The Anthem Film Festival at FreedomFest has been called “one of the centers of film innovation... running counter to  film industry practice.”  At Anthem, we’re proud of being countercultural when it means being in favor of individuality, choice, accountability, and self-reliance.  Chip Wood said of the festival, “Nothing has grown in size, significance, and popularity at FreedomFest as much as the Anthem Film Festival,” and that significance continues to grow. What can you expect this year? See our agenda to find out.

Individuality. Accountability. Choice.

Anthem Film Festival promotes thought-provoking and impactful cinema. Join us to explore inspiring stories and celebrate the power of the individual at Anthem Film Festival.

Don’t miss your chance to attend the Anthem Film Festival at the Renasant Convention Center in Memphis, Tennessee from July 12-15, 2023.

Schedule:

Wednesday, July 12, 2023

11:00am: ANTHEM GRAND OPENING!

Length: 30 minutes

Join us for the grand opening of the Anthem Film Festival!

11:30am: COOLIDGE: REDISCOVERING AN AMERICAN PRESIDENT

Director: Paul Sanderson
Length: 39 minutes

Coolidge stands as perhaps America’s most misunderstood and unjustly neglected president. A landmark new documentary film changes that, revealing a leader who offers urgent lessons for our age of inflation, exploding debt, and partisan rancor.

12:15pm: PANEL “How America Changed in the Twentieth Century”

Length: 40 minutes

Steve Forbes, Amity Shlaes, Douglas Brinkley, Joseph K. Kast

1:10pm: TRUST US

Director: Chase Kinney
Length: 42 minutes

TRUST US traces the rise of American technocracy and governance by un-elected bureaucratic experts. These experts were convinced they could engineer solutions to all of our nation’s problems, but they caused irreversible damage to the country instead. This is a true story of bureaucratic arrogance gone wild.

2:00pm: PANEL “Based on a True Story: The Challenge of Making Films about Real People”

Length: 35 minutes

David Henderson, Matt Battaglia, Timothy Blackwood; Sean Malone (mod.)

2:30pm: WE’RE HERE TO HELP

Director: Jonathan Cullinane
Length: 85 minutes

This comedy-drama is based on the bestselling account of Dave Henderson's titanic, chilling, absurd - and ultimately successful - battle with that most bureaucratic of bureaucracies, the tax department. Pre-screening panel and Q&A with Dave Henderson.

8:00pm: THE UNREDACTED

Director: Meg Smaker
Length: 108 minutes

OPENING NIGHT! A group of men trained by al-Qaeda are transferred from Guantanamo to the world’s first rehabilitation center for “terrorists” located in Saudi Arabia. Filmed over three years, with unprecedented access, this film is a complex and nuanced exploration of the men we have heard so much about but never heard from.

Thursday, July 13, 2023

8:45am: CALL ME MULE

Director: John McDonald, Nina Schwanse

Length: 90 minutes

A man traveling with three mules fights to maintain his nomadic lifestyle in the American West. His confrontations with law enforcement have resulted in fines, arrests, even institutionalization. His story celebrates the creativity, courage and resilience to choose an extraordinary way of life and defend his place in the world. (Sneak peek, not in competition.)

10:30am: INFRACTION

Director: Timothy Blackwood

Length: 21 minutes

Based on the true story of Terrance Lewis, who was wrongfully convicted of second-degree murder, armed robbery, and criminal conspiracy. Post-screening panel includes Terrance Lewis and Dan Slepian of Dateline NBC, who has investigated the cases of over a dozen men who were wrongfully convicted.

11:00am: PANEL “The Tragedy of Wrongful Convictions”

Length: 50 minutes

Dan Slepian (Dateline NBC), Jon-Adrian Velasquez, Timothy Blackwood

12:05pm: THE VAMPYRE

Director: Paul Guay

Length: 12 minutes

Dark Comedy. Van Helsing encounters four worshippers with slight memory defects and one very persistent monster.

