on their careers, why climate storytelling is more important and empowering than ever, and how all filmmakers can incorporate climate themes and social impact into their work.


This event will end with a live audience Q&A, during which attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions about The Redford Center, the panelists’ films, and their advice on how to continue Redford’s incredible legacy in this space.


If you would benefit from an accommodation to fully participate in this event, please complete this form, contact us at (435) 776-7790, or email us at accessibility@sundance.org to discuss your specific requests. Every effort will be made to accommodate advance requests; however, requests made within 5 days of the event may not be guaranteed.


A recording of this session will be posted to Sundance Collab on the first business day after the live event. All registered attendees will receive an email with a link to view the recording at no cost through December 31, 2026. 

Jill Tidman
Jill Tidman (she/her) is Executive Director of The Redford Center, an independent nonprofit organization founded in 2005 by Robert Redford and his son James Redford. Jill has worked with the organization since its founding and took the helm in 2012 to lead the vision, strategy, and operations in service of advancing environmental solutions through the power of stories that move people to act. She has produced three award-winning feature documentaries and impact campaigns, and draws on her experience as a writer, filmmaker, and activist, and her passion for sustainability and environmental justice, to create a new way forward for impactful environmental films. With over 25 years of experience as an activist and storyteller, Jill has raised millions of dollars for environmentally engaged artists and film projects that serve as powerful education, communication, and activation tools. more...
Paula DuPré Pesmen
Paula DuPré Pesmen is the Managing Director, Festival and Institute Operations at Sundance Institute. Paula is an Oscar, Emmy and Grammy®-winning producer whose credits include the Academy Award-winning documentary THE COVE, the Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner PORCELAIN WAR (2024), and several HARRY POTTER movies. more...
Louie Psihoyos
Louie Psihoyos is a world renown National Geographic photographer and Oscar-winning director whose mission is to use storytelling to shift humanity to a more sustainable and compassionate future. He is co-founder and Executive Director of the Oceanic Preservation Society (OPS), a California-based non-profit organization. His first film, THE COVER, is an eco-thriller that exposed the brutal slaughter of small cetaceans in Japan and became one the most acclaimed documentaries in film history. The activism around that Oscar-winning film helped reduce dolphin and porpoise slaughter in Japan over 93%. more...
Erica Elson
Moderator | Digital Course & Event Producer
Erica Elson is a Producer, Writer and Educator based in the mountains outside Los Angeles. Her short film, WING NIGHT, premiered at Method Fest in Los Angeles. She is the co-author of the book THE AWKWARD HUMAN SURVIVAL GUIDE and co-hosted a podcast by the same name on the 5by5 network for five years. Elson's articles have been published by HuffPost, Lifehacker, and Reader's Digest. Prior to working in education, she worked in television development and writers’ rooms such as VH1’s HINDSIGHT, where she had the chance to write for the spinoff web series PLANET SEBASTIAN. more...

Join the Discussion