FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Award‑Winning Maryland Documentary to Host Red Carpet Premiere in Greenbelt on June 21 — Fresh Off Major Festival Successes

Greenbelt, MD — Following a wave of national momentum and multiple festival accolades, the award‑winning literacy documentary Forever Free and The Illiteracy Playbook will host a Red Carpet Premiere in Greenbelt on June 21, during Juneteenth weekend celebrations. The event is presented in partnership with the Greenbelt Black History & Culture Committee, who will also host a live community Q&A with the filmmakers immediately following the screening.

The film — produced, directed, and written by Laurel‑based filmmaker Dion Johnson — continues to draw powerful responses across the country. In recent weeks, Forever Free and The Illiteracy Playbook screened at both the Maryland International Film Festival and the Cleveland International Film Festival, where audiences praised its emotional depth, historical insight, and urgent call to action.

This Greenbelt premiere marks the film’s first major public screening in Prince George’s County since winning Best of Fest, the top prize at the DC Independent Film Festival earlier this year.

“Bringing this film home to Greenbelt — during Juneteenth weekend, and with the support of the Greenbelt Black History & Culture Committee — means everything,” said Johnson. “My daughter went to school in Greenbelt, and the Executive Producers were educators in this community, so it is only fitting. Plus, this documentary was shaped by Maryland’s history, my mother’s legacy, and the lived experiences of our communities. Every screening reminds us that literacy is not just an educational issue — it’s a freedom issue.”

Forever Free and The Illiteracy Playbook blends personal narrative with historical, and contemporary challenges that expose the intentional, generational barriers to literacy in America. The film highlights how education remains one of the most powerful tools of liberation, agency, and opportunity.

The July 21 Red Carpet Premiere will bring together educators, policymakers, families, faith leaders, and community organizers for an evening of storytelling, dialogue, and collective action. The Greenbelt Black History & Culture Committee will lead a post‑screening Q&A exploring the film’s themes, Maryland’s literacy landscape, and the movement the documentary is inspiring across the region.

With its growing national footprint, the film is preparing for additional festival screenings, community events, and educational distribution opportunities throughout 2026.