For several years, the U.S. Navy Memorial has hosted students from around the country through its Sea Service internship. As part of the program, interns conduct oral histories of Navy veterans and produce short films based on those interviews. The full interviews are then donated to the Library of Congress Veterans History Project (VHP). For the first time, VHP and the U.S. Navy Memorial are inviting all students in grades 5-12 to create and submit short documentaries featuring the stories of U.S. veterans for the 2025 Sea Service Film Festival. This festival is the perfect opportunity for teachers and parents to get young people involved in documenting and preserving the history of our nation’s veterans. This blog contains the call for entries to the VHP/Navy Memorial Film Festival, including an overview of the festival, submission guidelines, and rules.
The following is a guest blog post by Candace Milburn, liaison specialist with the Veterans History Project. Have you ever wondered what a Warrant Officer does in the military? When I hear the word “warrant,” my mind immediately goes to think about an arrest warrant or police searches. But during a recent documentary screening at …
This post premieres the film, El Motor: Coffee and the Heart of Puerto Rico, by filmmaker Russell Oliver who received a 2022 Community Collections Grant from the American Folklife Center, as part of the Library of Congress Of the People: Widening the Path initiative. The film captures the challenges of farming alongside moments of triumph, revealing how Puerto Rico’s coffee farmers preserve tradition while adapting for the future. This year's American Folklife Center's Homegrown Foodways Film Series celebrates Community Collections Grant recipients.
This post premieres the film, Bayous, Buddha, and Padaek: Southern Louisiana's Lao Foodways, by filmmakers Phanat Xanamane, Sami "Sai" Haggood, and Ba Bader who received a 2022 Community Collections Grant from the Center. The film is a captivating two-part documentary that delves into the rich culinary traditions of the Lao Buddhist immigrant community in Louisiana. This year's American Folklife Center's Homegrown Foodways Film Series celebrates Community Collections Grant recipients.
This Folklife Today post is written by Dr. Sarah Fouts, UMBC, who shares the second film in the American Folklife Center Homegrown Foodways Film Series, available for viewing in this post and on the Library of Congress YouTube channel.
This Folklife Today post is written by Dr. Sarah Fouts, UMBC, who shares the first film in the American Folklife Center Homegrown Foodways Film Series, available for viewing in this post and on the Library of Congress YouTube channel.
The following is a guest blog by Travis Bickford, supervisory liaison specialist for the Library of Congress Veterans History Project (VHP). Ten years ago, I read Tim O’Brien’s, “The Things They Carried.” Not for any burning desire; I had assigned it to a group of teenagers I was teaching from the south and west sides …
The following is a question-and-answer session with author Tim O’Brien in anticipation of the film screening of The War and Peace of Tim O’Brien with special guest and director of the documentary, Aaron Matthews on Thursday, May 11th from 5pm-8pm at the Library of Congress. Prior to the film, enjoy live music from Gold Star sister, Barbara Martin, …
The following is a guest post by folklorist Sally Van de Water, Folklife Programs Manager, Division of Folklife and Cultural Heritage at the Arts Institute of Middlesex County, New Jersey. The AFC’s Homegrown Foodways in Central New Jersey film series is a collaboration with Van de Water and colleagues at the Division of Folklife and …