12:18pm: BABY FORMULA DRUG DEAL

Director: Greg Burke

Length: 5 minutes

In the midst of a government-caused baby formula shortage, this mother must go to any length to feed her baby.

12:24pm: ALIEN

Director: Patrick Reasonover

Length: 20 minutes

Sass is an idealistic young Alien on a family vacation traveling the galaxy, when her family comes across Earth. This planet has been deemed a "doofus civilization" because a privileged few use coercion and centralized power structures to control the many. Comedy-- and some learning--ensues.

12:45pm: PANEL “Engaging the Art of Satire”

Length: 15 minutes

Paul Guay, Lou Perez, Patrick Reasonover (mod)

1:10pm: PANEL “Not Your Father’s Saturday Cartoons: Reinventing Animation”

Length: 25 minutes

Matt Battaglia, Jonny Vance, Patrick Reasonover; Sean Malone (mod)

1:30pm: HOUSE ON FIRE

Director: Matt Battaglia Length: 17 minutes

“Is she sick, or is the world itself sick?" HOUSE ON FIRE, the debut graphic novel by writer/artist Matt Battaglia, teases out the difference in a personal-political cruise through a fallen world, where fear is rational and obedience your only refuge.

2:10pm: FORTUNE IN THE BOOK

Director: Josh Oldham
Length: 15 minutes

Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology is free to attend, but students must pass a rigorous exam. What happened when the school board replaced the exam with a new admissions process that promoted “equity” rather than race-blind admissions?

2:25pm: PANEL “Getting In: The School Choice Dilemma”

Length: 35 minutes

Kerry MacDonald, Corey DeAngelis, Adam Coleman,Joseph K. Kast; Jaclyn Boudreau, mod.

3:10pm: SPLIT ENDS

Director: Alireza Kazemipour Length: 14 minutes

Police surveillance cameras in Tehran have mistaken a young man for a woman because of his long hair, while a young girl who has shaved her head to avoid the law about covering her hair has also been arrested by the Tehran Morality Police. The two find a way to seek revenge. (In Farsi with subtitles.) "Panel: "Using Film to Fight for Freedom in Iran"

3:30pm: FORBIDDEN TO SEE US SCREAM IN TEHRAN

Director: Farbod Ardebili

Length: 18 minutes

The front woman for an Iranian death metal band risks everything as she plots to call the cops on her own underground concert in the hopes that the raid will help her secure her asylum in another country. Based on a true story.(In Farsi with subtitles.) Panel: "Using Film to Fight for Freedom in Iran"

3:50pm: PANEL “How Nations Escape Poverty: The Examples of Poland and Vietnam”

Length: 25 minutes

Rainer Zitelmann

7:00pm: Filmmakers’ Reception and Master Class (ticket required)

Length: 90 minutes

Meet the Filmmakers! Featuring live entertainment by Aragona. Master Class keynote speakers: Paul Guay (screenwriter, "Liar,Liar") "Becoming an Overnight Success"; and Thomas Pack (director, Incubator) "An Exciting New Opportunity for Young Documentarians."

Friday, July 14, 2023

8:45am: THE BROKEN BOYS OF KENOSHA

Director: Rob Montz Length: 29 minutes

We thought we knew everything about the shootings of Jacob Blake and the killings of Kyle Rittenhouse. We don't. This is what really happened, with a common denominator that will shock you.

9:15am: PANEL “Common Denominator: The Absent Father”

Length: 40 minutes

Dan Slepian Dateline NBC, Jon-Adrian Velasquez, Rob Montz, Pastor Alton Hardy

10:10am: FREE(D) BY FAITH

Director: Chase Kinney Length: 10 minutes

When a young man from Fairfield— the most dangerous city in Alabama— grows up without a single father figure to form him as a man, how does he find his way out of the poverty, violence, and cycle of broken men that surrounds him?

