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X-WR-CALNAME:Free State Festival
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://freestatefestival.org
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Free State Festival
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DTSTART:20250309T080000
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DTSTART:20260308T080000
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20250801T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20250801T210000
DTSTAMP:20260618T181527
CREATED:20250707T212807Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250727T142953Z
UID:4243-1754074800-1754082000@freestatefestival.org
SUMMARY:Lawrence Modern Presents Mon oncle
DESCRIPTION:The Lawrence Arts Center and Lawrence Modern present an evening of film and conversation to celebrate mid century design as seen in the 1958 film Mon oncle. \n\nABOUT THE FILM\nSlapstick prevails again when Jacques Tati’s eccentric\, old-fashioned hero\, Monsieur Hulot\, is set loose in Villa Arpel\, the geometric\, oppressively ultramodern home of his brother-in-law\, and in the antiseptic plastic hose factory where he gets a job. The second Hulot movie and Tati’s first color film\, Mon oncle is a supremely amusing satire of mechanized living and consumer society that earned the director the Academy Award for best foreign-language film. \nRunning time: 1 hour 56 minutes\nIn French with English Subtitles \nABOUT LAWRENCE MODERN\nLawrence Modern’s mission is to raise awareness of midcentury and modern architecture in Lawrence and promote its preservation to ensure that future generations will have significant examples to appreciate and/or to live in. \nThis screening is made possible by support from Lawrence Modern founder\, Tom Harper with Stephens Real Estate.
URL:https://freestatefestival.org/event/lawrence-modern-presents-mon-oncle/
LOCATION:10th & Mass Studios\, 1000 Massachusetts St.\, Lawrence\, 66044\, United States
CATEGORIES:Film
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251024T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251024T203000
DTSTAMP:20260618T181527
CREATED:20250819T175210Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250919T144145Z
UID:4269-1761332400-1761337800@freestatefestival.org
SUMMARY:Join or Die
DESCRIPTION:Join or Die is a film about why you should join a club — and why the fate of America depends on it. In this feature documentary\, follow the half-century story of America’s civic unraveling through the journey of legendary social scientist Robert Putnam\, whose groundbreaking “Bowling Alone” research into America’s decades-long decline in community connections could hold the answers to our democracy’s present crisis. \nFlanked by influential fans and scholars — from Hillary Clinton\, Pete Buttigieg\, and Surgeon General Vivek Murthy to Eddie Glaude Jr.\, Raj Chetty\, and Priya Parker — as well as inspiring groups building community in neighborhoods across the country\, join Bob as he explores three urgent civic questions: What makes democracy work? \nWhy is American democracy in crisis? And\, most importantly… What can we do about it? \nTickets: $10 or FREE for Lawrence Arts Center members! Click here to become a member. \nCome early for an adult Club Fair in the lobby! If you have a club and would like to table at this event\, please email: info@freestatefilmfest.com
URL:https://freestatefestival.org/event/join-or-die/
LOCATION:Lawrence Arts Center\, 940 New Hampshire St\, Lawrence\, KS\, 66044\, United States
CATEGORIES:Film
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freestatefestival.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Join-or-Die-900-x-450-px.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251108T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251108T200000
DTSTAMP:20260618T181527
CREATED:20250819T190111Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250819T190144Z
UID:4274-1762626600-1762632000@freestatefestival.org
SUMMARY:Cat Video Fest 2025
DESCRIPTION:Our fuzzy overlords return to the big screen! Each year\, CatVideoFest curates a compilation reel of the latest\, best cat videos carefully selected from countless hours of unique submissions and sourced animations\, music videos\, and\, of course\, classic internet powerhouses. CatVideoFest is a joyous communal experience\, only available in theaters\, and raises money for cats in need through partnerships with local cat charities\, animal welfare organizations\, and shelters to best serve cats in the area. \nA portion of this screening’s proceeds go to the Lawrence Humane Society! \nRun Time: 75 min
URL:https://freestatefestival.org/event/cat-video-fest-2025/
LOCATION:Lawrence Arts Center\, 940 New Hampshire St\, Lawrence\, KS\, 66044\, United States
CATEGORIES:Film
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freestatefestival.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/CVFFSF.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251114T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251114T220000
DTSTAMP:20260618T181527
CREATED:20250924T204724Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251002T191333Z
UID:4281-1763146800-1763157600@freestatefestival.org
SUMMARY:Lawrence Modern Presents Playtime
DESCRIPTION:The Lawrence Arts Center and Lawrence Modern team up to present an evening of film and conversation to celebrate mid century design as seen in the 1967 film Playtime. \nRun time: 2 hour 35 minutes \nIn French with English Subtitles \nABOUT THE FILM\nJacques Tati’s gloriously choreographed\, nearly wordless comedies about confusion in an age of high technology reach their apotheosis in this film. Tati again thrusts the lovably old-fashioned Monsieur Hulot\, along with a host of other lost souls\, into a baffling modern world\, this time Paris. Every inch of the super-wide frame is crammed with hilarity and inventiveness\, making PlayTime a lasting record of a modern era tiptoeing on the edge of oblivion. \nABOUT LAWRENCE MODERN\nLawrence Modern’s mission is to raise awareness of midcentury and modern architecture in Lawrence and promote its preservation to ensure that future generations will have significant examples to appreciate and/or to live in. \nThis screening is made possible by support from Lawrence Modern founder\, Tom Harper with Stephens Real Estate.
