Videos

National film contest seeks submissions on how youth deal with conflicting ideas

By |2023-04-25T14:49:44-04:00April 18th, 2023|News, Press Releases, Videos|

NEW YORK – As proven by the recent uptick in book banning, people often want to silence ideas that they feel are harmful or offensive. Daily, youth are confronted with views they disagree with, from school censorship to online hate speech. How are youth and young adults coping with conflicting viewpoints? The National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) wants [...]

Neil Gaiman Salutes 40 Years of Free Speech Advocacy

By |2019-03-19T13:12:34-04:00November 25th, 2014|Videos|

In this exclusive video, award-winning writer and 2014 Free Speech Defender Neil Gaiman talks about his encounters with censorship and the need to fight those “who are trying to protect us from ourselves by shutting us up and stopping us from being exposed to ideas.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6y2MiwvTxY NCAC honored Neil Gaiman, Robie Harris, and the Trumbull High Thespian Society on Monday, [...]

Trumbull Students Honored for Activism, “Rent” Victory

By |2019-03-19T13:11:05-04:00November 25th, 2014|Videos|

Student thespians of Trumbull High School mobilized their Connecticut community against the censorship of their production of Rent and claimed a victory for freedom in the performing arts and for student speech when the show bowed in March 2014. After they performed a medley of "Rent" and "Take Me or Leave Me" at NCAC's 40th Anniversary Celebration, the Thespians accepted [...]

TADA! Youth Theater Performs “Banned Broadway”

By |2020-01-03T14:55:55-05:00November 25th, 2014|Videos|

The TADA! Youth Theatre Ensemble brought down the house with two exclusive performances of The Banned Broadway Project during the closing weekend of Banned Books Week. In collaboration with NCAC, the TADA! teens explored controversial themes found in censored plays and musicals and selected scenes from their favorites to prepare for the big night, including Pippin, Rent, andThe Laramie Project. A panel [...]

Neil Gaiman Salutes 40 Years of Free Speech

By |2019-03-07T22:47:15-05:00October 30th, 2014|Videos|

In this exclusive video, award-winning writer and 2014 Free Speech Defender Neil Gaiman talks about his encounters with censorship and the need to fight those “who are trying to protect us from ourselves by shutting us up and stopping us from being exposed to ideas.” NCAC honored Neil Gaiman, Robie Harris, and the Trumbull High Thespian Society on Monday, November [...]

‘A Virtual Reality,’ 2013 Film Contest 2nd Place Winner

By |2019-03-19T13:48:34-04:00February 28th, 2014|Videos|

Our second place winner is “A Virtual Reality,” by Peter Ackerman of Augusta, Maine. Ackerman interviews friends, video game enthusiasts and a psychologist, in a lively documentary exploring gaming and its effect on gamers. A paintball excursion provides a unique backdrop to investigate how gamers separate virtual reality from violence in the real world. “It’s appealing to people it’s just [...]

‘Initial Testing,’ 2013 Film Contest 3rd Place Winner

By |2019-03-19T13:49:39-04:00February 28th, 2014|Videos|

Austin Guerrero of Gresham, OR placed third with his dramatic action thriller “Initial Testing," in which a night playing video games veers into the unknown, in the tradition of The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits. After complaining that he’s bored with “easy” shooter games, a friend gives Grant a challenge like he’s never imagined. What will Grant do when the [...]

“Future Warfare III” Wins 2013 Youth Film Contest

By |2019-03-19T13:51:25-04:00February 28th, 2014|Videos|

The winner of this year’s Youth Free Expression Project Film Contest, addressing the theme Video Games in the Crosshairs, is “Future Warfare III” by Ani Akpan of the Bronx, NY. Using dazzling visual effects, Akpan thrusts the viewer into a near-future society where gaming approaches virtual reality and Big Brother takes a hard line stance, spurring gamers to speak back. [...]

Kara Walker and Wilma Grey on Free Expression

By |2019-03-19T13:22:47-04:00November 20th, 2013|Videos|

Renowned artist Kara Walker goes "off-script" for a moment at NCAC's Free Speech Matters Celebration to raise the possibility of "the censor as an opportunity" in the context of art, before presenting a Free Speech Defender award to Newark Public Library Executive Director Wilma Grey. In 2013, Grey courageously restored a display of a controversial work by Walker. Grey's willingness [...]

YFEP Film Contest Promo 2012

By |2019-03-19T14:00:19-04:00October 15th, 2012|Videos|

Books get pulled from library shelves and school curricula all the time because someone complains about the language they contain or the topics they address. Tell us about a time when parents, a teacher or some other adult was distressed at what you or someone you know were reading -- and wanted to take it away. You can also submit [...]

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