The Free State Festival celebrates the free spirit of the state of Kansas with films that challenge, inspire, and entertain. This signature annual event brings independent films, live music, comedy and art to venues across the vibrant college town of Lawrence. The festival is produced by the Lawrence Arts Center and made possible through programming support from community partners, grants and individual sponsorships.

The festival began as a showcase of short films in 2011 and officially became the Free State Film Festival in 2012 with a weekend of feature films, visiting artists and shorts. We received a large grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in 2-14-2015 to find our place in the landscape of other art forms such as music, comedy, and visual art, and have since settled into a sweet spot of a sustainable weeklong event with film at its core. Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, we are able to showcase approximately 30 films in venues throughout the city accompanied by live comedy and music performances to thousands of attendees – visitors and townies alike!