URL:https://freestatefestival.org/event/lawrence-modern-presents-playtime/
LOCATION:10th & Mass Studios\, 1000 Massachusetts St.\, Lawrence\, 66044\, United States
CATEGORIES:Film,Ideas
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251121T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251121T190000
DTSTAMP:20260618T181527
CREATED:20251105T224657Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251108T144834Z
UID:4289-1763751600-1763751600@freestatefestival.org
SUMMARY:Prairie Prophecy Documentary Screening
DESCRIPTION: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. \nCo-sponsors: Spencer Museum of Art\, the Lawrence Arts Center\, KU Environmental Studies\, and KU Department of Geography &amp; Atmospheric Science. \nThis screening is part of a series of events across the Great Plains promoted by the NSF-funded Research Coordination Network: Building a Community of Practice for Co-Producing Resilient Socio-Ecological Systems in Grasslands.
URL:https://freestatefestival.org/event/prairie-prophecy-documentary-screening/
LOCATION:10th & Mass Studios\, 1000 Massachusetts St.\, Lawrence\, 66044\, United States
CATEGORIES:Film,Ideas
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251204T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251204T200000
DTSTAMP:20260618T181527
CREATED:20251114T160106Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251126T164858Z
UID:4294-1764873000-1764878400@freestatefestival.org
SUMMARY:Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story | Hallmark Movie Party
DESCRIPTION: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\, fandom\, and hot cocoa. Winter cocktails and themed bingo cards (with a chance to win cool prizes!) will be available for purchase. Wear your red and gold and we’ll see you at the movies! \nWHAT TO EXPECT: \n\nParty packs will be available for purchase with bingo cards\, interactive movie props & more!\nBingo card winners have a chance to win prizes from local businesses like: Third Planet\, ACME\, Phoenix Gallery\, KB & Co.\, Wonder Fair\, and more!\nSpecial awards will be given for the Best Dressed in Red & Gold and Best Holiday Outfit (including a prize by Swanson’s Lawrence)!\nTasty themed cocktails will be available for purchase at the concession stand.\nArtist Alycia Earhart will have jewelry for sale in the lobby before the film.\n\nABOUT THE FILM\nAlana Higman is sure that her family’s lifelong history as Kansas City Chiefs superfans makes them a frontrunner to win the team’s “Fan of the Year” contest. Derrick\, Director of Fan Engagement\, is tasked with evaluating how Alana and her family stack up against the other two finalists. As the pair spends time together\, it’s clear there’s a spark between them but when her grandfather’s vintage Chiefs good-luck winter hat goes missing\, Alana begins to doubt everything she believed about fate\, destiny and even questions her future with Derrick – unless\, that is\, a little Christmas magic can throw a Hail Mary.
URL:https://freestatefestival.org/event/holiday-touchdown-a-chiefs-love-story-hallmark-movie-party/
LOCATION:Lawrence Arts Center\, 940 New Hampshire St\, Lawrence\, KS\, 66044\, United States
CATEGORIES:Film
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251218T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251218T203000
DTSTAMP:20260618T181527
CREATED:20251201T204255Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251217T140817Z
UID:4304-1766086200-1766089800@freestatefestival.org
SUMMARY:Classics Remixed: Nanook of the North
DESCRIPTION:This event is SOLD OUT! Look for more film events in 2026. \nExperience 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. \nABOUT THE FILM \nNanook of the North is often referred to as the first feature documentary ever made. The depiction of the life of an Inuit hunter includes moments of hunting\, kayaking\, dogsledding\, family life\, and home-building. While hailed for pioneering the artform of documentary filmmaking\, the film has come under scrutiny for its use of fictional elements that present an inaccurate image of Inuit cultures. \nThis special Classics Remixed presentation offers a re-edited version of the film\, a unique soundtrack\, and immersive art elements. This deconstructed film experience puts the viewer in a unique space in an effort to evoke conversation on the ethics of storytelling and the blurring of boundaries between authenticity and drama. \nRuntime:\n30 minute film followed by an artist talk back. \nContent warning:\nThis film contains images of animal hunting that may not be suitable for all viewers. \nThis event is made possible by the Creative Impact Alliance with grant support from the City of Lawrence Community Arts Grant program.
