Submissions for the 2024 Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film opened on February 15 at 12:00 am ET and closed on May 1 at 11:59 pm ET. Submissions will reopen in early 2025. Subscribe to our mailing list for updates.
Photo: Jonathan Lavine, Dr. Carla Hayden, Ken Burns, Director Nicole London, The Disappearance of Miss Scott
Does your film qualify?
The Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film (Prize for Film) accepts films that focus on an American historical subject, issue, or person within a time frame occurring at least twenty years prior to submission that present a variety of perspectives grounded in extensive and thorough research. The majority of the film must be historically focused to qualify. Please review the complete Eligibility and Application Requirements here.
- For submission and eligibility questions, please contact: submissions@betterangelssociety.org
- For technical questions only, please contact Submittable Customer Support at submittable.com/help/submitter
- For general questions about the Prize for Film, please contact: dmelecki@betterangelssociety.org
- Due to the high volume of submissions, we cannot accept phone calls at this time.
A National Prize for U.S. History Documentary Filmmaking
The Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film is an annual national prize that provides recognition and resources for exemplary documentary films that tell compelling stories about American history. In 2019, the Library of Congress and The Better Angels Society, a national nonprofit dedicated to engaging Americans with their history through documentary film, created this prize to support enduring educational assets for all Americans. The Prize for Film celebrates the proven power of documentary films to bring people together as they explore our shared history and engage in civic dialogue.
Bestowed annually by the Librarian of Congress in partnership with The Better Angels Society, a cash prize of $200,000 is awarded to one winner, a secondary prize of $50,000 to one runner-up, and $25,000 to each of four finalists.
Dr. Carla Hayden, the 14th Librarian of Congress, chairs a National Jury of esteemed scholars, filmmakers, and storytellers who narrow the selections. Dr. Hayden then selects the winner each year in consultation with renowned filmmaker Ken Burns. Over more than forty years of filmmaking, Burns has made immense contributions to our collective understanding of American history, and his inclusive and engaging storytelling encourages us to find common ground as we explore the lessons of our past. The Prize for Film joins other awards bestowed by the Library of Congress, including the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, the Prize for American Fiction, and the Kluge Prize for the Study of Humanity.
Core underwriting for The Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film is made possible by a generous donation from Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine through the Crimson Lion/Lavine Family Foundation, which supports organizations that strengthen society through education, research, innovation, public policy, direct service, and advocacy. Additional funding is provided by The Better Angels Society. All applicants to the Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film will be automatically considered for The Better Angels Lavine Fellowship.
Presenting Sponsor
Gold Sponsor
Lindsay and Peter Snell
Silver Sponsor
Bronze Sponsor
Meredith DeWitt
Annabelle and Jackson Dunn
Winners and Finalists
CARTOONING AMERICA
Winner
Directed by Asaf Galay
Click the photo above for an exclusive preview.
MAGIC & MONSTERS
Runner-Up
Directed by Norah Shapiro
AREA 2
Finalist
Directed by James Sorrels
Click the photo above for an exclusive preview.
BEHIND THE LINES
Finalist
Directed by John Benitz
DORY PREVIN: ON MY WAY TO WHERE
Finalist
Directed by Julia Greenberg & Dianna Dilworth
WEDNESDAYS IN MISSISSIPPI
Finalist
Directed by Marlene McCurtis
DROP DEAD CITY – NEW YORK ON THE BRINK IN 1975
Winner
Directed by Peter Yost and Michael Rohatyn
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MISS SCOTT
Runner-Up
Directed by Nicole London
BUCKLEY
Finalist
Directed by Barak Goodman
THE HARVEST
Finalist
Directed by Sam Pollard and written/produced by Douglas Blackmon
MAX ROACH: THE DRUM ALSO WALTZES
Finalist
Directed by Sam Pollard and Ben Shapiro
MODERNISM INC.: THE ELIOT NOYES DESIGN STORY
Finalist
Directed by Jason Cohn
BELLA!
