UnionDocs Board Member Yael Melamede’s film Floyd Abrams: Speaking Freely to premiere THIS FRIDAY NIGHT on PBS on September 22, 2023!

Floyd Abrams: Speaking Freely explores America’s dedication to the foundational principles of free speech and free press through the groundbreaking work of attorney Floyd Abrams. A biopic of the First Amendment told through Abrams’ important cases, we reveal how this legal giant helped transform the First Amendment from an oft-ignored principle into a bulwark of American democracy. As the nation grapples with issues such as hate speech, book banning, the impact of money in politics, artificial intelligence and the dangers of boundless internet communication in a rapidly changing media ecosystem, Abrams continues to advocate for broad First Amendment protections. The film offers critical context for how we came to this moment where free speech issues have never felt more complicated and urgent, and where the nation is wondering anew: what price are we willing to pay for free speech?

Floyd Abrams: Speaking Freely is directed by Yael Melamede. Executive produced by Michael Kantor. Edited by Harry Jackson. Produced by Clare Smith Marash.  A Production of SALTY Features in association with American Masters Pictures.

UnionDocs is proud to have supported the project as co-producer,  providing production support, fiscal sponsorship and the administration of a grant from The National Endowment of the Humanities.