This year's judges included three previous Free Speech Award-winning directors, as well as judges with media, academia, literary, journalism, and arts and culture backgrounds....
Six finalist films compete for the 2026 Free Speech Award, with the winner announced at November's ceremony in Philadelphia. See the official selections....
Free speech, human rights, and the rule of law have deep roots in Philadelphia. Learn how its legal history still inspires global justice today....
American INSIGHT's Free Speech Film Festival highlights human rights stories worldwide, inspired by Philadelphia's rich legacy of advocacy — from Quaker abolitionists to civil rights pioneers like James Forten and Octavius Catto....
Explore the intersection of cinema and civil liberties. From the 45 words of the First Amendment in Independence Mall to award-winning documentaries like Free Speech Fear Free, see how Philadelphia’s heritage continues to shape the global conversation on surveillance and expression....
Submissions for the 2026 Free Speech Film Festival close April 30. Learn how past filmmakers overcame extraordinary challenges from Afghanistan's prisons to Arctic ice to create award-winning films championing free speech and human rights....
Submit your film to the Free Speech Film Festival by April 30. Gain global exposure, compete for a $1,000 award, and amplify voices championing free speech, human rights, and democracy....
Professor and filmmaker Safoi Babana-Hampton uses documentary film to unsilence the legacies of the transatlantic slave trade....
Portuguese filmmaker Antonio Aleixo discusses his award-winning film, post-apocalyptic storytelling, and the true meaning of free speech....
Filmmaker Zainab Entezar on her award-winning documentary about two Afghan sisters fighting the Taliban for their most basic rights....
Filmmaker Stavros Stagos's documentary on the 1973 Athens Polytechnic uprising, a 2025 Free Speech Film Festival selection, explores the personal stories behind Greece's historic student revolt against military rule....
Director Saeed Moltaji explains the inspiration behind Message, his acclaimed film about a Gaza journalist's determination to document the truth, and his belief that art can amplify voices that would otherwise go unheard....
Meet Trisha Ziff, the 2025 Free Speech Film Festival Award winner. Discover how her documentary Gerry Adams: A Ballymurphy Man champions the power of voice, cultural identity, and the road to peace in Northern Ireland....
At the 2025 Free Speech Award Ceremony, director Trisha Ziff offered a powerful definition of free speech—one that champions the freedom of ideas without hurting others—and shared her concern that this fundamental right is "terrifyingly disappearing" for many today....
Explore the delicate balance between Free Speech and Peace through the lens of Quaker values. Experts Kermit Roosevelt, Jane Calvert, and Sean Connolly discuss equanimity, accountability, and reciprocal liberty in today's public square...