10:30am: MY DAD, THE HONOR FLIGHT DIRECTOR

Director: Jimmy Morrison Length: 21 minutes

Bob Morrison personally took thousands of veterans to see their memorials in Washington DC, but after years of working with the elderly, a sudden battle with dementia forced him to step back and refocus.

11:00am: FREE(D) BY FAMILY

Director: Chase Kinney Length: 11 minutes

When a young man and a young woman come from broken homes and families torn apart by poverty, drugs, and abuse— how do they form a family against all odds?The Black family is a powerful testament to the reality that you don’t have to come from a strong family to form one.

11:15am: PANEL “Redefining Normal: In Praise of ALL Fathers”

Length: 40 minutes

Jimmy Morrison, Justin and Alexis Black, Aaron Lewis, John Papola (mod.)

12:05pm: TO MY FATHER

Director: Sean Schiavolin, John Papola (prod.) Length: 24 minutes

Troy Kotsur is the first Deaf man to win an Academy Award for acting. During his emotional acceptance speech, Troy paid tribute to his dad, who made it his mission to excel at ASL so he could be the best possible father to Troy. TO MY FATHER is the story behind the speech that moved millions.

12:35pm: WHERE HAILEY LIVES

Director: Jaclyn Boudreau Length: 7 minutes

Mark Mucciaccio was making coffee one morning when a stranger knocked on the door of his Easton, Massachusetts, home. That’s how he found out the government was giving his family’s house to a private investment firm—leaving the Mucciaccios, including Mark’s young granddaughter Hailey, with nothing. How could something like this happen in the land of the free?

12:50pm: RETURN TO THE CHILDHOOD HOME BEFORE THE LAST FAREWELL

Director: Andre Almeida Rodrigues Length: 8 minutes

A visit to the childhood home of the filmmaker in its present condition as a ruin. As the building is about to be demolished, the filmmaker makes an autobiographic re-visitation. The portrait of a Portugal of the past, filled with nostalgia and memory.

1:10pm: BITCOIN COWBOYS: WILL WYOMING BECOME THE NEXT CRYPTO CAPITAL?

Director: Tim Hedberg Length: 24 minutes

Will Wyoming's unique approach to bitcoin regulation allow it to become the center of this innovative industry, or will it be a cautionary lesson of what can go wrong when straying from established regulatory norms?

1:35pm: PANEL “Examining ‘Bitcoin Cowboys’ and Wyoming’s Crypto Revolution”

Length: 25 minutes

Jerry Brito, Mark Moss, Robert Breedlove, Tim Hedberg (mod)

2:10pm: PANEL “The Art and Craft and Business of Screenwriting”

Length: 50 minutes

Paul Guay ("Liar, Liar")

3:10pm: EVERYONE IS WELCOME

Director: Sam Martin Length: 24 minutes

When DC Mayor Muriel Bowser mandated that bars and restaurants check the vaccination status of all patrons and deny service to those unvaccinated, Eric Flannery, owner of The Big Board in Washington, DC, took a stand and tweeted, “everyone is welcome.” In response, the city shut him down indefinitely. This is his story.

3:35pm: PANEL “Covid Aftermath”

Length: 25 minutes

Sam Martin, Matt Kibbe, Hawk Jensen, Scott McRae

4:15pm: FOLLOW THE SCIENCE

Director: Adam Hawk Jensen Length: 117 minutes

Intensive scientific inquiry, personal firsthand accounts, and candid interviews all ultimately lead to the discovery that lockdowns were intrusive, damaging and ineffective at achieving the purported aim of mitigating the spread of the virus.

