Aspen Film and the Aspen Institute Arts Program’s Eisner/Lauder New Views Documentaries and Dialogue Series in conjunction with Apple Original Films and A24 present the sensational 2020 Sundance Grand Jury prize-winning documentary BOYS STATE, streaming for one-night only, immediately followed by a special post-screening panel discussion on Sunday, July 26 at 6pm MT/8pm ET/5pm PT.
BOYS STATE takes you on a wildly entertaining and continually revealing immersion into a week-long annual program in which a thousand Texas high school seniors gather for an elaborate mock exercise: building their own state government. Filmmakers Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine closely track the escalating tensions that arise within a particularly riveting gubernatorial race, training their cameras on unforgettable teenagers like Ben, a Reagan-loving arch-conservative who brims with confidence despite personal setbacks, and Steven, a progressive-minded child of Mexican immigrants who stands by his convictions amidst the sea of red. In the process, they have created a complex portrait of contemporary American masculinity, as well as a microcosm of our often dispiriting national political divisions that nevertheless manages to plant seeds of hope.
To access a stream to BOYS STATE, viewers can visit AspenFilm.org. Access codes will go on sale Monday, July 20 at 12pm MT. Each virtual ticket will be $20; the film is available one night only at 6pm MT/8pm ET/5pm PT on Sunday, July 26. Immediately following the film will be a panel discussion featuring filmmakers Amanda McBaine & Jesse Moss, along with film subjects Steven Garza and Ben Feinstein, and moderated by Aspen Institute Executive Vice President Elliot Gerson.
