The panoramic desert landscape of the Southwest is familiar the world over thanks to the countless movies that have been filmed here. As legendary actor John Wayne once said: "TV you can do on the back lot; for the real outdoor dramas, you have to do them where God put the West." Monument Valley is famous for its association with John Ford's Westerns, while the stark beauty of southern Utah, particularly around the Moab and Kanab areas, has appeared in several films. The popular idea of the "Wild West" has been formed more through film than by any other medium, and visitors to the Southwest may find much of its scenery strangely familiar. Many TV series and commercials have also been shot here.
• The Sundance Film Festival
Actor and director Robert Redford owns the Sundance Resort, which combines an environmentally responsible mountain vacation development with an institute for the promotion of the cinematic arts. Founded by Redford in 1981, the Sundance Film Festival takes place annually in the second half of January. The majority of screenings, which showcase independent film- and documentary-makers, are not held at the Sundance Resort (about 75 miles (121 km) northwest of Moab), but in Park City and at the Tower Theater in Salt Lake City. The festival has become America's foremost venue for innovative cinema and attracts the big Hollywood names. Tickets sell out quickly, so make ticket and lodging reservations ahead.
• Old Tucson Studio was built for the 1940 motion picture Arizona. The studio is still a popular movie location and is now also home to a family-oriented, Wild West theme park.
• Johnson Canyon, near Kanab, was the location of the 1962 film How the West was Won. It is a western town set that was built for the 1952 movie Westward the Women. Today, the set is open to visitors.
• Moab's snow-capped mountains, red rock formations, and deep river canyons have been the backdrop for over 100 major motion pictures, including Thelma and Louise in 1991.
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