The subject matter: book bans and attacks on intellectual freedom
The film: The Librarians
As an unprecedented wave of book banning is sparked in Texas, Florida, and beyond, librarians under siege join forces as unlikely defenders fighting for intellectual freedom on the front lines of democracy.
Join Subject Matter at the Sundance Film Festival on Monday, January 27th for a discussion with director Kim A. Snyder, producer Maria Cuomo Cole, Carolyn Foote, Co-Founder of Texas FReadom Fighters, and Jonathan Friedman from PEN America.
Monday, January 27th | 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM | The Box at The Ray, 1768 Park Ave., Park City, UT | RSVP here.
The nonprofit: PEN America
PEN America has documented the rise of book bans and educational gag orders erasing subject matter in public schools since 2021. The organization has documented more than 15,000 instances of book bans during these years, censorship not seen since the Red Scare period of the 1950s. The most frequently targeted books are those that have long fought for a place on shelves–books by authors of color, LGBTQ+ authors, and women, which examine racism, sexuality, gender, and the history of marginalized groups. PEN America has mobilized the public against this censorship and the intolerance and exclusion that undergird it. Subject Matter’s grant will help PEN America leverage its expertise to connect, support, and protect brave librarians fighting for intellectual freedom.
Subject Matter will add $100 to every donation of any size during Sundance Film Festival, up to $5,000.
The Librarians received a $25,000 grant to reach more audiences and support their impact, outreach, and distribution efforts. PEN America received a $25,000 grant to launch a new initiative to connect, support, and protect librarians fighting book bans in their communitites.
The Filmmakers & Nonprofit Leaders