URL:https://freestatefestival.org/event/classic-remixed-nanook-of-the-north/
LOCATION:Lawrence Arts Center\, 940 New Hampshire St\, Lawrence\, KS\, 66044\, United States
CATEGORIES:Art,Film,Ideas,Music
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260122T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260122T200000
DTSTAMP:20260618T181527
CREATED:20260108T171729Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260108T171729Z
UID:4314-1769104800-1769112000@freestatefestival.org
SUMMARY:Unbroken Film Screening
DESCRIPTION: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. \nFollowing this free screening at the Dole Institute\, Lane will join Free State Film Festival founding director Marlo Angell for a brief question-and-answer session. \nABOUT THE FILM\nThe daughter of a Holocaust survivor embarks on an international quest to uncover answers about the plight of her mother and her six siblings who\, as mere children\, escaped Nazi Germany relying solely on their own youthful bravado and the kindness of German strangers. \n\nRuntime: 96 minutes\, followed by Q&A \nContent warning: This film contains mature themes – including sexual assault and abuse – that may not be suitable for all viewers. \nABOUT THE ARTIST\nBeth Lane is the award-winning director\, executive producer and writer of the feature documentary film\, UnBroken. An actress\, singer and dancer\, she is a second-generation Holocaust survivor. Beth’s driving force has always been to create spaces to exercise our collective capacity for empathy through storytelling\, design and meditation. Building bridges for a better future is paramount to her work.
URL:https://freestatefestival.org/event/unbroken-film-screening/
LOCATION:The Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics\, 2350 Petefish Dr.\, Lawrence\, KS\, United States
CATEGORIES:Film
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260227T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260227T203000
DTSTAMP:20260618T181527
CREATED:20260130T160019Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260202T221418Z
UID:4320-1772217000-1772224200@freestatefestival.org
SUMMARY:Connection Fair + Film Screening: Join or Die
DESCRIPTION: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. \nJoin or Die examines decades of research showing how participation in civic and social groups — such as clubs\, faith communities\, volunteer organizations\, and neighborhood groups — strengthens democracy\, improves individual health\, and builds resilient communities. The film connects national data with a simple local message: Communities thrive when people are connected. \n“This event is about belonging\,” said Cori Wallace\, Director of Communications and Community Relations for the City of Lawrence. “Strong communities with people who feel cared for and connected don’t happen by accident. They’re built when people show up for one another\, join something meaningful\, and then connect to care for each other. If people feel connected\, they will be connected enough to care.” \nThis event is free and open to the public. Registration is encouraged but not required. \n6:30pm | Lawrence Connection Fair\n7:00pm | Film Screening: Join or Die\n8:30pm  | Lawrence Connection Fair \nAbout the City of Lawrence   \nThe City of Lawrence supports an unmistakably vibrant community with innovative\, equitable\, transparent and responsible local government. Together\, we are creating a community where everyone can enjoy life and feel at home.
URL:https://freestatefestival.org/event/connection-fair-film-screening-join-or-die/
LOCATION:Free State High School\, 4700 Overland Dr.\, Lawrence\, KS\, 66049\, United States
CATEGORIES:Film,Ideas
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freestatefestival.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Join-or-Die-900-x-450-px.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260409T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260409T210000
DTSTAMP:20260618T181527
CREATED:20260310T195416Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T195416Z
UID:4326-1775761200-1775768400@freestatefestival.org
SUMMARY:KU Indigenous Cultures Festival presents Chasing the Light
DESCRIPTION:Kick off the KU Powwow & Indigenous Cultures Festival with an unforgettable evening of film and conversation! \nABOUT THE FILM\nA 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 InSights Montreal First Peoples Festival\, and was an official selection of the 2015 imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival\, 2016 Skabmagovat Film Festival\, Maoriland Film Festival\, Santa Fe Independent Film Festival\, Nevada City Film Festival\, and Native Cinema Showcase. \nWritten and directed by Blackhorse Lowe\nProduced by: D.E. Hyde\, Ronald Hyde\, Blackhorse Lowe & Sally Kewayosh\nStarring: Blackhorse Lowe\, Cody Lightning\, Sahar Khadjenoury\, Nasheen Sleuth and Lydell Mitchell\nRuntime 80 minutes
URL:https://freestatefestival.org/event/ku-indigenous-cultures-festival-presents-chasing-the-light/
LOCATION:Lawrence Arts Center\, 940 New Hampshire St\, Lawrence\, KS\, 66044\, United States
CATEGORIES:Film
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260424T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260424T210000
DTSTAMP:20260618T181527
CREATED:20260310T202221Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260424T205227Z
UID:4332-1777057200-1777064400@freestatefestival.org
SUMMARY:Lawrence Modern presents Dr. Strangelove
DESCRIPTION:This event is SOLD OUT!  \nThe 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. \nABOUT THE FILM\nA satirical black comedy directed by Stanley Kubrick set at the height of the Cold War. A mentally unstable American general orders a hydrogen bomb attack on the Soviet Union\, triggering a path to global nuclear holocaust that a war room full of politicians and generals frantically tries to stop. \nRunning time: 1 hour 35 minutes \nABOUT LAWRENCE MODERN\nLawrence Modern’s mission is to raise awareness of midcentury and modern architecture in Lawrence and promote its preservation to ensure that future generations will have significant examples to appreciate and/or to live in. \nThis screening is made possible by support from Lawrence Modern founder\, Tom Harper with Stephens Real Estate.
