Fannie Lou Hamer’s America Screens at Hindsight Film Festival

Acclaimed Documentary Honors Civil Rights Icon at Prestigious New Festival

SAVANNAH, Georgia – March 23, 2026 - America’s first major film festival for historical documentaries launched March 4-8 in Savanah, Georgia, and featured the award-winning film, Fannie Lou Hamer’s America.  The Hindsight Film Festival was presented by the Better Angels Society, known for the Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film. 

In an announcement video Ken Burns stated, "The inaugural Hindsight Film Festival will showcase the kind of films that I love, ones that make you say 'I had no idea about the history that connects us all.'"

Fannie Lou Hamer’s America was included as part of the festival’s commitment to showcasing historical documentaries that illuminate pivotal moments and figures in American history. 

The film was chosen as a Better Angels Fellow in 2020, the first year they began their fellowship program.

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Joy Elaine Davenport, director, editor and musical composer for Fannie Lou Hamer’s America engages in conversation with Professor of African Studies Dr. Christina Lenore Davis at the Hindsight Film Festival.

Directed and edited by Joy Elaine Davenport, Fannie Lou Hamer’s America is a portrait of the late Mississippi-sharecropper-turned-human-rights-activist. Through archival video and audio footage, the film allows Hamer to tell her own story - in her own words - and explores and celebrates the lesser-known life of one of the Civil Rights Movement’s greatest leaders. 

“Fannie Lou Hamer's America is a perfect example of the type of film we want to showcase at the Hindsight Film Festival,” said Pat Longstreth, director of the festival. “We selected it for its creative use of archival materials, first person perspective, and reframing of our shared past. We were very lucky to have Joy Elaine Davenport here in person to discuss the making of the film, and to have her as a judge for the student film category.”

The program included 15 feature films, 30 shorts, panel discussions, history tours and after parties. Award categories include Best Feature Film and Best Short Film, with all entries judged by a jury of Emmy and Peabody award-winning filmmakers. 

“The festival was very well-attended with a really engaged audience,” Davenport said. “Hindsight Film Fest and Savannah State did a fabulous job, and I'm grateful for their support and hospitality.” 

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With a full slate of Oscar, Emmy and Peabody-winning filmmakers in attendance, as well as historians and an audience of all ages, organizers said “Hindsight proved to be a dynamic gathering for anyone looking to explore our shared past from fresh perspectives.”

Produced by Hamer’s niece, Monica Land, Fannie Lou Hamer’s America was broadcast on PBS and WORLD Channel in February 2022. It won the International Documentary Award (IDA) for Best Television Documentary in December 2022 and the NAMIC Vision Award for Best Documentary in 2023. 

Fannie Lou Hamer’s America continues to resonate with audiences, and it has consistently been the top streaming film for WORLD Channel since its release in 2022. In addition to its robust online presence there, the film is also available for streaming on other platforms, including PBS, Apple and Amazon ensuring that Hamer’s powerful story reaches viewers across the nation.