Christopher Nolan to be honored at Sundance Film Festival

Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Christopher Nolan will be honored at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

The Sundance Institute said in a press release Wednesday that Nolan, a filmmaker known for directing Memento, The Dark Knight trilogy and Inception, will receive the inaugural Sundance Institute Trailblazer Award.

Nolan, 53, will be honored at the Sundance Film Festival opening night gala, which will take place Jan. 18 at DeJoria Center in Utah.

The gala will kick off the 40th annual Sundance Film Festival. The event celebrates "trailblazing and breakout storytellers," along with Sundance's "commitment to elevating independent storytelling."

Celine Song (Past Lives) and Maite Alberdi (The Eternal Memory) will also be honored, with each to receive the Vanguard Award.

"As we step into the 40th edition of the Sundance Film Festival, it is a distinct honor to recognize Christopher Nolan, a prodigious artist whose singular talent and remarkable body of work have made him one of the most respected filmmakers of our time. We are looking forward to spotlighting the unique voices of both Celine and Maite, storytellers we have been supporting and deeply believe in. All three of these storytellers represent Sundance's values," Sundance Institute CEO Joana Vincente said in a statement.

The Sundance Film Festival will take place Jan. 18-28 in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah. Online events will also be held Jan. 25-28.

Nolan's Memento screened at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival. His more recent works include Interstellar, Dunkirk and Oppenheimer.