Born in Chicago, Illinois the son of a Ford Motor executive, Robin Williams went on to study the dramatic arts in New York and on the West Coast. He first gained fame as a television comic and in the 80's landed major film roles: Popeye, The World According to Garp, Moscow on the Hudson and was nominated for three Oscars for his roles in Good Morning, Vietnam, Dead Poets Society and The Fisher King. In 1997, he obtained an Oscar for his supporting role in Good Will Hunting.
Jakob The Liar

We were there... Robin William clowns with the photographers, grabs a camera and starts shooting back.

Robin Williams at the evening ceremony in his honor. Also pictured, Lionel Chouchan, the festival director, presented him with a trophy.

Arriving for the Avant-Premiere screening of Jacob The Liar: left to right Marsha Williams (producer and wife) Robin Williams, Mathieu Kassovitz, Peter Kassovitz (director) and his wife.

Today's Competition film focus
Go!
by Doug Liman with Katie Holmes, Sarah Polley, Scott Wolf Premiered at Sundance 99 and has appeared at numerous other festivals since. Liman, after Swingers (1996) , had several propositions from the big studios, but he liked Augusts story and decided to direct Go!, a modern look at youth today.