Series

5X Series

The 5X Series presents five films by influential and innovative filmmakers who are no longer with us. 5X opens a window into the creative worlds of a wide variety of filmmakers: some who may be well-known, but whose more diverse work is overlooked; some whose work has been underappreciated; some whose work requires reappraisal; and many, many more. While these filmmakers may be gone, 5X examines how their lasting cinematic influence is still felt.

5X: Robert Redford

One of the most iconic stars of New Hollywood cinema, Robert Redford could have easily built a career as the silver screen’s golden boy with his laidback Californian roots, stunning smile, and magnetic charm. But being just a pretty face was never Redford’s style. Seeking out roles that subverted his incredible good looks to instead expose the spiky anger, quiet vulnerability, and thoughtful intelligence that simmered underneath the surface, the actor flourished with every genre he touched, from rom-coms to Westerns to sports films to heist flicks and everything in between.

Redford further steered his career by actively producing and developing projects, such as the highly influential All the President’s Men (1976)—it was he who bought the book’s film rights, hired screenwriter William Goldman, and helped oversee the script and casting. Finally, in 1980, Redford moved more firmly behind the camera with the acclaimed family drama Ordinary People, earning Academy Awards for both Best Picture and Best Director. On and off for the next three decades, he would direct eight more films, including another serious awards contender, Quiz Show (1994); political thrillers like The Conspirator (2010); and poignant period pieces like A River Runs Through It (1992).

A tremendous activist, Redford long supported the environment, Indigenous rights, LGBTQ+ equality, and more. A vital advocate for independent film, he also forever changed the cinematic landscape in 1978 when he co-founded the Sundance Institute and the Sundance Film Festival, which became the country’s largest festival for indie filmmaking. Over the years, Sundance has seen several well-known filmmakers get their big break, such as Steven Soderbergh, Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson, Jane Schoenbrun, and Jim Jarmusch, and helped put a larger spotlight on films like American Psycho, The Blair Witch Project, Better Luck Tomorrow, Little Miss Sunshine, Donnie Darko, Napoleon Dynamite, and many, many more.

Redford sadly passed on September 16, 2025, at the age of 89, but his contributions to cinema will remain timeless, not to mention countless, with this five-film series providing just a small taste of the magic that the filmmaker brought to our screens.

Film in this series include:

March 7, 4pm: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid | With its iconic pairing of Paul Newman and Robert Redford, William Goldman’s witty screenplay, and Burt Bacharach’s lively score, this celebrated Western has gone down as one of the defining moments in late-'60s American cinema.

March 28, 4pm: A River Runs Through It | Robert Redford directs and narrates a tale of two brothers, one family, and a timeless bond. Adapted from Norman Maclean's beloved novella, A River Runs Through It will flow right into your feels.

April 18, 4pm: The Natural | As Roy Hobbs, Robert Redford hits it out of the park—figuratively and literally—in his relentless pursuit to fulfill his boyhood dream of baseball superstardom.

April 25, 4pm: Sneakers | Yes, we could tell you what Sneakers is about, but then, of course, we would have to... well, you know.

May 2, 4pm: Three Days of the Condor | He just reads books! And yet CIA codebreaker Joe Turner still finds himself thrust into a deadly standoff against his own agency in this taut thriller masterfully helmed by director Sydney Pollack and stars Robert Redford and Faye Dunaway.