The 24th Annual Global Peace Film Festival is a multi-day cultural event taking place from September 15–27, 2026, across Central Florida (including Orlando, Winter Park, and Maitland) to showcase documentaries and independent films that inspire community action and peaceful change.
Screenings and events are held at venues like the Enzian Theater (Maitland), Regal Winter Park Village, Rollins College, and local libraries.
Mission: To use films, panel discussions, and art exhibits to model peaceful change, spark imagination, and address topics like justice, resilience, and humanity.
A SEAT AT THE TABLE – In immersive vérité style, A SEAT AT THE TABLE follows several prominent South Asian political candidates during the 2024 election cycle, alongside a community galvanized by the groundbreaking campaign of the first South Asian presidential candidate. Within a hundred years, South Asians in America have gone from being disenfranchised, to seeing the first South Asian presidential candidate on a major party’s ticket. With unprecedented access to congressional and state-level campaigns, as well as grassroots organizing efforts, the film captures a historic year for the South Asian diaspora as more candidates than ever run for office, providing us a rare front-row seat to the dynamic forging of power in America.
SARITA KHURANA is an award-winning filmmaker whose feature film, A SUITABLE GIRL, won the 2017 Best New Documentary Director Prize at Tribeca Film Festival. YOAV ATTIAS is an award-winning filmmaker and creative director. He is the co-director of Fault Lines, a feature documentary about the housing crisis that premiered at Big Sky Documentary Film Festival in 2024.
When we began filming A SEAT AT THE TABLE, we thought we were making a film about a handful of South Asian candidates running for office. But very quickly, it became clear that something much bigger was unfolding. What we were witnessing wasn’t just a series of campaigns, it was a community stepping into its political power in America in a way we had never seen before. That is the story we felt compelled to tell.
The Gymnasts of Fisherman Colony
THE GYMNASTS OF FISHERMAN COLONY is an intimate coming-of-age documentary by 3X Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Habiba Nosheen that follows three teenage girls in Pakistan, offering a rare and tender portrait of girlhood, joy, and play told through the eyes of young Pakistani girls navigating the margins of society. At its core, THE GYMNASTS OF FISHERMAN COLONY is a story of hope and quiet defiance. Through the intimate journeys of three teenagers we witness as their passion for gymnastics begins to clash with deeply rooted expectations around what girls can and cannot do. The film follows their journey as they find themselves straddling two polar opposite worlds as they push to make space for themselves through gymnastics. The result is a lyrical and deeply human portrait of three young girls from a corner of the world we rarely see on screen. These are girls who dare to dream.
Director’s Statement:
A few years ago, I found myself reflecting on the fact that we rarely hear stories about the amazing women and girls in Pakistan who are reshaping societal expectations with their boldness and determination. So I wanted to tackle a film that centered around the joy and depth in the lives of young women in Pakistan. That was the inspiration for The Gymnasts of Fisherman Colony. It is the film that I wish had existed in the world when I was growing up. In some ways, I didn’t find this story. It found me. This film is not about a young girl who wants to make it to the Olympics. For me, the message of this film is that all girls should have the opportunities to participate in sports. It’s about teaching girls to take up space. And part of the outreach that is really important to me is dismantling this myth that Islam and girls’ sports don’t coexist. That’s simply not true. We need to empower the girls who are at the forefront of challenging that myth.
On Sunday, Sept. 27 at 2 PM, AFRO TV will present Community and Family, a shorts program featuring work from (mainly) UCF students — including two powerful films by Asian‑American filmmakers.
In Andrew Nguyen’s Marching in Tune, five young adults reflect on the musical journeys that brought them together and share why preserving music programs matters now more than ever.
In AJ Johnson’s Threading the Needle, two Chinese American adoptees confront identity, belonging, and the complex threads connecting their ethnicity with their lived experiences.
A thoughtful lineup that explores connection, culture, and the stories that shape us.
On Sunday, Sept. 27 at 3 PM, AFRO TV – Theater 1 will present Asia Trend’s new documentary series, Bridging Worlds, highlighting inspiring Asian Americans in Central Florida. This six‑part series offers an inside look at community members whose dedication, leadership, and cultural impact make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.
Discover the full lineup of films featured at the 2026 Global Peace Film Festival by visiting the official program page at peacefilmfest2026.eventive.org/films. The schedule showcases this year’s complete selection of thought‑provoking documentaries, shorts, and international works dedicated to inspiring dialogue and advancing peace.
 to showcase documentaries and independent films that inspire community action and peaceful change.Screenings and events are held at venues like the Enzian Theater (Maitland), Regal Winter Park Village, Rollins College, and local libraries.){kind=link}