Winner
Directed by Jeff L. Lieberman
In 1970, Bella Abzug entered Congress ready for a fight. With her trademark hat and Bronx swagger, the first elected Feminist upended the Washington patriarchy, battling for women’s equality, civil rights, and LGBTQ+ protections. Despite Nixon and the FBI’s attempts to silence her, Bella persisted – revolutionizing the blueprint for America.
VIRGIL THOMSON: CREATING THE AMERICAN SOUND
Finalist
Directed by John Paulson
Dubbed “father of American music” by Aaron Copland, composer/critic Virgil Thomson (1896-1989) is largely unknown to the public. This biography, featuring new and archival music performances, establishes Thomson’s originality, versatility and influence not only as creator of the American classical sound but as an insightful critic of our cultural scene.
IMAGINING THE INDIAN: THE FIGHT AGAINST NATIVE AMERICAN MASCOTING
Finalist
Directed by
Aviva Kempner and Ben West
Imagining the Indian: The Fight Against Native American Mascoting aims to inform and educate about the use of Native American names, logos, and mascots in sports and beyond, which has had damaging effects on the self-esteem of Native people. It is a comprehensive examination of the long-standing movement against mascoting.
RAYMOND LEWIS: L.A. LEGEND
Finalist
Directed by Ryan Polomski (Dean Prator, Co-Director)
RAYMOND LEWIS: L.A. LEGEND tells the true story of the mythical basketball phenom from Watts, California — who many say was blackballed from the NBA in the early 70’s for demanding equality — and the never-told-before tale of his unlikely and heartbreaking journey towards becoming a hoops legend.
Congratulations to the 2021 Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film Winner: Gradually, then Suddenly: The Bankruptcy of Detroit, Directed by Sam Katz and James McGovern.
BONNIE BLUE: JAMES COTTON’S LIFE IN THE BLUES
Directed by Bestor Cram
Finalist
Born in 1935 on Bonnie Blue plantation in Tunica, Mississippi, apprenticing with Sonny Boy Williamson II and Howlin’ Wolf, and schooled by Muddy Waters, James ‘Super Harp’ Cotton became a mentor to harp players around the globe as he brought the delta blues into mainstream rock ‘n roll. Cotton’s music made history; his musical voice was unique, and the blues were never the same.
HOLD YOUR FIRE
Winner
Directed by Stefan Forbes
In 1973, four young men stealing guns for self-defense were tragically mistaken by the NYPD for violent revolutionaries. A gunfight ensued and a police officer was killed. Despite the NYPD’s policy of deadly force, Dr. Harvey Schlossberg managed to resolve the conflict peacefully and invent modern hostage negotiation.
AFTER ANTARCTICA
Finalist
Directed by Tasha Van Zandt
After Antarctica follows polar explorer Will Steger’s journey as an eyewitness to the changes in the polar regions of our planet. Thirty years after his expedition across Earth’s coldest continent, Steger is not only known for being the first in history to complete this feat – he is also the last.
BEETHOVEN IN BEIJING
Finalist
Directed by
Jennifer Lin & Sharon Mullally
Dispatched by President Nixon in 1973 to help open the “bamboo curtain” separating the Chinese and American people, the iconic Philadelphia Orchestra now turns to its past as a cultural ambassador to strengthen its precarious future at home.
PUNCH 9 FOR HAROLD WASHINGTON
Directed by Joe Winston
“Punch 9 for Harold Washington” will tell a national audience, for the first time, the story of how Washington became Chicago’s first African-American mayor, opened up government to everyone, and paved the way for future political leaders, including Barack Obama.
FLANNERY
MAE WEST: DIRTY BLONDE
MR. SOUL!
THE ADVENTURES OF
SAUL BELLOW
THE FIRST
ANGRY MAN
9 TO 5: THE STORY
OF A MOVEMENT
2024 Honorary Committee
The Honorary Committee is a distinguished group of thought leaders drawn from all corners of the media and cultural landscape, united by a common interest in supporting work that highlights our country’s history through documentary film. The members of the Honorary Committee each have large and unique spheres of influence that help spread the mission of the Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film, making them a vital part of the Prize community. The members of the 2024 Honorary Committee represent a varied cross-section of our nation’s culture, including film, historiography, and news media.