URL:https://freestatefestival.org/event/lawrence-modern-presents-dr-strangelove/
LOCATION:10th & Mass Studios\, 1000 Massachusetts St.\, Lawrence\, 66044\, United States
CATEGORIES:Film
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260622
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260629
DTSTAMP:20260618T181527
CREATED:20260603T194414Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260616T162846Z
UID:4508-1782086400-1782691199@freestatefestival.org
SUMMARY:Art Installation: One\, Two\, Three\, Vive l'Algérie
DESCRIPTION:This summer\, Lawrence\, Kansas welcomes the Algerian national soccer team to town. Filmmakers Misti Boland and Jeremy Osbern have created a video installation that will run overnight from June 22 through June 28 in the storefront window of 836 Massachusetts Street. Featuring soccer scenes from across the Lawrence community\, the installation celebrates the beauty\, energy\, and shared language of the game — and Lawrence’s own connection to it.
URL:https://freestatefestival.org/event/video-art-installation/
LOCATION:836 Massachusetts Street.\, Lawrence\, KS\, 66044\, United States
CATEGORIES:Art
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freestatefestival.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/videoartinstallation-web.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260622T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260622T203000
DTSTAMP:20260618T181527
CREATED:20260504T183548Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260615T211438Z
UID:4398-1782153000-1782160200@freestatefestival.org
SUMMARY:The Arab
DESCRIPTION: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. \nFREE admission. No tickets required. After the film\, head to The Granada (1020 Mass St.) for a FREE watch party for the Algerian vs. Jordan game at 10pm! \nDirected by Malek BensmailRun Time: 1 hour 46 min \nABOUT THE FILM\nAn old man from Oran claims to be the brother of “the Arab” killed in Camus’s The Stranger. A leading figure of Algerian theatre and cinema since the 1970s\, actor Ahmed Benaïssa brings a rare intensity\, both intimate and political\, where personal memory\, collective history\, and rebellion against the erasure of Arab voices intertwine. This testamentary role\, performed shortly before his death in 2022\, gathers the full power of his artistic journey: a commanding presence\, remarkable precision in acting\, and a unique ability to make us hear — behind every silence — an entire country and an entire life. \nFreely adapted from the novel The Meursault Investigation by Kamel Daoud. \n 
URL:https://freestatefestival.org/event/the-arab/
LOCATION:Liberty Hall\, 644 Massachusetts St\, Lawrence\, KS\, 66044\, United States
CATEGORIES:Film
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freestatefestival.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/the-arab-web.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260623T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260623T210000
DTSTAMP:20260618T181527
CREATED:20260504T184551Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260607T140550Z
UID:4402-1782239400-1782248400@freestatefestival.org
SUMMARY:The Battle of Algiers
DESCRIPTION:Directed by by Gillo Pontecorvo\nRun Time: 2 hours\nPre-show performance by New Horizons Band\, including the Algerian National Anthem\nPost-show discussion with Megan Greene of KU International Affairs and Asmaa Ben Baba of KU African and African-American Studies\nVideo by Adel Ben Bella\, Brown University Doctoral Student \nABOUT THE FILM\nOne of the most influential films in history\, The Battle of Algiers vividly re-creates a key year in the tumultuous Algerian struggle for independence from the occupying French in the 1950s. Shot on the streets of Algiers in documentary style\, the film is a case study in modern warfare\, with its terrorist attacks and the brutal techniques used to combat them. The film won the prestigious Golden Lion at the 1966 Venice Film Festival\, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
URL:https://freestatefestival.org/event/the-battle-of-algiers/
LOCATION:Lawrence Arts Center\, 940 New Hampshire St\, Lawrence\, KS\, 66044\, United States
CATEGORIES:Film
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freestatefestival.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Battle-of-Algiers-web.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260624T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260624T210000
DTSTAMP:20260618T181527
CREATED:20260504T191454Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260607T141033Z
UID:4408-1782325800-1782334800@freestatefestival.org
SUMMARY:I Love Boosters | An Evening with Boots Riley
DESCRIPTION: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. \nThis film is currently sold out! We will have a waitlist queue in the Lawrence Arts Center lobby starting at 5:30pm. If there are no shows\, we will release tickets on a space available basis starting at 6:15pm. \nABOUT THE FILM\nA crew of professional shoplifters take aim at a cutthroat fashion maven. It’s like community service.\n \nABOUT THE ARTIST\nBoots Riley is a provocative and prolific poet\, rapper\, songwriter\, producer\, screenwriter\, director\, community organizer\, and public speaker. He wrote and directed Sorry to Bother You\, a comedy fantasy sci-fi film\, in his directorial debut. Boots was nominated for the DGA’s Outstanding Directorial Achievement of a First-Time Feature Film Director Award\, and Sorry to Bother You was nominated for the Film Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay and won the Spirit Award for Best First Feature\, as well numerous other awards\, including seven critics awards and a Humanitas nomination. He is the lead vocalist of The Coup and Street Sweeper Social Club.
