🗓️🎥It's the final weekend of the festival and we'd love to hear what your favourite films are so far! Looking for recommendations? Check out these excellent social-political docs: ADVOCATE, A TREE OF LIFE, MIGHTY IRA, and THE RABBI FROM HEZBOLLAH.

BEST OF THE FEST - EXTENDED TO SUN 3.20 ⚾ ⚖️ Don't miss THE MIGHTY IRA, a warm & timely doc portrait of Ira Glasser, the octogenarian baseball lover & civil rights champion who led the ACLU for 23 years. Q&A w/ dir. Nico Perrino now on our platform! 🎟️ vjff.org

Tonight’s film -> mightyira.com

Defending #freespeech means defending the rights of speakers you disagree with, maybe even abhor. Former ACLU leader Ira Glasser knows this far too well. He defended the rights of neo-Nazis to march in a town of Holocaust survivors. Learn his story: MightyIra.com

Frankly, this is the most moving, powerful, and inspirational documentary I’ve ever seen. And as relevant to our current moment as any I can think of. I only regret not getting around to seeing it earlier. Mighty Ira (2020) - IMDb - m.imdb.com/title/tt130272…

Long before FIRE announced it expansion we were already trying to teach people about the cultural values & history of #freespeech. This film is one great example of that. Check it out!

Attending #NCSS2022 today? It’s the largest annual gathering of K-12 social studies teachers in America. MIGHTY IRA documentary is screening in Ballroom B at 4:45 ET. Stop by and say hello! The man himself, Ira Glasser, will be there. #FreeSpeech

"All we say to America is be true to what you said on paper ... " #MLKDay

"Speech restrictions are like poison gas: they seem like a good idea if you've got the gas and a deserving target in sight. But then the wind shifts and blows the gas back on you." Former ACLU head Ira Glasser on "why we must fight for the right to hate". spiked-online.com/2023/01/21/why…

Ira Glasser, the longtime -- but former! -- executive director of the ACLU, defends a robust conception of free speech. spiked-online.com/2023/01/21/why…

I spent 3 yrs making a film about the ACLU's defense of neo-Nazis' right to rally in Skokie, Ill., then home to thousands of Holocaust survivors. Recently, I spoke w/ Martin Di Caro about Skokie's enduring legacy for free speech. washingtontimes.com/news/2024/jan/… MIGHTY IRA documentary

We are sad to learn of Ben Stern's passing at 102. Ben survived 2 ghettos, 9 concentration camps, and 2 death marches. Later, he opposed neo-Nazi efforts to rally in Skokie, Ill. It was an honor to share his story with a wider audience. A great man. timesofisrael.com/ben-stern-holo…

Are liberals leaving free speech behind? I’m really looking forward to discussing this next week with Michael Shellenberger Jemimah Steinfeld Akiko Hart and Ronnie London from FIRE chaired by Freddie Sayers. What a line up! Weds 19 June, 6pm Tickets here: eventbrite.co.uk/e/are-liberals…

panel following “Mighty Ira” superb doc by FIRE Well done Big Brother Watch Essential viewing for all who value free speech AND why we need uphold principle of it all times or else it goes for all Silkie Carlo Index on Censorship Watch it here thefire.org/news/podcasts/…

Huge honour to host Big Brother Watch supporters at our cinema screening of Mighty Ira - a documentary by FIRE about ex-head of ACLU. Ira is one of my heroes. It’s such a powerful rallying call for the right to free speech. It’s on Amazon etc (but should be on netflix⁷!)

"He'll be the first one to be shot." When neo-Nazis sought to rally in a town with 6k Holocaust survivors, Phil Donahue interviewed the ACLU lawyer representing the Nazis. "He packed the audience with people from Skokie without telling me. So, it was quite a hot event."