Kristen Stewart and Christopher Nolan honored at the Sundance Film Festival’s opening night gala

KAMAS, Utah (ABC4) — As the sun set over the picturesque mountain town of Kamas, the red carpet came to life with a flurry of excitement. The Sundance Film Festival opening night gala drew in a diverse crowd of industry insiders, celebrities, and film enthusiasts from all around the world.

Hollywood’s brightest stars, including award-winning filmmaker Christoper Nolan — who made box-office waves in 2023 with his latest project “Oppenheimer” — being awarded the first ever Trailblazer award for his remarkable body of work.

Amy Redford, daughter of the festival’s founder Robert Redford, told ABC4 the Opening Night Gala is her favorite.

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“The energy of the artists and the energy of the audiences and in this moment when it’s really wonderful to have communion”, Redford said, “it just feels like this night is always my favorite because it’s the culmination of all of this incredible work.”

Also being honored on Thursday night was actress Kristen Stewart, known for her roles in “Twilight” series and “Snow White and the Huntsman.” She received the Visionary Award for her contributions to independent film.

“This is somewhere that we can kind of share a consciousness that’s not industry-based,” said Stewart,  “like that really truly is just about connection.”

Both Nolan and Stewart have received many prestigious awards in their impressive careers, but Stewart says being honored here at Sundance means so much.

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“Having this arena, having this place to come kick it and actually talk about movies it always invigorates you and pushes you to more, to more questions, more curiosity,” said Stewart.

Nonbinary author, poet, comedian and public speaker Alok Vaid-Menon is the subject of the Sundance short film that shares their name, “Alok.” They told ABC4 they were honored to have a film being showcased this year, saying “I’m happy that my story but also the story of my friends is going to have a wider audience.”

Sundance Film Festival executive director Eugene Hernandez said “To have Celine Song and Maite Alberdi from last year’s festival, and to be honored and with awards being presented by some big names it’s just super exciting for us.”

Other honorees tonight were filmmakers Celine Song (“Past Lives“), Maite Alberdi (“The Eternal Memory“), and Pat Mitchell for her exemplary commitment to the institute’s support and philanthropy for social impact.

The evening also raised funds and awareness for the Sundance Institute, to support the year-round work uplifting global independent voices, both new and established.

The festival is running now through Sunday, January 28th, 2024, and tickets are still available.

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