URL:https://freestatefestival.org/event/i-love-boosters-an-evening-with-boots-riley/
LOCATION:Lawrence Arts Center\, 940 New Hampshire St\, Lawrence\, KS\, 66044\, United States
CATEGORIES:Film
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freestatefestival.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/I-Love-Boosters_weby.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260625T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260625T223000
DTSTAMP:20260618T181527
CREATED:20260608T230940Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260616T153851Z
UID:4537-1782403200-1782426600@freestatefestival.org
SUMMARY:Soccer on Screen: USA vs. Türkiye
DESCRIPTION:Enjoy a world tournament soccer match in the comfort of the big screen at the Lawrence Arts Center main stage! Admission is FREE but limited to seating capacity. \nDoors open at 8:30pm  \nGame at 9pm \nCome early to enjoy the Lawrence Busker Festival’s Score Lawrence Street Party with food vendors and live performances from 4pm-9pm! \n4:00PM Community Music Info & House Music\n5:30PM Soccer Freestyler Tim Hoekman\n6:00PM VCMN\n7:00PM EZGi\n8:00PM LYXE
URL:https://freestatefestival.org/event/soccer-on-screen-usa-vs-turkiye/
LOCATION:Lawrence Arts Center\, 940 New Hampshire St\, Lawrence\, KS\, 66044\, United States
CATEGORIES:Ideas
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freestatefestival.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Matchday.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260625T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260625T180000
DTSTAMP:20260618T181527
CREATED:20260504T193958Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260607T141744Z
UID:4413-1782410400-1782410400@freestatefestival.org
SUMMARY:The Return of the Sacred Red Rock + Healing Ribbons: One Stitch At a Time
DESCRIPTION:A screening of the feature documentary\, The Return of the Sacred Red Rock\, and the short documentary\, Healing Ribbons: One Stitch at a Time. \nPre-show healing ribbon skirt and shirt fashion show. \nPost-show filmmaker Q&A.  \nRun time: 1hr 24min \nABOUT THE FEATURE FILM\nAfter being separated from their sacred stone for nearly a century\, the Kaw (Kanza) Nation reunites with In ́zhújé waxóbe\, a 28 ton quartzite boulder\, marking a new era of accountability for the city of Lawrence\, Kansas and healing for the Kaw people. This film documents the honorable cooperation between community and governmental stakeholders in Lawrence\, Kansas and the Kaw people in rematriating In ́zhújé waxóbe. The film follows the events leading up to and culmination of the Red Rock’s relocation to Allegawaho Memorial Heritage Park in Council Grove\, Kansas.\n \nABOUT THE SHORT FILM\nThe award-winning short documentary highlights how creating traditional regalia—like ribbon skirts—helps Native American women and two-spirit relatives heal generational trauma\, reclaim cultural identity\, and build community.
URL:https://freestatefestival.org/event/the-return-of-the-sacred-red-rock-healing-ribbons/
LOCATION:Lawrence Arts Center\, 940 New Hampshire St\, Lawrence\, KS\, 66044\, United States
CATEGORIES:Art,Film
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freestatefestival.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/sacredredrockweb.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260625T203000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260625T223000
DTSTAMP:20260618T181527
CREATED:20260504T214810Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260607T143821Z
UID:4443-1782419400-1782426600@freestatefestival.org
SUMMARY:Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait
DESCRIPTION:ABOUT THE FILM\nAn entire football match filmed from the perspective of soccer hero Zinedine Zidane (father of this year’s Algerian goalie\, Luca Zidane). High-art comes to the pitch for this ambitious project hailed widely as a groundbreaking new direction in sports films. At a 2005 match between Villarreal versus Real Madrid\, seventeen cameras were utilized by filmmakers Douglas Gordon and Philippe Parreno to capture Zidane from multiple angles rather than the soccer ball. Using effects\, slo-mo\, and a soundtrack by Scottish band Mogwai\, the directors create the opportunity of stepping into one of the shoes of one of the most famous soccer players of all time.
