For close to a century, film-making has emerged as one of the most powerful creative expressions of modern society. Films entertain us. They inform us. They provoke us. They may trade in whimsy or fantasy, biography or tragedy.  They may explore our past or imagine our future.  In particular, films with political themes provide a window into the dreams and drama, fears and foibles of the human condition.

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It is to these films - and to the events, the movements, and themes that inspired them - that the Washington Political Film Foundation is dedicated.

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Political films illuminate the great currents of history, the movements that shape our cultures, the seminal moments that change the trajectory of world events.  Story-telling is at its zenith in political film-making, and is not bound by class, convention, or country.

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The remarkable collaboration of directors, producers, actors, creative artists and technical professionals create the narratives that deepen our insight into war and peace, revolution and terror, freedom and persecution, democracy and dictatorship.  But beyond these grand and weighty constructs, political films also portray the profoundly personal - whether it be failure's anguish or triumph's exhilaration.

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At this moment in our nation's history, our politics are perhaps as fractious, angry and punitive as in any previous era.  Politics is inherently rife with conflict and dispute, yet politics at its heart is also "the art of the possible."

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The yearning for new platforms that advance discerning and thoughtful engagement is undeniably palpable - among students, educators, and citizens alike.  These are places where dialogue is provoked but is not polarizing.  Places where minds find avenues for insight rather than intransigence.

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In an environment fertile for pessimism such platforms are more than inspiring and hopeful.  They are essential to a free society and vital to upholding the democratic virtues of our Republic.

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The Washington Political Film Foundation exists to engage the political, arts, and academic communities - from the extraordinary talent that creates that magic moment on screen to those who are touched by that performance; from the practiced film critic to the soul-searching university student; to all those who leave the darkened theatre enlightened and enriched.

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The journey, however, does not end with the closing of the curtain.  When the lights come on, a new conversation can begin.  That engagement, through seminars and symposia, academic inquiry and research, is an exciting new design that serves the cause of bridge-building, understanding, and discovery.  

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In this way the Foundation provides a unique, more purposeful path for constructive political engagement - engagement that unleashes the power and promise of the political film.