The Anthem Film Festival 2026 returns to Caesars Forum Conference Center in Las Vegas July 8-11, running inside FreedomFest’s 250th-anniversary programming. Founded in 2011, Anthem describes itself as a festival for filmmakers who care about individuality and libertarian ideals. It shows narrative films and documentaries from a single screen at a time. Anthem’s lineup this year draws from 11 countries.
The festival began as a small gathering inside a single conference room on the 26th floor of Bally’s Hotel in Las Vegas, according to the festival’s own history page. By the time it moved to the Sin City Theater at Planet Hollywood and the Versailles Ballroom at Paris Resort, opening nights were drawing as many as 1,500 viewers across three screens simultaneously. Q&A sessions after those screenings have run nearly an hour. FreedomFest, the parent conference founded in 2002, expects to draw more than 2,500 attendees this year. Anthem ticket holders get free access to the broader FreedomFest programming, the festival’s tickets page says.
Films From 11 Countries Frame the 2026 Program
The 2026 lineup travels to Cuba, Venezuela, Syria, Sweden, Poland, Uganda, Israel, China, Iran, and Russia, the festival says in its lineup announcement. The films, the festival notes, reflect on both the fragility of freedom and the resilience of the human spirit. Programming centers on individuality and libertarian ideals.
“Cuba’s Eternal Night” and “Scam Slave” open the festival’s slate with portraits of suffering under broken systems. “La Petite Mortimer” and “Kebab: The Dish of the Poles” bring warmth and humor into the program. “American Dream,” an Iranian homage to “La La Land,” follows a young woman imagining how her visa to America will transform her future. “Watergate Secrets and Betrayals,” “An Inconvenient Study,” and “China’s Stealth Invasion” challenge accepted narratives. Each film is followed by a moderated panel with filmmakers and subject-matter guests. Short films receive the same scheduling priority as features and are shown one at a time.
“Fulfilling the Promise” follows teachers in four schools as they bring the Declaration of Independence to life for a new generation of students. “Beyond Labels,” “The Storyteller’s Role,” and “Defending Debate” examine free speech, civil discourse, and intellectual openness. The festival frames its 2026 program around the 250th anniversary of American independence, though the films range far beyond U.S. borders. The festival’s homepage describes the slate as “one of the strongest and most meaningful” lineups in its history.
- “Cuba’s Eternal Night” and “Scam Slave” open the slate with portraits of suffering under broken systems.
- “La Petite Mortimer” and “Kebab: The Dish of the Poles” bring warmth and humor into the program.
- “American Dream” is an Iranian homage to “La La Land,” following a young woman imagining how her visa to America will transform her future.
- “Watergate Secrets and Betrayals,” “An Inconvenient Study,” and “China’s Stealth Invasion” challenge accepted narratives on American institutions, science policy, and geopolitical competition.
- “Fulfilling the Promise” follows teachers in four schools as they bring the Declaration of Independence to life for a new generation of students.
- “Beyond Labels,” “The Storyteller’s Role,” and “Defending Debate” examine free speech, civil discourse, and intellectual openness in a polarized culture.
Submissions are handled through FilmFreeway, the festival says. Filmmakers accepted into the program receive a package valued at more than $2,000, including two FreedomFest tickets, two Filmmakers Reception and Master Class passes, and two gala banquet tickets. Cash prizes include $1,500 for the Anthem Grand Prize and $500 for specialty awards. Trophies are awarded in seven categories spanning narrative and documentary feature, shorts, comedy, and international work. The festival’s website notes that producers and potential financiers regularly attend screenings.
What Sets Anthem’s Format Apart From Other Festivals
Anthem screens one film at a time, a structural choice the festival says prevents directors from competing for audience share. Most film festivals bundle shorts into blocks or run multiple features simultaneously across tracks. Anthem’s single-screen approach means every film gets the room’s full attention. The format extends to short films, which the festival schedules one at a time rather than grouping.
Opening nights have filled rooms with 1,500 viewers, projected on three screens running the same film simultaneously to handle demand. The festival describes Q&A sessions that have run nearly an hour after these opening screenings. Red carpet interviews happen before films, with autograph opportunities afterward. The festival says producers and potential financiers regularly attend, and that filmmaker connections made at Anthem have led to subsequent industry partnerships. Past headliners at the parent FreedomFest conference include John Cleese (2022), Mike Rowe (2023), William Shatner (2017), Kevin Sorbo (2019), and Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary. The festival’s guest roster runs from stand-up comics to economists to former astronauts.
