Organizers announce highlights including short films streaming worldwide
ORLANDO, FL / ACCESS Newswire / September 9, 2025 / Tickets are now on sale and film and event programming is set for the 23rd annual Global Peace Film Festival. The acclaimed festival produced by Global Peace 360° runs from September 16 to September 21. A selection of short films will be available to worldwide audiences starting on September 22.
This intimate gathering of storytellers and audiences features Academy Award-winning and nominated documentaries, short films, and episodic content, along with daily filmmaker conversations, panels, and events. Headquartered in Orlando and programmed in New York, the festival hosts screenings throughout Central Florida each September to coincide with the UN International Day of Peace.
"The Global Peace Film Festival's program aspires to be a catalyst for inspiration and positive change in today's difficult times," said Founder and Festival Director Nina Streich. "What distinguishes our film festival is our thought-provoking programming, designed not just to entertain and inspire viewers but to also motivate them to help make the world a better place."
Twenty-two films will highlight themes including civil rights, environmental justice, ethics, human rights, immigration, LGBTQ+, music, social justice, voting, wellness and wildlife. The festival also annually welcomes alumni filmmakers. This year's returning filmmakers include Jon Osaki (Making Waves: The Rise of Asian America), Samuel George (Lithium Rising; Motown South), Julie Bayer Salzman (Broken and Beautiful), Seth McClellan (Shiners) and GPFF special festival guest, two-time Feature Documentary Academy Award® winning director Barbara Kopple (Gumbo Coalition and Harlan County, USA).
Opening night film screening at Enzian Theater on Tuesday, September 16 at 6 p.m. is Lilly, starring Patricia Clarkson, John Benjamin Hickey and Thomas Sadowski and directed by Rachel Feldman. The film tells the remarkable story of Lilly Ledbetter, from her days as a supervisor in an Alabama tire factory and her landmark lawsuit that went up to the Supreme Court, to the signing of the Lilly Ledbetter Act.
Passes and individual film tickets are now on sale at peacefilmfest.org.Tickets for in-person films at the Winter Park Public Library and Rollins College are $10 each. Patrons may purchase a $150 Festival Pass that provides access to all films in person including the Opening Night film or a $100 pass that includes all films except Opening Night as well as other ticket and pass options.
The festival will once again present its virtual Free for All Shorts program that will run from September 22 through September 28, showcasing a curated lineup of 32 films exploring and advocating for peace worldwide. Audiences globally can engage with captivating narratives, thought-provoking documentaries, and insightful interviews -- all accessible from the comfort of home.
Along with the film program, the festival partners with visionary Orange County Public Schools arts educators to present the Student Peace Art Exhibit, on display in the Orange County Multicultural Center from September 18 through mid-October. The exhibit gives students the opportunity to discuss and reflect upon conflict resolution and peace -- whether in their own lives or events in the news. All students who submit artwork receive recognition; a jury of art teachers and invited guests award the best work that is then published in a calendar to further teach peace and highlight the students' artwork.
For more information, visit peacefilmfest.org.
###
About the Global Peace Film Festival
Established in 2003, the Global Peace Film Festival uses the power of the moving image to further the cause of peace on earth. From the outset, the festival envisioned "peace" not as the absence of conflict but as a framework for channeling, processing and resolving conflict through respectful and non-violent means. People of good faith have real differences that deserve to be discussed, debated and contested. Global Peace Film Festival works to connect expression - artistic, political, social and personal - to positive, respectful vehicles for action and change. The festival program is carefully curated to create a place for open dialogue, using the films as catalysts for change. Visit peacefilmfest.org for more information. Follow @peacefilmfest on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
About Global Peace 360°
Global Peace 360°, producer of the Global Peace Film Festival, is a leading 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting global peace, unity and understanding. Through innovative programs and collaborative partnerships, GP.360° empowers individuals and communities to champion peacebuilding and embrace diversity. The organization's holistic approach addresses peace across social, cultural, and economic realms. To explore programs and services, visit www.globalpeace360.org.
SOURCE: Global Peace Film Festival
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:
https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/sports-leisure-and-entertainment/23rd-annual-global-peace-film-festival-tickets-on-sale-1070657
