Film starts at 6 PM with a cocktail reception at 5 PM.
In Boycott, award-winning filmmaker Julia Bacha pulls back the curtain on a movement of
conservative legislators and lobbyists in Arkansas and the United States who are succeeding in
curtailing free speech. Thirty-four states have introduced anti-boycott laws, which require
individuals and companies seeking public contracts to sign a pledge promising they will not
boycott Israel. The Arkansas Times refused to sign on First Amendment grounds, losing much
of its state advertising.
After Alan Leveritt, publisher of the Times, an attorney in Arizona, and a speech therapist in
Texas are told they must choose between their livelihoods and their political beliefs, they launch
legal battles supported by the ACLU. Their stories cut to the heart of a pressing national issue
and illustrate how the right to free speech could be redefined across US society for generations
to come.
The film is 73 minutes long and will be followed by a 30-minute Q&A with Suhad Babaa, the
film’s Producer, Alan Leveritt of the Arkansas Times, and the ACLU of Arkansas team.