Join us for a free screening of the documentary Prairie Prophecy about scientist and farmer Wes Jackson, co-founder of The Land Institute. The film will be followed by a panel discussion with KU Professors Nathaniel Brunsell and James Bever, and artist Lisa Grossman. Co-sponsors: Spencer Museum of Art, the Lawrence Arts Center, KU Environmental Studies, … [more]
Mark your calendars and fire up the group chat, the Lawrence Arts Center is bringing you THE event to kick off the holiday season... A Hallmark Movie party! Admission to Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story is FREE thanks to our friends at Hallmark, so reserve your spot now for a joyful evening of festivities, … [more]
This event is SOLD OUT! Look for more film events in 2026. Experience Robert Flaherty's 1922 film, Nanook of the North, in a whole new light. This interdisciplinary experience will feature live music by Alex Kimball Williams, a multi-screen video edit by Marlo Angell & Peter Jasso, and visual art by Alicia Kelly. ABOUT THE … [more]
In honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day and the 81st anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz in 1945, the Dole Institute and the Lawrence Arts Center invite you to experience Beth Lane’s award-winning documentary, UnBroken. Following this free screening at the Dole Institute, Lane will join Free State Film Festival founding director Marlo Angell for … [more]
The City of Lawrence, in partnership with the Lawrence Arts Center, invites community members to a special screening of the documentary Join or Die. The event will be accompanied by the Lawrence Connection Fair featuring community groups, clubs, service organizations, and causes across Lawrence. Join or Die examines decades of research showing how participation in civic and … [more]
Kick off the KU Powwow & Indigenous Cultures Festival with an unforgettable evening of film and conversation! ABOUT THE FILM A down-on-his-luck screenwriter struggles to finish a script. Failed suicide attempts, unstable friends, drug deals, and memories of his ex-girlfriend interfere. This short film won the 2016 Best Cinematography Prize at the Terres en Vues/Land … [more]
This event is SOLD OUT! The Lawrence Arts Center and Lawrence Modern present an evening of film and conversation to celebrate mid century design as seen in the 1964 film Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. ABOUT THE FILM A satirical black comedy directed by Stanley Kubrick set … [more]
A brand new Algerian co-production fresh from the 2026 Rotterdam International Film Festival screens at the Free State Festival in celebration of the Algerian soccer team's home base in Lawrence, Kansas this summer. This free screening is made possible by support from the Lawrence Public Library. FREE admission. No tickets required. After the film, stay … [more]
Directed by by Gillo Pontecorvo Run Time: 2 hours Pre-show performance by New Horizons Band, including the Algerian National Anthem Post-show discussion with Megan Greene of KU International Affairs, Asmaa Ben Baba of KU African and African-American Studies, and Military Historian Geoff Babb. Video intro by Adel Ben Bella, Brown University Doctoral Student ABOUT THE … [more]
Headliner Boots Riley returns to the Free State Festival for a screening of his new film, I Love Boosters, and a post-screening Q&A. This event was made possible by support from the KU Department of African and African-American Studies, KU Film and Media Studies and the Hall Center for the Humanities at KU. Run Time: … [more]
