Free State Festival will return this summer for drive-in movie screenings across Lawrence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The festival is split into two acts. Act One, runs from June 21 through June 27, and will feature a handful of film screenings, with art and live music. Act Two will be announced later this summer, hoping to bring films and events indoors when local regulations allow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The festival planned for last summer was postponed because of the pandemic. Since then, changes have been made to the festival to create safe, open-air venues across the whole city, moving away from its former downtown location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Marlo Angell, one of the festival\u2019s directors who founded it in 2011, said that it has \u201cchanged quite a bit in the past year.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDue to the pandemic, we had to reimagine doing some outdoor screenings and doing multiple venues,\u201d Angell said. \u201cWe\u2019re really excited to bring films to audiences that may not have seen us before, and those who have seen us before, they can see us in new ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The festival hosted a variety of virtual screenings over the past year, as a way for people to connect with others. With the prevalence of vaccines and the ease of public health guidelines in Lawrence, outdoor screenings seemed like the perfect way to host a summer festival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe thought this would be a wonderful way to connect in-person,\u201d Angell said. \u201cThere\u2019s something about cinema especially, where seeing it with a group is a much different experience than seeing it in your own home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe really wanted to preserve group cinema experiences beyond the pandemic, so it was important for us to find safe, in-person ways to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Free State Festival \u201cvalues diversity and seeks to amplify voices of underrepresented filmmakers,\u201d according to its website. This year\u2019s lineup makes for an exciting week of outdoor movies that will entertain, inspire, and educate audiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The summer schedule, announced on May 1, will kick off with a \u201ccome-and-go\u201d socially distant event at the Lawrence Arts Center on June 21. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
On June 22, a screening of \u201cEnd of the Line: The Women of Standing Rock,\u201d a documentary directed by Shannon Kring, will include a talk presented by Haskell University\u2019s Hiawatha Center for Justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A one-hour short film program \u2013 \u201cOne Reel Under the Stars\u201d \u2013 will feature 6 films shown at the Cider Gallery. Before the June 23 <\/sup>screening, audience members will have the chance to visit artist Tonja Torgerson\u2019s \u201cGarden of Eden\u201d installation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n John Waters\u2019 1988 classic comedy \u201cHairspray\u201d will screen at the Theatre Lawrence drive-in on June 24. Waters, who wrote and directed the film, will also headline Act Two of the festival. The day after, the Lied Center of Kansas will present \u201cFor Madmen Only: The Stories of Del Close,\u201d a documentary film following comedy guru Del Close.<\/p>\n\n\n\n University of Kansas professor Kevin Willmott\u2019s narrative feature film \u201cThe 24th\u201d will play at the Dole Institute of Politics on June 26, followed by a Q&A with Willmott.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Act One of the Free State Festival will conclude at the Douglas County Fairgrounds on June 27 with a night of \u201cNot So Silent Cinema.\u201d Two classic silent films will be shown with live audio descriptions and French translations, accompanied by live music from Alex Kimball Williams and Mike Quillin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think that it will be exciting,\u201d Angell said. \u201cAnd just a wonderful, safe way for people to connect and to gather again safely under the stars for the love of film.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n