Robert Redford's filmmaker son James dies at 58

Director James Redford and actor/filmmaker Robert Redford attend HBO's New York Premiere of "The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia" in New York City. Pic/AFP

Documentary filmmaker, activist and son of actor Robert Redford, James Redford, has died. He was 58. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the Sundance Institute, a nonprofit organisation co-founded by James and Robert Redford in 2005, confirmed his death on Monday.

The organisation tweeted it was "deeply saddened" by the news of his death and commended the filmmaker for being "a fierce advocate for the power of storytelling to drive impact on the issues that matter most."

"Jamie was a deeply intuitive and kind collaborator. Our community of artists and colleagues grieves this loss and sends condolences to the Redford family; Jamie's warmth, passion and generosity of spirit will continue to inspire us," the organisation added.

James Redford had been diagnosed with primary sclerosing cholangitis, an auto-immune disease that affects the liver, which resulted in him receiving two liver transplants in 1993. After surviving the transplants, he launched the James Redford Institute for Transplant Awareness, a nonprofit dedicated to educating the public about the need for organ and tissue donation, and produced The Kindness of Strangers, a documentary film exploring the sacrifices made by organ donor families, as per the Hollywood Reporter.

As a filmmaker, his work tackled topics such as clean energy with the film Happening: A Clean Energy Revolution and dyslexia with The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia, inspired by his son, Dylan, and his struggles with dyslexia in high school. He also wrote the script for Hearts and Bones, starring Kiefer Sutherland and Daryl Hannah, and adapted Tony Hillerman's Skinwalkers for North Fork Pictures. James is survived by his wife, Kyle, and their children, Dylan and Lena.

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