Robert Redford says he has made plenty of sacrifices — including occasionally stalling his film career — to ensure that the Sundance Film Festival would survive and thrive. But, he adds, "it was all worth it."

The 68-year-old actor, filmmaker and environmental activist said his 45-year show-business career has suffered a bit here and there, but these days he has enough trust in the festival's leadership that he can relax his grasp on the event and begin to, in his words, "breathe again."

"We've been able to accomplish what we set out to do in the beginning, which is provide an outlet to help independent artists make their films and have their works be seen by a wide audience," he said by phone from the Sundance resort in Provo Canyon while in the midst of preparing for the opening of the Sundance Film Festival 06.

Redford said he will be at the Eccles Theatre in Park City tonight to introduce the opening-night premiere film ""Friends With Money,"" a comedy-drama starring Jennifer Aniston, Catherine Keener, Frances McDormand and Joan Cusack.

And he says he's excited about this year's festival, especially with its added emphasis on documentary features. "I'm happy that we've been able to support the documentary arts for years and that that form of filmmaking has become every bit as strong as the others."

He is also enthused about the festival's world cinema and short-film categories, which he says audiences "tend to neglect, though they're certainly missing out if they do."

Redford served in an advisory capacity to the Utah/U.S. Film Festival in the late 1970s and early '80s, and then his Sundance Institute took over and "decided to put it in a ski resort in the middle of winter, to make it as hard to get to as possible," he said with a laugh. "The experiment worked. We're here today because we took that risk and many others.

"Our willingness to take chances on films and filmmakers speaks for itself. Sundance has been good for independent filmmaking."

Redford acknowledged that Utah has also taken chances with its support of the festival. "I think there were a few lifted eyebrows at first, but we've established a relationship based on mutual trust and respect." He also voiced his pleasure about an agreement the Sundance Institute signed last year that will keep the festival in Utah for at least the next 12 years.

Last month, Redford was honored by the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., for his contributions to the film industry in a ceremony that put him in company with other honorees — and with President Bush.