Folklife Film Premiere: “Ctrl + Alt + HERITAGE”

In the summer of 2025, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival celebrated , exploring how young people influence and engage with culture, and how they create, innovate, and sustain cultural practices and traditions.

While the program unfolded on the National Mall, our own team of young media makers, interns in the Folklife Storytellers Workshop, documented the performances, conversations, and demonstrations led by youth participants and their mentors. They interviewed artists and experts, program curators, and visitors to capture the experience of the Folklife Festival on film—and share it with you!

This is the world premiere of their culminating documentary film, Ctrl + Alt + HERITAGE: Youth and the Future of Culture. We invite you to the free screening, followed by a Q&A with lead curator Michelle Banks, storyteller interns, and Festival participants. Come early to take your photo on the Folklife red carpet!

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher Smithsonian Folklife