8:00pm: THE EXILES

Director: Violet Columbus, Ben Klein Length: 90 minutes

Produced by Steven Soderbergh and Chris Columbus, and featuring never-before-seen footage shot in the aftermath of the Tiananmen Square massacre, this film is an in-depth and personal investigation into one of the most significant events in modern history, as well as a meditation on the price of standing up for Democracy. Q&A with Ben Klein, Zhou Fenguso, Jianli Yang, Wuer Kaixi (an exiled hero of Tiananmen Square); Li Schoolland (mod)

Saturday, July 15, 2023

8:30am: ITHAKA

Director: Ben Lawrence Length: 106 minutes

Julian Assange has become an emblem of international struggle over freedom of the press, government corruption, and unpunished war crimes. Weaving historic archive and intimate behind-the-scenes footage, ITHAKA tracks the journey of Assange's father, John Shipton, and Julian's wife, Stella Moris, as they advocate for Julian's release.

10:30am: FREE TO SPEAK

Director: Kip Perry, Elan Bentov Length: 56 minutes

Is free speech an outdated idea? Should hate speech be banned? FREE TO SPEAK underscores why free speech is necessary for human survival as it presents thought-provoking, ironic, and often heartbreaking stories. Nadine Strossen will lead the post-screening panel to examine the power and controversy of free speech historically and today.?

11:30am: PANEL “Moral Imperative: Protecting the Freedoms that Protect Us”

Length: 30 minutes

Nadine Strossen, Greg deDeugd, Dugan Bridges; Charles Santini, mod.

12:15pm: IN THE PINES

Director: Dugan Bridges Length: 18 minutes

IN THE PINES is a tragic tale of a blossoming, pluralistic society cut down in its infancy by power-hungry partisans bent on suppression and division. This film highlights the importance of a free press, free trade, and cooperation in upholding the ideals of truth and freedom.

1:00pm: PAPA CORIANDRE

Director: Charlie Fritschner Length: 6 minutes

Papa Coriandre is a determined entrepreneur in Burundi, the world’s poorest country, where running a business comes with huge risks of harassment, property destruction, and even imprisonment. But he has discovered a way to overcome these obstacles and prove that a better future is possible—for his company and his country.

1:10pm: THE GREAT EQUALIZER

Director: Pritchett Cotton Length: 19 minutes

When it comes to diversity and inclusion, effective patent rights are "The Great Equalizer." But patent rights are being actively dismantled by “Big Tech” greed and large corporations crushing the individual inventor. What good are "Diversity and Inclusion" when the patent system fails at its mission to be the "Great Equalizer"?

1:35pm: PANEL “Entrepreneurship: Bringing Freedom to the World”

Length: 25 minutes

Pritchett Cotton, Clint Pagurko, Thomas Pack, Patrick Reasonover (mod)

2:10pm: THE DREAM OF A DECENT INCOME

Director: Pablo Abram Length: 12 minutes

Daniel, a self-employed gardener, delivery man, and baker in Argentina, struggles to make a better life for himself in an economy melting down from inflation and populist politics. What can be done to help ordinary workers like Daniel who are suffering from policies that keep them locked in poverty?

2:25pm: PANEL “The Great Inflation Scandal”

Length: 35 minutes

Steve Forbes, Pablo Aragona, Patrick Reasonover; Jimmy Morrison, mod.

3:10pm: TUTTLE TWINS: THE INFLATION MONSTER

Director: Tyler Stevens Length: 26 minutes

With their eyes set on a big carnival prize, Ethan and Emily learn that printing more tickets causes prices to rise. They visit Ancient Rome and Modern Zimbabwe to see the Inflation Monster at work, then rush back to save the carnival.

4:10pm: STUDENT LOANS: DO THE MATH!

Director: Charles Santini Length: 23 minutes

Student "aid" or lifetime debt? Learn how student loans work, what you'll really pay, and what you should consider before you sign on the dotted line. Panel: "How to Fix the Student Loan Crisis" Steve Forbes, Charles Santini, JoAnn Skousen

4:35pm: PANEL “How to Solve the Student Loan Crisis”

Length: 25 minutes

Steve Forbes, Charles Santini, JoAnn Skousen

Date: July 12 - 15, 2023

Location: Renasant Convention Center, 255 N Main St, Memphis, TN 38103.

Admission to the film festival is FREE to FreedomFest ticket holders

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