James Redford

David James Redford (May 5, 1962 – October 16, 2020) was an American documentary filmmaker and environmentalist. Early life Redford was born in New York City, the son of historian Lola Van Wagenen and actor-director Robert Redford. He grew up in New York, but spent summers in the Provo Canyon area of Utah, where his family also had a home. Redford received an undergraduate degree in creative writing and filmmaking from University of Colorado Boulder in 1985, and later received a master’s degree in English literature from Northwestern University. In 1993, Redford underwent two liver transplants to combat the effects of primary sclerosing cholangitis. His transplant experience led him to found the James Redford Institute for Transplant Awareness. Through the institute, he was the executive producer of his first documentary, The Kindness of Strangers in 1999, directed by Maro Chermayeff.