Robert Redford coming to Mobile World Congress

Robert the man will be attending the upcoming Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. He will headline at Mobile Backstage, a special one day Mobile Entertainment conference on Wednesday, February 13th, and will also appear at the GSMA’s Global Mobile Awards night later in the day. There he will be introducing the GSMA’s Mobile Entertainment category.

And while I doubt we’ll have an opportunity to meet one of our (at least mine) favorite actors — Mr. Redford will almost certainly be surrounded by All the President’s Men — it’s nice to know there he is in the crowd walking along with us.

Finally, before I let you go on to read the official release, it’s fair to argue he won’t stick around for 4 days of the Congress. He’s got used to three (…days of the Condor). And now, the press release…

PRESS RELEASE – The GSM Association (GSMA) today announced that film actor, director and Sundance Institute Founder & President, Robert Redford will headline at Mobile Backstage, a special one day Mobile Entertainment conference on Wednesday 13th February at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the world’s largest communications industry event.

Known as the primary force for 25 years in the nurturing of new cinematic voices and the emergence of independent film as a force in the entertainment industry, Redford and Sundance continue a tradition of exploration and promotion of content delivery on new platforms.

On stage at Barcelona’s National Palace, Redford will participate in a keynote interview, which among other topics will explore the potential of mobile – the ‘4th screen’ – as a medium for independent filmmakers to reach new audiences on a global basis. His appearance at the Congress follows the collaborative Sundance Film Festival: Global Short Film Project with the GSMA, showcased at last year’s event, and follows on the heels of this year’s Sundance Film Festival, which concluded last week in Park City, Utah. Redford’s Sundance Channel will be represented this year in the Congress programme related to content being produced in association with Isabella Rossellini and which premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.

“The energy and opportunity that this event presents, not just for business but for artists and their work, makes it particularly exciting for me,” said Redford. “The GSMA continues to take seriously both the business of delivering content and the art of creating content, as they lead the exciting mobile sector into the future,” he added.

“We are thrilled and honoured to announce this rare keynote appearance by a screen legend,” said Bill Gajda, Chief Marketing Officer of the GSMA. “As a champion of independent artists and their work, and as an advocate of innovation and risk taking in the film world, we can expect some forthright, refreshing and somewhat unexpected insights for the mobile world, especially in terms of opportunities for cinematic quality film on the small screen.”

Redford will also appear at the GSMA’s Global Mobile Awards night on Wednesday 13th February, introducing the GSMA’s Mobile Entertainment category.

Mobile Backstage is produced by the GSMA in collaboration with The Nielsen Company and its leading entertainment industry magazines Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter. Both Mobile Backstage and the Global Mobile Awards will take place at Barcelona’s National Palace in Montjuic, above the Mobile World Congress complex.

Tickets for both events event are available on a strictly limited basis due to capacity restraints at the National Palace. The GSMA advises visitors to book early to avoid disappointment.