Join us for an inspiring evening celebrating the power of independent film to inform, challenge, and bring people together. The event features powerful film screenings, the annual Free Speech Award ceremony honoring courageous storytelling, and insightful post-screening conversations with special guests including filmmakers, artists, and community leaders.
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American INSIGHT invites you to its annual Free Speech Award Ceremony on Wednesday, November 18, from 5 to 8 p.m. at The Philadelphia Club.
The evening celebrates Island of Dreams, the 2026 Free Speech Award-winning documentary, and its creators, Alvaro Jimenez of Bogota, Colombia and Cliff Orloff of Berkeley, California.
The event includes a gourmet reception and dinner. The centerpiece of the evening is a panel discussion with Jimenez and Grammy Award-winning Cuban-American producer and musician Arturo Stable, moderated by distinguished broadcaster and American INSIGHT board member Karen Curry. Expect a thoughtful conversation about the film’s human story: Cubans from different walks of life weighing whether to stay in or leave a country facing economic collapse, and the universal questions their choices raise.
The program also includes a multimedia presentation of the sizzle reel honoring Island of Dreams and the 2026 Official Selections, chosen from submissions from 32 countries. Guests will also watch a video tribute to American INSIGHT’s late founder, Margot Chew Barringer, highlighting her extraordinary work in founding the American Poetry Center and American INSIGHT.
Every ticket holder receives exclusive access to stream Island of Dreams and the five other Official Selection films online, free, throughout November.
Seating is limited. Tickets are on sale now, exclusively online and on a first-come, first-served basis; none will be sold at the door.
American INSIGHT is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) promoting free speech, human rights, and the rule of law.