The festival takes its name from Ayn Rand’s 1937 novel, the festival’s own materials say. Rand’s “Anthem” is set in a dystopian future where individuality has been stamped out. The festival frames its programming as a “voice of warning” against both tyranny and mediocrity. Anthem’s themes, per the festival’s submission rules, often explore unintended consequences of government intervention and personal struggles for self-expression. Submissions must present a libertarian theme.
Filmmakers accepted into the program receive a package valued at more than $2,000, the festival says. Selected filmmakers get two FreedomFest tickets, two Filmmakers Reception and Master Class passes, and two gala banquet tickets. $1,500 goes to the Anthem Grand Prize, with $500 for specialty awards.
A Track Record the Mainstream Film World Has Missed
Anthem’s 2023 top films included “The Exiled,” produced by Steven Soderbergh, and “The Unredacted,” a documentary canceled from Sundance and other top festivals before finding a home at Anthem. The festival has built a track record of films rejected elsewhere finding audiences there. “Seized,” which premiered at Anthem in 2016 and won Best Short Documentary, went on to win an Emmy in 2017. “Saber Rock” repeated the trick in 2018 with another Emmy. “Sight,” the 2025 Grand Prize Winner, is now on Angel Studios’ platform. “Freedom Hair” had a theatrical run.
The festival’s 2017 grand prize winners both found distribution deals and critical acclaim: Ramsey Denison’s “What Happened in Vegas” on police brutality, and Courtney Balaker’s “Little Pink House” on eminent domain. “Can We Take a Joke?,” a 2016 winner, topped several critics’ lists for documentaries that summer. “Raiders! The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made” reached 92% on Rotten Tomatoes during its theatrical run.
The festival’s alumni list cuts across documentary and narrative film, across U.S. and international productions. Angel Studios and the Emergent Order Channel both attend Anthem screenings looking for content. Festival organizers say Anthem’s laurels help films find distribution that wouldn’t have found it otherwise. The festival’s submission criteria emphasize libertarian themes but accept a wide range of styles, from hard-hitting investigative work to comedy. The festival’s own framing: filmmakers often screen to standing-room-only audiences.
Jo Ann Skousen curates the lineup each year, working from submissions that arrive via FilmFreeway. Her selections this year include work from filmmakers in 11 countries, the festival says. The slate mixes heavy political documentaries with lighter comedies and personal stories. Skousen’s own 2026 schedule post frames her role as choosing films that “you won’t see anywhere else.”
The Wider FreedomFest Gathering
FreedomFest, the parent conference, expects more than 2,500 attendees and runs 250 speakers this year. Founded in 2002 by economist Mark Skousen, the conference describes itself as “the world’s largest annual gathering of free minds.” The 2026 theme is “Think Independent,” built around the 250th anniversary of American independence. Programming spans philosophy, economics, technology, health, and the arts. The conference runs at Caesars Forum July 8-11 alongside Anthem.
The 2026 speaker lineup includes Steve Forbes (editor-in-chief of Forbes and FreedomFest co-ambassador), John Mackey (co-founder of Whole Foods Market), Adam Carolla, Rob Schneider, Kennedy, Dean Cain, Glenn Beck, Nick Shirley, and Marissa Streit (CEO of PragerU). Skousen will interview Senator Rand Paul during opening ceremonies Wednesday afternoon. Skousen will also host “The Bestsellers of 1776” breakout sessions Wednesday, filmed by C-SPAN. The conference’s signature mock trial puts Immigration and Customs Enforcement on trial this year.
| Speaker | Role |
|---|---|
| Steve Forbes | Editor-in-chief of Forbes; FreedomFest co-ambassador |
| John Mackey | Co-founder of Whole Foods Market |
| Adam Carolla | Comedian; host of The Adam Carolla Show |
| Rob Schneider | Comedian and actor |
| Kennedy | News commentator; former MTV VJ |
| Dean Cain | Actor; will read the Declaration of Independence |
| Glenn Beck | Media commentator; founder of TheBlaze |
| Nick Shirley | Independent journalist |
| Marissa Streit | CEO of PragerU |
| Senator Rand Paul | Featured interview subject |
The signature mock trial this year puts Immigration and Customs Enforcement on trial, per the founder’s detailed FreedomFest schedule. The mock trial judge is Del Bigtree, who led Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s 2024 presidential campaign. Prosecuting attorney is Atlanta criminal defense lawyer Catherine Bernard; defense attorney is TV personality Wayne Allyn Root. Witnesses for the prosecution include Athar Haseebullah, executive director of the ACLU in Nevada, and Billy Binion of Reason magazine. Witnesses for the defense include actor Dean Cain and J. J. Carrell, a 24-year veteran of the U.S. Border Patrol in San Diego. Twelve jurors will be selected from the audience. The mock trial runs Thursday July 9.
