Havana Film Festival Mourns Death of Robert Redford

The International Festival of New Latin American Cinema expressed regret today at the passing of the renowned American actor Robert Redford, at age 89, in a social media post recalling his contribution to the Cuban event.

At the Sundance Institute, Redford fostered work and collaboration with Latin American cinema, with the writer Gabriel García Márquez, and especially with the festival, the Havana Film Festival’s Instagram account detailed.

The statement accompanied condolences with a video message in which the actor himself expressed his wish to have been in Havana to receive the Coral Honor Award granted to the Sundance Institute during the festival’s 40th edition.

“My colleagues and I are deeply honored to receive the Coral Honor Award; it is a privilege to receive an award conferred upon so few, and truly we are moved to be recognized in the company of renowned artists and of my friend García Márquez,” the American artist said.

Redford added at that time that he understood firsthand the effort required to organize and sustain a film festival, and he congratulated the board of the event on celebrating its 40th anniversary.

The Sundance Institute is a nonprofit organization founded by actor Robert Redford in 1981, with the aim of supporting independent film and theater; the Coral Honor Award was conferred upon it in recognition of its constant support for the Havana Film Festival and for the cinematography of Latin America and the Caribbean.