Justice Film Festival | NYC

Goldenwood is honored to sponsor the 16th annual Justice Film Festival, running February 24-26, 2026 in NYC. The Justice Film Festival is the premier showcase for films that shine a light on social justice and affirm the dignity of all people.

We’re especially excited to celebrate the work of Andy Peterson, a 2023 Dream Forum alum, who founded JFF in 2012 to create a platform for redemptive stories of marginalized people and ecosystems bravely overcoming challenges and bringing hope, compassion, and light to a world in need of inspiration.

Film has a unique power to make the invisible visible—to illuminate injustice, surface beauty, and call forth courageous love. This festival is an invitation to cultivate that kind of attentiveness together. Join us at this annual gathering of filmmakers, creatives, and all who believe that storytelling can renew our imagination and reawaken hope.

What You’ll Receive as Part of the Goldenwood Community:

50% Off Festival Pass
Receive an exclusive code for 50% off a Justice Film Festival pass. We’ll send you the code once you let us know you’re coming (info below), and then you’ll use the code to purchase a pass on the JFF website.

A Curated Festival Experience
With your pass, we encourage you to attend as many screenings as you can. Below are a few we’re particularly excited about, featuring members of our Goldenwood ecosystem.

Invitation to the Filmmaker After-Party
Top off your festival experience by joining us Thursday evening at the filmmaker wrap party for a drink and conversation. This will be a relaxed space to mingle, reflect, and build meaningful connections with those shaping culture through story.

Featured Screenings to Highlight

Weds 2/24 at 1:00-3:00 PM — Live Action Shorts block
featuring HOLD

Written by and starring Kelly Strandemo (Nautilus alum), and produced by Stephen Bailey (Director of Dream Cultivation, Nautilus alum) and Colleen Castle (Director of Institute Creative & Community, Nautilus alum).

This short film block showcases storytelling that lingers in the tension between fragility and strength—echoing Goldenwood’s conviction that hope often emerges through vulnerability.

Weds 2/24 at 6:30-9:00 PM – I WAS A STRANGER Feature Film
with Mary Baldwin speaking beforehand

The evening screening will kick off with Mary Baldwin, a Dream Forum alum, sharing about her Athens-based jewelry company and the redemptive imagination guiding her work.

This is a powerful example of what happens when faith, creativity, and leadership converge—not simply to build products, but to cultivate ecosystems of renewal.

Thurs 2/26 at 3:30-5:30 PM — HANDMADE FUTURE Feature Film
with filmmaker Q&A moderated by Stephen Bailey

Join us for a screening of Handmade Future, followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers moderated by Stephen Bailey. This conversation will explore craftsmanship, vocation, and the deeper currents shaping our economic and creative systems.

In a world shaped by speed and scale, this film invites us to slow down and consider what it means to make with care—and to build futures rooted in dignity and justice.

Register Today

Justice and beauty are not separate realities—they are intertwined. The Justice Film Festival is one small but meaningful way we can participate in that by listening deeply, honoring the stories and dignity of people, and imagining a more just and hope-filled future.

We hope you’ll join us.

To let us know you’re coming, email colleen@goldenwoodnyc.org. We’ll send you the 50% discount code to use on the Justice Film Festival website to secure your pass and begin planning your screenings.