URL:https://freestatefestival.org/event/zidane-a-21st-century-portrait/
LOCATION:Lawrence Arts Center\, 940 New Hampshire St\, Lawrence\, KS\, 66044\, United States
CATEGORIES:Film
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freestatefestival.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/zidane.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260626T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260626T193000
DTSTAMP:20260618T181527
CREATED:20260504T170147Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260615T193522Z
UID:4387-1782498600-1782502200@freestatefestival.org
SUMMARY:A Conversation With Robyn Hitchcock | Lawrence Public Library 780 Series
DESCRIPTION:The Lawrence Public Library presents a captivating conversation with Robyn Hitchcock on the Arts Center stage. Admission to the 6:30pm conversation is FREE\, but advance registration is required. Admission to the concert by Robyn Hitchcock & his band at 8:30pm requires a separate $25 General Admission Ticket. The theatre will be cleared between events. \nThis concert is SOLD OUT! We will have a waitlist queue in the Lawrence Arts Center lobby starting at 5:30pm. If there are no shows\, we will release tickets on a space available basis starting at 6:15pm. \nABOUT THE ARTIST\nWith a career now spanning six decades\, Robyn Hitchcock remains a truly one-of-a-kind artist. A surrealist rock ‘n’ roller\, iconic troubadour\, guitarist\, poet\, painter\, and performer\, Hitchcock has traversed many genres with humor\, intelligence and originality. From The Soft Boys’ proto-psych-punk and The Egyptians’ Dadaist pop to solo masterpieces\, Hitchcock has crafted a strikingly original oeuvre rife with sagacious observation\, astringent wit\, recurring marine life\, mechanized rail services\, cheese\, Clint Eastwood\, and innumerable finely drawn characters\, real and imagined. \nAlong with his musical efforts\, Hitchcock has appeared in several films\, among them collaborations with the late Jonathan Demme on 1998’s concert documentary Storefront Hitchcock and roles in 2004’s The Manchurian Candidate and 2008’s Rachel Getting Married. An inveterate traveller and live performer\, Hitchcock has toured nearly constantly for the past four decades\, playing countless shows worldwide\, from Africa to the Arctic. \n 
URL:https://freestatefestival.org/event/a-conversation-with-robyn-hitchcock-lawrence-public-library-780-series/
LOCATION:Lawrence Arts Center\, 940 New Hampshire St\, Lawrence\, KS\, 66044\, United States
CATEGORIES:Ideas,Music
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freestatefestival.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Robyn-Hitchcock-780.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260626T203000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260626T220000
DTSTAMP:20260618T181527
CREATED:20260504T174407Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260615T193420Z
UID:4391-1782505800-1782511200@freestatefestival.org
SUMMARY:Robyn Hitchcock In Concert
DESCRIPTION:Headliner Robyn Hitchcock performs a full band concert live on the Arts Center stage! \nTickets are $25. Doors at 8pm. Concert at 8:30pm. General admission. \nNote: this event is a separate ticket from the 6:30pm conversation with Robyn Hitchcock. \nThis event is made possible thanks to support from the Lawrence Public Library\, Love Garden Sounds and Eighth Street Taproom. \nThis concert is SOLD OUT! We will have a waitlist queue in the Lawrence Arts Center lobby starting at 7:30pm. If there are no shows\, we will release tickets on a space available basis starting at 8:15pm. \nABOUT THE ARTIST\nWith a career now spanning six decades\, Robyn Hitchcock remains a truly one-of-a-kind artist. A surrealist rock ‘n’ roller\, iconic troubadour\, guitarist\, poet\, painter\, and performer\, Hitchcock has traversed many genres with humor\, intelligence and originality. From The Soft Boys’ proto-psych-punk and The Egyptians’ Dadaist pop to solo masterpieces\, Hitchcock has crafted a strikingly original oeuvre rife with sagacious observation\, astringent wit\, recurring marine life\, mechanized rail services\, cheese\, Clint Eastwood\, and innumerable finely drawn characters\, real and imagined. \nAlong with his musical efforts\, Hitchcock has appeared in several films\, among them collaborations with the late Jonathan Demme on 1998’s concert documentary Storefront Hitchcock and roles in 2004’s The Manchurian Candidate and 2008’s Rachel Getting Married. An inveterate traveller and live performer\, Hitchcock has toured nearly constantly for the past four decades\, playing countless shows worldwide\, from Africa to the Arctic.
