SPEAK

2025 • 1h 43m • Documentary

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Brought to you by

National Speech and Debate Association

Availability

Available between Mar 06, 2026 - Mar 08, 2026

Available Worldwide

Brought to you by

National Speech and Debate Association

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About the film

Host a Screening of SPEAK. for National Speech & Debate Education Day March 6th-7th, 2026! Pre-order Tix Now!

SPEAK. follows five high school students on their journey to the National Speech and Debate Association Tournament, capturing the discipline, resilience, and life-changing power of speech and debate. It’s a moving portrait of young people finding their voices — and learning how to use them.

NSDE DAY | PAY WHAT YOU CAN!

As schools and programs across the country prepare to honor NSDE Day, we’re offering a limited-time, pay-what-you-can discounted screening license for participating schools and organizations.

You can organize a screening that works best for your community:

  • In-Person or Virtual Screening – Bring students, educators, families, and alumni together for a shared experience.

  • VOD Screening + Team Discussion – Allow students to watch on their own time from March 6th-7th and come together later for a facilitated conversation.

Fundraising and Screening Guides available HERE!

Stay Engaged

If you’d like to bring Speak. to your community. You can also sign up to host a screening here: SCREENING APPLICATION

If you'd like to support the NSDA's initiative to bring Speech and Debate to new school districts, you can donate here: START A PROGRAM

Director

Jennifer Tiexiera, Guy Mossman

Producer

Pamela Louise Griner

Executive Producer

Simon Kilmurry, Josh Gad, Lisa Hepner, Christoph Baaden, Abby Ellin, Joseph Wolfe, Polly Wolfe, Schultz Family Foundation, Hallee Adelman, Dawn Bonder, Daniel J. Chalfen, Marci Wiseman, Toby Nalbandian, Greg Schmidt, Sean Bradley, Lauren Lexton, Jenny Warburg, Jamie Wolf, Nathalie Seaver, Melony and Adam Lewis, J. Todd Harris, Andrea Van Beuren, Michael Sugar, Neil Berkeley, Meryl Metni

Awards & recognition

2025 Sundance Film Festival

Opening Night | Grand Jury Prize Feature Documentary NOMINEE

2025 Full Frame Documentary Festival

Kathleen Bryan Edwards Award For Human Rights

2025 Thin Line Film Festival

Jury Award Best Documentary

2025 Lost Weekend Film Festival

Best Documentary Feature Award

2025 Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival

International Jury Award SPECIAL MENTION

2025 Cinema Columbus Film Festival

Documentary Feature Jury Award NOMINEE

2025 Nashville Film Festival

Grand Jury Prize Best Documentary NOMINEE

2025 Calgary International Film Festival

Best International Documentary NOMINEE

2025 Nantucket Film Festival

Closing Night

What people are saying

“Cinematically eloquent.”

Frank Scheck

The Hollywood Reporter

“This movie belongs in classrooms so kids can witness this inspiring journey.”

Superuser

Dwight Brown Ink

“...one of many beautiful moments of synthesis where righteous indignation and rhetorical prowess align.”

Zachary Lee

Roger Ebert

“Speak is enough to give you hope for Generation Z.”

Frank Scheck

The Hollywood Reporter

“Tiexiera and Mossman allow the competition to provide hope and a connection for our future generations who are being handed a messy situation unreflective of the real world these students are currently living in and surviving one day at a time.”

Sabina Dana Plasse

Film Threat

““Speak” is more than another competition documentary; it succeeds as a joyful, insightful look at five kids with a lot to say, and the guts to get on stage and say it.”

Adam Perry

Broomfield Enterprise

“... A must-watch for anyone looking to be inspired by the power of young voices. This is a documentary that not only speaks—it resonates.”

Alex Reif

Laughing Place

“Each could have arguably been the sole focus of a documentary without moving back and forth between the others, which speaks to the charisma that’s helped each of them make it this far in the first place.”

David Opie

IndieWire

“Everyone competing will have their own cheerleaders among the film’s audiences. It’s impossible not to cheer for them all, though.”

Leslie Combemale

Alliance of Women Film Journalist

"Carried by its charismatic young competitive orators, SPEAK. is a film that will make you dare to hope for the future. The film doesn’t shy away from documenting the devastations along with the wins, thus revealing the grit, passion & endurance it takes to not just talk about the world one envisions, but to show up & literally speak it into being."

Rebecca Schankula

Traverse City Film Festival

““Speak.” is so rousing and audience-friendly, it plays like the nonfiction equivalent of “Bend It Like Beckham” or “A League of Their Own.””

Addie Morfoot

VARIETY

““Speak.” is a joyful recalibration about the power of dreaming, how sometimes the first step towards envisioning and bringing about a better world is to try and speak it into existence.”

Zachary Lee

Roger Ebert

“Their heartfelt emotion, doubled and tripled with exhaustion, makes for a sincerely compelling experience. This is one of those films that inspires a viewer to lean in.”

Pat Mullen

POV Magazine

“...the film lays out everything on the table that the USA needs to tackle.”

Pat Mullen

POV Magazine

“There can be only one winner, but the filmmakers cultivate interest in them all. It’s clear that they believe the kids can change the world — the sooner the better.”

Glenn Kenny

NY Times

Gallery

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