The Free State Festival celebrated the City of Lawrence, Kansas through film screenings with community partners, culinary adventures with local restaurants and networking opportunities; bringing neighbors and visitors together through the cinematic arts. The 2024 program showcased twenty-two films fresh from the national festival circuit, several live music performances by local and touring musicians, and an immersive live dance, music and art installation set to the backdrop of a silent film.

Our curated slate of programming stays relevant to the times by presenting topical discourse in innovative ways and amplifying underrepresented voices both on stage and behind the scenes. Rather than shy away from challenging conversations, the Free State Festival leans into open dialogue through the arts. Last year’s diverse lineup featured a performance by indigenous comedian Jana Schmieding of Reservation Dogs, a film screening of Bring Them Home narrated by Academy Award nominated actress Lily Gladstone, filmmaker Kevin Willmott in conversation with civil rights activist Alvin Brooks, Chasing Chasing Amy directed by trans filmmaker Sav Rodgers, and a show-stopping jazz performance by the legendary musician Makaya McCraven. By pairing scholars from the University of Kansas and Haskell Indian Nations University with visiting artists and filmmakers, the collective unconscious of our community grows with new ideas that inspire further exploration.

The strength of this multi-evening signature event powers an entire year of opportunity in the creative economy. In 2024, we reported a 2:1 direct return on investment from public funding and a 3:1 indirect return on investment through attendees’ food purchases, sales tax and retail shopping. Eighteen artists were contracted for services throughout the weeklong event. Four of these artists were commissioned to create new work specifically for the festival and explored new, collaborative boundaries in their fields of film, music, art and dance. While the economic impact of the festival should be recognized, it is the cultural impact of the festival that tells the real story. The tangible connections between visiting and local artists, as well as audiences and organizations, reverberate far beyond a single week in June. We are grateful for our community partners who make this event possible and can’t wait to fest again with you in 2025!