
2025 • 1h 43m • Documentary
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
‘“This movie belongs in classrooms so kids can witness this inspiring journey.”‘
Superuser
‘“...one of many beautiful moments of synthesis where righteous indignation and rhetorical prowess align.”‘
Zachary Lee
‘“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
‘““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
‘“... 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
‘“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
‘“Everyone competing will have their own cheerleaders among the film’s audiences. It’s impossible not to cheer for them all, though.”‘
Leslie Combemale
‘"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
‘““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
‘““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
‘“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
‘“...the film lays out everything on the table that the USA needs to tackle.”‘
Pat Mullen
‘“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
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