The 2026 Gettysburg Film Festival brought national attention to the nation’s founding, convening historians, filmmakers, military leaders, authors, and performers for three days of films, discussions, and live events that explored the American Revolution and the enduring questions of liberty, self-governance, and national unity. With more than 8,000 tickets sold in advance and strong attendance across venues, the weekend reflected deep public engagement with history and its continued relevance in American civic life. Across the festival, conversations returned to the complexity of the country’s founding, the human dimensions of leadership and sacrifice, and the importance of participating actively in democracy. Appearances by Ken Burns, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, Rick Atkinson, Susan Eisenhower, Jeff Shaara, Chris Mackowski, and members of the original cast of Hamilton underscored the festival’s role as a vibrant forum for historical reflection, public dialogue, and cultural exchange. The Blavatnik Family Foundation is proud to support Ken Burns, The Better Angels Society, and the Gettysburg Film Festival.
The Gettysburg Film Festival is set to return on April 4 with a focus on the American Revolution to commemorate the United States’ 250th anniversary, featuring a star-studded lineup and a special star-spangled banner. Launched in 2023 by award-winning filmmaker Ken Burns, Burns returns to Gettysburg to share selections from his new series, ''The American Revolution," and lead conversations about the 250th anniversary. Among the conversations and events in 2026, the festival will feature several members of the original Broadway cast of the hit musical "Hamilton," including Phillipa Soo, who played Eliza Hamilton, Christopher Jackson, who played George Washington, and Okieriete Onaodowan, who played Hercules Mulligan and James Madison. Additional conversations will feature discussions with historians and policy experts, such as Susan Eisenhower, the CEO of the Eisenhower Group and granddaughter of President Dwight D. Eisenhower; and retired United States Army General Stanley McChrystal, who led the Joint Special Operations Command from 2003 to 2008. The Foundation is a long time supporter of Ken Burns and the Gettysburg Film Festival.
The Gettysburg Film Festival will return from April 2–4, 2026, with a program marking the United States’ 250th anniversary through film, conversation, and live performance. Set in Gettysburg, the festival will use this historic setting to reflect on the nation’s Revolutionary beginnings and the ideas of liberty and self-government that emerged from that period. This year’s events will be headlined by Ken Burns, who will share selections from his documentary series, The American Revolution, and join discussions with filmmakers, actors, historians, authors, and public figures. In addition to ticketed programs, the festival will offer public events, including a colonial encampment presented with the American Battlefield Trust, featuring living historians and hands-on activities. Hosted by Gettysburg History and the American Battlefield Trust, the festival continues to create accessible ways for audiences to engage with American history on screen and in person. The Blavatnik Family Foundation has been a longtime supporter of The Better Angels Society, a sponsor of the festival.
Award-winning documentary filmmaker Ken Burns recently kicked off the Ringling College of Art and Design’s TOWN HALL Speaker Series in Sarasota, sharing insights into several upcoming projects, including work on LBJ and the Great Society, Emancipation to Exodus, and a history of the CIA. Burns emphasized the power of storytelling to deepen public understanding of history, a mission that aligns with the Better Angels Society, a nonprofit that supports excellence in American history documentaries and civic engagement, including work associated with Burns. The Blavatnik Family Foundation is proud to support Ken Burns and the Better Angels Society in its efforts to broaden access to meaningful historical narratives that educate and connect audiences across generations.
The Financial Times' Andrew Jack sits down with Ken Burns to talk about the filmmaker's six-part documentary series, The American Revolution, which revisits the nation’s founding with rigor, nuance, and a commitment to historical accuracy, challenging simplified narratives in favor of a more complex and inclusive account. Drawing on leading historians, the series explores divisions within colonial society, the experiences of Indigenous peoples and enslaved individuals, and the global significance of the revolution, underscoring Burns’s belief that “it’s complicated.” The Foundation is proud to have supported this documentary.
For the first time ever, PBS made its way into Nielsen’s top 10 streaming list, thanks to Ken Burns’ “The American Revolution” documentary series. As “The American Revolution” aired nightly on PBS from Nov. 16 to Nov. 21, the six-part documentary series logged 565 million minutes during the week of Nov. 17 across PBS and Prime Video, boosting the show to land as the No. 10 most-watched streaming acquired title.
In the town synonymous with American history, the 2026 Gettysburg Film Festival will honor the birth of the United States. From April 2–4, 2026, this one-of-a-kind event will feature a powerful lineup of films, speakers, and conversations exploring the American Revolution, the nation’s founding, and the ties between 1776 and 1863. Presented by Gettysburg History, the festival is made possible with support from key partners including the American Battlefield Trust, The Better Angels Society, and local collaborators such as The Gettysburg Film Commission, Destination Gettysburg, and the Dobbin House Tavern.
With the 250th anniversary of our nation’s battle for independence soon to commence, planners of the American Revolution 250 Commission were discussing how to reignite common cause in Americans through the mechanism of our fight for nationhood. It would be no mean feat. Much like our forefathers, who plotted the course for independence from vastly divergent ideological viewpoints, the assembled men and women had to unify people at increasing loggerheads over the country’s future.
As America prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary, a new documentary is shedding light on the stories of those who shaped the time period. Ten years in the making, “The American Revolution,” a six-part documentary series by famed filmmaker Ken Burns, along with Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt, will debut in November on PBS. The public had the opportunity to enjoy a sneak peek during an outdoor screening on Tuesday in Colonial Williamsburg as part of the third annual “A Common Cause to All” conference.
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The Blavatnik Archive is a nonprofit foundation dedicated to preserving and disseminating materials that contribute to the study of 20th-century Jewish and world history, with a special emphasis on World War I, World War II, and Soviet Russia.
