This year's Festival lived up to its theme: "The Revolution Will Be At The Movies".
If you managed to make it to any of the events, you can reflect on the good memories - if you couldn't make it, it's a little taste to encourage looking for these films when they're in release and perhaps make plans to attend next year's Festival. The music acts - well, that's on you if you missed 'em.
It's Festival time in Lawrence, KS again! This year's fest is underway - today features Robyn Hancock in performance followed by two more days of films.
It's World Cup mania and Lawrence is a host city for the Algerian team; the theme this year being "The Revolution Will Be At The Movies". So what better way to show solidarity with screenings of the 2026 film THE ARAB, by Algerian director Malek Bensmaïl - which was the U.S./North American premiere! - and Gillo Pontecorvo's classic THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS, of which followed a panel discussion, which got a bit heated around the 32 minute mark.
Boots Riley was a guest at the 2023 Free State Festival at the time when his I LOVE VIRGOS series was premiering, planning to screen the first episode. Due to the strike that was going on at the time, the episode didn't screen but that didn't prevent a good time from happening. Three years later, he returns to Lawrence & Free State with his insane (in a Great way) I LOVE BOOSTERS. The Q&A afterwards is over an hour, but it's good stuff.
This was inspired by Kathy McCarty's new album, APOTHEOSIS - I was a Kickstarter donor for it and just got my copy about a week ago. (It'll be available to the general public after the donors have been fulfilled).
Have been playing it all week; the album is wonderful and one track that triggered an idea is her cover of Freedy Johnston's "California Thing" - which I hadn't heard before; went to it after hearing this version.
I hope it captures the spirit of the song and of the time. This was also personal, covering 1989 - 1996. A celebration and remembrance of all who were there & those no longer here, except in spirit.