Programming Built Around the 250th Anniversary
The 250th anniversary of American independence shapes the entire 2026 program. Anthem’s films reflect on both the fragility of freedom and the resilience of the human spirit, the festival’s 2026 lineup statement says. FreedomFest bills the gathering as “the World’s Fair of Liberty” in founder Mark Skousen’s 2026 conference schedule. The “Think Independent” theme runs across panels, films, and the conference’s special programming.
Actor Dean Cain, who played Superman in the 1990s “Lois & Clark” series, will read the Declaration of Independence during opening ceremonies Wednesday afternoon. Skousen will host three “Bestsellers of 1776” breakout sessions Wednesday, filmed by C-SPAN. The sessions cover Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” and Thomas Jefferson’s “Declaration of Independence,” Adam Smith’s “Wealth of Nations,” and Edward Gibbon’s “Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.” Glenn Beck will deliver a talk on American history and display artifacts from the American Revolution. Eric Metaxas receives the Leonard E. “Read This Book” Award for his book “REVOLUTION.”
A musical revue titled “The Spirit of 1776” runs Thursday afternoon in the Exhibit Hall, with Steve Forbes as George Washington and Mark Skousen as Benjamin Franklin. Gary Alexander plays John Adams; Dave Phillips plays Roger Sherman; Brian Drury plays Thomas Jefferson; Lydia Abbott plays Martha Jefferson. The conference concludes Saturday night with the Independence Ball.
Getting In: Tickets and Venue
Admission to the Anthem Film Festival is free with any FreedomFest conference pass. Standalone Anthem tickets are also available for those not attending the broader conference. The Individual Film Pass costs $20 and includes one feature film plus Q&A, or one short film session with panel. The Day Pass costs $100 for a full day of all films and panels. The Film Lovers Festival Pass costs $250 and includes all four days plus the gala opening night cocktail reception, exhibit hall access, and the awards reception.
| Pass | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Individual Film Pass | $20 | One feature film plus Q&A and panel, or one short film session with panel |
| Day Pass | $100 | All films and Anthem panels for one full day |
| Film Lovers Festival Pass | $250 | All four days, opening night cocktail, exhibit hall access, awards reception |
The festival runs at Caesars Forum Conference Center, 3911 S. Koval Lane, Las Vegas, per the available Anthem ticket packages. Doors open with the conference at noon Wednesday July 8. Programming ends with the Independence Ball Saturday night July 11. Other FreedomFest events running alongside include the Global Financial Summit, the Tradeshow for Liberty, the Punching Up Comedy Festival, and the Principled Business Pitch Competition. The festival hotline is 855-850-FREE (3733) ext 202. Tickets and conference passes are available through freedomfest.swoogo.com/vegas2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where is Anthem Film Festival 2026?
Anthem runs July 8-11, 2026, at Caesars Forum Conference Center, 3911 S. Koval Lane, Las Vegas. The festival operates inside FreedomFest, the larger conference running the same dates.
How much do Anthem Film Festival tickets cost?
Three tiers. The Individual Film Pass costs $20 for one feature or short film session with panel. The Day Pass costs $100 for a full day of screenings. The Film Lovers Festival Pass costs $250 for all four days plus the opening night cocktail and awards reception. FreedomFest conference attendees receive Anthem access at no additional charge.
Is Anthem Film Festival part of FreedomFest?
Yes. Anthem is one of several events within FreedomFest, alongside the Global Financial Summit, Tradeshow for Liberty, Punching Up Comedy Festival, and Principled Business Pitch Competition. FreedomFest was founded in 2002 by economist Mark Skousen.
What kind of films show at Anthem?
Narrative features, documentaries, and shorts centered on individuality and libertarian ideals. The 2026 lineup includes films from Cuba, Venezuela, Syria, Sweden, Poland, Uganda, Israel, China, Iran, and Russia. Films screen one at a time, with shorts receiving the same scheduling priority as features.
Who founded Anthem Film Festival?
Jo Ann Skousen curates the lineup, working with her husband Mark Skousen, the economist who founded FreedomFest in 2002. Anthem was founded in 2011 as a small gathering inside a single conference room on the 26th floor of Bally’s Hotel in Las Vegas. The festival has grown to a slate of films from 11 countries.
