She may be only 33, but Kristen Stewart is a seasoned veteran of the Sundance Film Festival.
The actress-turned-filmmaker has screened 10 films in Park City over the years, and she’s back in January for not one but two titles in the official selection — Rose Glass’ Love Lies Bleeding and Sam and Andy Zuchero’s Love Me opposite Steven Yeun. But wait, there’s more: The Sundance Film Festival announced Thursday that Stewart has been selected to receive a Visionary Award at the glitzy opening night gala presented by Chase Sapphire.
Per the fest, Stewart was tapped “in recognition of her work as an uncompromising artist and contributions to the field of independent film.” The Oscar-nominated star of Spencer has shown work like The Runaways, Adventureland and Lizzie at the festival, as well as her directorial debut, Come Swim.
In a statement, Stewart says she’s “truly honored” to be acknowledged by the “beloved institution” of Sundance. She added, “Sundance’s purity, lack of fussy pretension and its commitment to supporting independence in an industry that doesn’t always value the radical or the sidelined is what makes it by far the homiest place for me to go see, discuss and present films.”
Added Sundance Institute CEO Joana Vicente: “Kristen’s captivating performances across a wide, diverse body of work make her a truly unique talent. With over 10 Sundance films under her belt, she has always remained committed to the art of independent cinema. We are excited to welcome her back to the festival and can’t wait to see what she has in store for our 40th year.”
Stewart will be recognized as part of a program that will also see awards go to Christopher Nolan (inaugural Sundance Institute Trailblazer Award), Past Lives filmmaker Celine Song (Vanguard Award for Fiction), The Eternal Memory director Maite Alberdi (Vanguard Award for Nonfiction), and journalist and producer Pat Mitchell (Vanguard Award for Philanthropy).
Taking place at the DeJoria Center on Jan. 18, the event helps the nonprofit to raise funds to support independent artists year-round through labs, grants and public programming. In addition to Chase Sapphire, additional support is provided by George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, Acura and Google TV. The Sundance Film Festival runs Jan. 18–28, in Park City and Salt Lake City, as well as online from Jan. 25–28.