URL:https://freestatefestival.org/event/robyn-hitchcock-in-concert/
LOCATION:Lawrence Arts Center\, 940 New Hampshire St\, Lawrence\, KS\, 66044\, United States
CATEGORIES:Music
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freestatefestival.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Robyn-Hitchcock.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260627T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260627T140000
DTSTAMP:20260618T181527
CREATED:20260504T210055Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260607T143009Z
UID:4434-1782561600-1782568800@freestatefestival.org
SUMMARY:American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez
DESCRIPTION:Winner of the U.S. Documentary Audience Award and the Festival Favorite Award at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival!  \nDirected by David Alvarado\nIntroduction by Dr. Neill Gabrielle Esquibel-Kennedy\, Visiting Assistant Professor of the Chicanx/Latinx Program in KU Department of American Studies. \nRun time: 1hour 32min \nABOUT THE FILM\nAn auteur emerges from America’s underclass: from migrant farmworker to revolutionary artist\, Luis Valdez changed American culture. In the 1960s\, his El Teatro Campesino performed on flatbed trucks and helped mobilize workers to win the first farmworker union contract. His Zoot Suit was the first Chicano play on Broadway. Despite critical rejection that killed the show\, he persevered\, creating La Bamba—a breakout blockbuster that authentically depicted MexicanAmerican life to the world. Now in its 60th year\, El Teatro continues to be a beacon for Latino/a creators. This is the story of an artist who gave voice to the overlooked and opened pathways for generations.
URL:https://freestatefestival.org/event/american-pachuco-the-legend-of-luis-valdez/
LOCATION:Lawrence Arts Center\, 940 New Hampshire St\, Lawrence\, KS\, 66044\, United States
CATEGORIES:Film
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freestatefestival.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/American-Pachuco-The-Legend-of-Luis-Valdez.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260627T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260627T163000
DTSTAMP:20260618T181527
CREATED:20260505T040154Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260526T222710Z
UID:4451-1782570600-1782577800@freestatefestival.org
SUMMARY:Slice of Life: Short Documentaries + Pizza Party
DESCRIPTION:Four short documentaries capture people\, places and things in Kansas and beyond. Experience the films on the big screen and head to the lower lobby for pizza by our friends at Johnny’s Tavern and conversation with filmmakers! \n\nLend Me A Hand by Kat King (14 min)\nWelcome to Dollar Country by Michael Suter (24 min)\nLand Back to the Future by Brendan McInerney (23 min)\nReclaiming Home: Remembering the Topeka Bottoms by Matt Jacobson & Maria Velasco (28 min)\n\n  \n 
URL:https://freestatefestival.org/event/slice-of-life-short-documentaries-pizza-party/
LOCATION:Lawrence Arts Center\, 940 New Hampshire St\, Lawrence\, KS\, 66044\, United States
CATEGORIES:Film
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freestatefestival.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Welcome-to-Dollar-Country-Poster-scaled-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260627T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260627T190000
DTSTAMP:20260618T181527
CREATED:20260504T211326Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260610T170115Z
UID:4439-1782579600-1782586800@freestatefestival.org
SUMMARY:Nine Little Indians
DESCRIPTION:Nine Little Indians makes its Kansas premiere at the Free State Festival followed by a Q&A with filmmaker Shannon Kring\, Director of Photographer Marc Gerke\, and Pat Charbonneau moderated by Sarah Bariya of the STA (Sexual Trama and Abuse) Care Center. Don’t miss this special engagement! \nABOUT THE FILM\nExecutive produced by Leonardo DiCaprio\, Shannon Kring’s wrenching\, vital documentary tells the story of a family’s decades-long fight for acknowledgement\, justice\, and healing after the abuses they suffered in the American Indian boarding school system. In 2008\, the nine Charbonneau daughters sought restitution for the appalling physical\, emotional\, and sexual abuse that they had endured decades earlier at St. Paul’s Indian Mission School in Marty\, South Dakota—one of many such American Indian residential schools that proliferated in the U.S. and Canada from the early 19th through mid-20th centuries with the explicit goal of assimilating Native American children to white Christian society and culture.
