Welcome to Sundance Institute’s Opening Night Gala: Celebrating 40 Years Presented by Chase Sapphire®. Thank you for joining us to celebrate the 40th edition of the Sundance Film Festival as we honor our legacy and our mission — to support the future of independent storytelling. Your support contributes to Sundance Institute grants, mentorships, and other critical resources that enable artists to bring their stories to life year-round.
To donate to Sundance Institute, please visit this link. Thank you for your support!
TONIGHT’S PROGRAM
Please enjoy your meal and tonight’s program, which we have planned to run for approximately one hour.
Welcome: Joana Vicente, CEO Sundance Institute, and Ebs Burnough, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Sundance Institute
Awards & Honors:
- Mary Robinson presents the Sundance Institute Vanguard Award for Philanthropy to Pat Mitchell
- Jesse Eisenberg presents the Sundance Institute Visionary Award to Kristen Stewart
- Jodie Foster presents the Sundance Institute Vanguard Award for Nonfiction presented by Acura to Maite Alberdi
- Christine Vachon presents the Sundance Institute Vanguard Award for Fiction presented by Acura to Celine Song
- Robert Downey Jr. presents the Sundance Institute Trailblazer Award to Christopher Nolan
MENU
HORS D’OEUVRES
Housemade chicken chicharrón, smoky bacon tomato jam, micro arugula
Pecan crumble, goat cheese, pear compôte
Edamame purée, wonton crisp, carrot ribbon
Housemade gochujang-spiced beef jerky, kimchi slaw
FIRST COURSE
Tri-colored poached beets, Valencia orange gelée, pistachio dust, toasted local chèvre meringue, Slide Ridge honey pepper drizzle
with butter
ENTREE COURSE
Roasted local cornish hen with butternut roulade, savillo tomatoes, grilled asparagus, local herb chèvre, turnip and celery root purée, lingonberry black currant and Rabbit Hole Bourbon gastrique
Sustainably and locally grown Wonderland Farms molecular mushroom steak, featuring lion’s mane, shimeji, blue oyster, trumpet, and porcini mushrooms. Grilled fennel bulb, micro salad with local Snuck Farms greens dressed with citrus and herbs, macadamia nut cream cheese, capped with raw vegan onion cracker bread. Served at ambient temperature. Served with heirloom carrots
DESSERT
Fresh blackberries infused with basil baked into a buttery tart shell
Topped with white chocolate honeycomb
Chunks of chocolate inside a soft cookie topped with flaky sea salt
Dark chocolate fudge brownie with toffee crunch and a sweet maple glaze
Gingerbread cookie sandwiched with housemade cookie butter
Thank you to all of this evening’s supporters. The Festival and our year-round work would not be possible without you.
To donate to Sundance Institute, please visit this link.
Presenting Sponsor
Lead Sponsor
Vanguard Award Sponsor
Supporting Sponsor
Thank You to Our Host Committee:
Ebs Burnough, Amy Redford, Jason Blum, Nina Fialkow, Jeanne Donovan Fisher, and Gigi Pritzker
Ruby tables
Ebs Burnough and Pierre LaGrange
Nina and David Fialkow
Jeanne Donovan Fisher
Madison Wells
Susan and Jim Swartz
40th Edition Champion Tables
advocate tables
Bloomberg
Blumhouse
Leigh Ann Charlot
Global Catalyst
The Gruneich Foundation
Jeff Hays Films/Amy Redford
Impact Partners
Ann Lewnes
MTV Documentary Films
Participant
Bill Plapinger and Cassie Murray
Pop Culture Collaborative
Reel Friends
Robina Riccitiello, Spark Features
Ellen and Mike Rosenberg
ShivHans Pictures
Steward Family Foundation
United Airlines
The Jacquelyn and Gregory Zehner Foundation
Individual Tickets
Sean Bailey & Charmaine Bailey
David Baszucki
Jatali Bellanton
Jason Michael Berman
Jeanne Berney
Nina Yang Bongiovi
Sebastian Burkhart
Liza Burnett Fefferman
Hannalore Chahine
Ellen-Blair Chube
Cinereach
Dr. Nicole C. Close
Matthew Clyde
Kenneth Cole
Complementary Colors
Candace Court c/o Evolve Activation
Renè Simón Cruz
Jeff Desich
Bridgette Dussman
Jack Ferraro
Eric Foss
Sarah Frost
Olga Segura Gall
Patrick Gaspard
Samantha Topping Gellert
Mark and Nancy Gilbert
Nancy Gilbert
Lani Gobaleza & Amy Truong
Whitney Goin
Ahmos Hassan
Emma Hawtin – Ellen MacArthur Foundation
Laura Heery
Nicole Higgins
Harlan Hill
John Anthony Family of Wines
JP Morgan Private Bank
William Julien
Mike Kelley and Victoria Thompson
Amanda Kelso
Jihae Kim
Mischel Kwon
Grace Lay
Lyn Lear
Christine Leuthold
Ann Lewnes
ARRI LIGHTING
Ms. Leigh Anne Lindsey
Dave A. Liu
Los Angeles Times
Charlotte Lubert
Wonya Lucas
Sue Lueder
Allen Maines
Philipp Manderla
Jovan Marjanovic
Anna McMurphy
Bega Metzner Director, Moab to Monument Valley Film Commission
Joey Lee Miranda
Julie Morris
Sabrina Merage Naim
Col Needham, Founder & CEO, IMDb
Lori Neubauer
Kathryn Hollis Peters
Sophia Yen, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP
Jennifer J. Pritzker
Rabbit Hole Bourbon & Rye
Alejandro Ramirez Magana
Red Bull Studios
Jennifer Reince
John Riccitiello and Elizabeth Osterman
Bryce Roberts
Desiree Rogers
Rena Ronson
Jared Ruga
Jim Scheinman
Nadine Schiff-Rosen
Tanya Selvaratnam
Laura Turner Seydel
Sabreen Shabazz
Jane Soloman
Larry Soloman
Kimberly Steward
Jen Su
Ramon O. Torres
Sylvain Tron
John Anthony Truchard
Michele Truchard
Paula Marie Tucker
Barry Tyerman
Emily Vlock / TooFar Media
Caroline von Kuhn
Wayne Whinnie
Jeffrey Wright
General Donations
A24
Gerry Pass
Lorena Diaz Infante
Official Providers
Culinary Crafts
In the Event
Lola Valentina High-End Table Linen Rental
