2024 Sundance Film Festival Celebrates 40 Years: Kristen Stewart Receives Visionary Award
Sundance Film Festival kicked off on Thursday in Salt Lake City, Utah, celebrating 40 years of showcasing emerging talent and the cutting edge of independent movies and storytelling.
The festival, which runs from January 18-28, will host movie screenings in theaters across Park City.
Over 80 feature films will be presented at the festival, but it's clear there's some anticipation for starry names. Many participating directors will debut their feature films, which speaks to Sundance's stellar ability to gather new storytellers and fresh perspectives.
Award-winning actress Kristen Stewart rose to fame after playing Bella Swan in the hit movie series 'Twilight' in 2008. During the Sundance, she will receive the Visionary Award, highlighting her hard work as an uncompromising artist and for her contributions to independent film.
Not only will Stewart, 33, receive the illustrious an award, but she will also star in 2 projects.
During an interview with 'Variety,' Stewart, who stars in 'Love Lies Bleeding,' described the film as "an odd imagining of an 80's fever dream." She can also be seen in Sam & Andy Zucher-directed movie 'Love Me,' which she described as a touching story we can all relate to.
"I haven't been to Sundance in a minute," she begins. "I feel so at home there. I feel...obviously like, that festival was designed for people like me. I love that place."
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Many box-office shattering films have premiered at Sundance including '500 Days of Summer' (2009), 'Napoleon Dynamite' (2004), 'American Psycho' (2000) and 'Precious' (2009).
Robert Redford founded the Sundance Institute in 1981. This year marks its 40th anniversary since its first summer lab. The Institute's creativity has flourished to include documentaries, short films, theatre, film, and music.