URL:https://freestatefestival.org/event/nine-little-indians/
LOCATION:Lawrence Arts Center\, 940 New Hampshire St\, Lawrence\, KS\, 66044\, United States
CATEGORIES:Film
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freestatefestival.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/nine-little-indians-web.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260627T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260627T213000
DTSTAMP:20260618T181527
CREATED:20260505T041608Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260527T205927Z
UID:4459-1782590400-1782595800@freestatefestival.org
SUMMARY:Short Films + Culinary Pairings
DESCRIPTION:Experience bite-sized films thoughtfully paired with culinary selections by Meadowlark Wine Bar & Kitchen. A favorite event at every festival\, this pass-holder only screening is peppered with community and conversation. \n\nOne More Time by Jessie Van Der Vyver (5 min)\nYoga Girl by Kaitlyn Furey (9 min)\nHome by Kelvin Garvanne (11 min)\nPuzzles Brett Eitzen (9 min)\nBenchless by Galiam Bruno Henry (23 min)\n\n  \n  \n 
URL:https://freestatefestival.org/event/short-films-culinary-pairings/
LOCATION:10th & Mass Studios\, 1000 Massachusetts St.\, Lawrence\, 66044\, United States
CATEGORIES:Film
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freestatefestival.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/benches.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260628T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260628T140000
DTSTAMP:20260618T181527
CREATED:20260504T204224Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260618T173347Z
UID:4430-1782648000-1782655200@freestatefestival.org
SUMMARY:Paint Me a Road out of Here
DESCRIPTION:ABOUT THE FILM\nIn 1971\, artist Faith Ringgold created a monumental painting “For the Women’s House” for the women incarcerated at Rikers Island jail. Fifty years later\, artist Mary Enoch Elizabeth Baxter\, who gave birth in prison 15 years ago\, finds herself banding together with an eclectic group of activists\, politicians\, artists\, corrections officers and Faith Ringgold herself to free the artwork with the ultimate goal of freeing the women. Paint Me a Road Out of Here is a wild tale of the painting’s whitewashed journey and the two artists who challenged the same powerful and oppressive institutions\, a half century apart\, with their artwork\, their voices and their shared\, persistent goals. \nIntroduction by Susan Earle\, Curator of European and American Art at the Spencer Museum of Art on Faith Ringgold’s visits to Lawrence.
URL:https://freestatefestival.org/event/paint-me-a-road-out-of-here/
LOCATION:Liberty Hall\, 644 Massachusetts St\, Lawrence\, KS\, 66044\, United States
CATEGORIES:Film
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freestatefestival.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Paint-Me-a-Road-Web.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260628T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260628T163000
DTSTAMP:20260618T181527
CREATED:20260504T195941Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260607T144149Z
UID:4417-1782657000-1782664200@freestatefestival.org
SUMMARY:Seized
DESCRIPTION:The Kansas premiere of the highly anticipated documentary fresh from the 2026 Sundance Film Festival accompanied by a post-screening Q&A! This event is made possible by support from the Lawrence Journal-World and the KU William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications. \nABOUT THE FILM\nSeized is a gripping\, stranger-than-fiction investigative thriller that plunges audiences inside the troubling police raid on the Marion County Record. What begins as a shocking small-town incident quickly spirals into a national story\, exposing how corruption\, politics\, and decades-long tensions turned a quaint Kansas community into a battleground over the First and Fourth Amendments. The film unfolds in real time through police body-cam and surveillance footage\, revealing the raid’s chaos\, the bombshells that followed\, and the devastating personal toll on the newsroom\, including the tragic death of its 98-year-old co-owner.
URL:https://freestatefestival.org/event/seized/
LOCATION:Liberty Hall\, 644 Massachusetts St\, Lawrence\, KS\, 66044\, United States
CATEGORIES:Film
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freestatefestival.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/seized-web.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260628T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260628T203000
DTSTAMP:20260618T181527
CREATED:20260504T202820Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260607T144501Z
UID:4425-1782671400-1782678600@freestatefestival.org
SUMMARY:Nova '78
DESCRIPTION:Aaron Brookner returns to Lawrence for the Kansas premiere of the film Nova ’78 followed by a filmmaker Q&A! This event is made possible by support from Tom Harper of Stephens Real Estate. \nABOUT THE FILM\nNova ’78\, directed by Aaron Brookner and Rodrigo Areias from a restored archive by Howard Brookner\, is an electrifying journey into the heart of 1970s counter-culture\, built around never-before-seen footage from the legendary Nova Convention. This explosive three-day event in New York City celebrated William S. Burroughs’ return to America after living for over twenty years in Latin America\, North Africa\, Paris\, and London. It brought together icons such as Patti Smith\, Frank Zappa\, Laurie Anderson\, Philip Glass\, Allen Ginsberg\, Merce Cunningham\, John Cage\, and many more. A cultural time capsule on the enduring power of creative freedom\, the footage captures backstage moments\, candid encounters\, and raw performances at the heart of the downtown scene.
URL:https://freestatefestival.org/event/nova-78/
LOCATION:Liberty Hall\, 644 Massachusetts St\, Lawrence\, KS\, 66044\, United States
CATEGORIES:Film
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freestatefestival.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/NOVA78_Courtesy_Pinball_london.jpg
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR