Newport & The Great Folk Dream (2026)
Tennessee Premiere, A film by Robert Gordon and Joe Lauro Directed by Robert Gordon
Before Coachella and Woodstock, there was Newport. From 1963 to 1966, the Newport Folk Festival catalyzed America’s youth, creating a forum for the protest song to grow, for a generation to find its voice, for Bob Dylan to evolve from political balladeer to leather-jacketed rock n’ roller. Newport & the Great Folk Dream is an immersion into these years, told by those who were there— including Johnny Cash, Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, the Freedom Singers. Like the festival itself, this film uses the draw of the stars to expose a thrilling range of American musical styles—Gullah Island gospel, stinging delta blues, ancient-sounding milling songs of Cape Breton—what Variety describes as “a broad and exquisitely chosen swath of the music” that conveys a society where democracy embraces diversity. From award-winning filmmakers Robert Gordon and Joe Lauro, and drawn entirely from rare and previously-unseen
archival footage, Newport & the Great Folk Dream shows how music can illuminate struggle, inspire courage, and stir passionate controversy.
A film by Robert Gordon and Joe Lauro
Directed by Robert Gordon
Producers:
Joe Lauro
Robert Gordon
Laura Jean Hocking
Bruce Feldbaum
Dan Braun
Josh Braun
Kim Bledsoe Lloyd
Stephanie Jenkins
Editor:
Laura Jean Hocking
Runtime: 1 hour 40 minutes
Q&A to follow screening with Robert Gordon and Joe Lauro
