The Gettysburg Film Festival returns April 2-4, 2026, bringing together renowned filmmakers, actors, historians, and authors to commemorate the United States’ 250th anniversary. Through onstage conversations, film screenings, and live performances, this year’s festival will explore how a fragile union of colonies challenged an empire, endured years of war, and sparked new ideas about liberty and self-government that would resonate far beyond America’s shores. While best known for its Civil War history, Gettysburg also offers a powerful setting to examine the nation’s Revolutionary beginnings.
The festival will be headlined by internationally acclaimed filmmaker Ken Burns, who will share selections from his new series, The American Revolution, and lead conversations about the people and ideas that shaped our nation.
“The 2026 festival will coincide with the 250th anniversary of the creation of the United States. Four score and seven years later, President Lincoln would travel to Gettysburg to deliver his famous address rededicating our country to our founding principles,” said Burns. “I’ll be joined at the festival by filmmakers, historians, and others, all participating in a wide range of conversations about our history and its relevance today.”
In addition to Ken Burns, this year’s lineup will feature actors Phillipa Soo, Christopher Jackson, and Okieriete Onaodowan from the original Broadway cast of the hit musical Hamilton; Sam Waterston (Law & Order, The Killing Fields); Samuel Roukin, Heather Lind, and Seth Numrich (TURN: Washington’s Spies). Historians and authors Rick Atkinson (The British Are Coming), Annette Gordon-Reed (The Hemingses of Monticello), Harold Holzer (Brought Forth on this Continent), and Jeff Shaara (Rise to Rebellion) will headline discussions on America’s founding years. The festival will also welcome American military and policy experts Susan Eisenhower and General Stanley McChrystal.
Beyond ticketed programs, the public is also invited to explore a colonial encampment on the grounds of Gettysburg High School. Presented in partnership with the American Battlefield Trust, the encampment will feature living historians and hands-on activities that bring the Revolutionary era to life. The encampment will be open Friday, April 3, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday, April 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The festival will also feature book signings with select authors.
Tickets for select programs are now on sale at www.gettysburgfilmfestival.org, with additional events to be released in the coming weeks. For media inquiries, contact info@gettysburgfilmfestival.org. The Gettysburg Film Festival is hosted by Gettysburg History and the American Battlefield Trust, with support from The Better Angels Society and the Gettysburg Film Commission.
About the Gettysburg Film Festival: The Gettysburg Film Festival showcases American history on screen, from documentaries to feature films and emerging media. Launched and inspired by Ken Burns and his award-winning craft, the festival aims to bring Americans together in a shared appreciation of our history and the stories that make us who we are.