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Why Has 2026 duPont-Columbia Award-Winning Documentary Homegrown Not Been Distributed in the U.S.?
As Division Deepens Nationwide, Filmmakers Extend Streaming Through May 1 at Homegrown.film
“Raw and unapologetic. Homegrown is a snapshot of how democracy dies by the hands of the very people who think they’re saving it. There are consequences to living in a society that amplifies lies — this documentary proves it.” —Oscar-winning screenwriter Charlie Wachtel
February 25, 2026 – New York, NY — At a moment when Americans are asking how the country became this divided, and where it goes next, one of the most urgent documentaries about the forces behind January 6 remains without traditional distribution.
Why?
The award-winning documentary Homegrown, directed by Michael Premo, has been extended for streaming through May 1 at Homegrown.film, as the filmmakers work tirelessly to keep the film accessible to U.S. audiences seeking to understand the roots of America’s political fracture.
Homegrown first premiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival, it has been shown at 50 film festivals globally and has distribution in Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand. The film was recently honored with the prestigious 2026 Alfred I duPont-Columbia University Award for outstanding public service journalism, recognition typically reserved for major broadcast investigations.
Rather than being picked up by a major distributor in the United States, Homegrown has relied on grassroots screenings, community partnerships, and direct streaming through its own platform. The extension, according to the filmmakers, is a deliberate effort to keep the film available during a period of intensifying national and global political tension.
“We are doing everything we can to keep this film in front of audiences,” said Premo. “People are searching for answers about how we got here. Homegrown doesn’t offer easy conclusions. It offers proximity. It offers context. And it offers the uncomfortable human truth behind headlines.”
Homegrown follows three conservative activists in the years leading up to the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, offering rare, intimate access to their organizing, motivations, and political evolution. Rather than focusing solely on the violence of that day, the film examines the identity shifts, media ecosystems, and cultural grievances that fueled a movement.
In addition to the duPont-Columbia Award, the film has received The Phoenix Prize at Film Fest Cologne, the Justice Matters Award at the Filmfest DC, and was nominated for the 2025 Cinema Eye Honors Spotlight Award.
Yet it remains independently distributed in the United States.
A Film at the Center of Urgent Conversations
On March 9, Homegrown will be featured at the Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College as part of its Democracy Under Pressure series. Titled “Democracy Under Pressure — Homegrown and Understanding the Rise of the Multiracial Right,” the event will include scenes from the documentary, followed by a conversation between Michael Premo and political theorist Cristina Beltran. The discussion will examine what is drawing increasing numbers of Black and Latino Americans to the Conservative Movement.
On Thursday, April 23, the film will also be featured at the Albany Film Commission event at the Albany Cap Center in Albany, NY. Premo will be in conversation with author and journalist Paul Grondahl. The event is sponsored by the New York State Writers Institute.
Additional screenings and Talk Back events across the country are in the works. Audiences are encouraged to visit Homegrown.film for updates and event information.
Educators and community organizers interested in hosting group screenings or discussions can contact the film team at https://homegrown.film/host-a-screening.
A Warning and an Endorsement
Oscar-winning screenwriter Charlie Wachtel, co-writer of BlacKkKlansman, calls the film essential viewing:
“Raw and unapologetic. Homegrown is a snapshot of how democracy dies by the hands of the very people who think they’re saving it. There are consequences to living in a society that amplifies lies — this documentary proves it.”
As political polarization intensifies and democratic norms face renewed strain, confronting uncomfortable realities is not optional.
Homegrown will remain available for streaming through May 1 at Homegrown.film.
About Homegrown
Homegrown is a feature documentary directed by Michael Premo that follows three conservative activists as they mobilize across the United States in the lead-up to January 6. With unprecedented access and a commitment to human-centered storytelling, the film examines how political identity, media ecosystems, and personal conviction converge in moments of national rupture.
Why?
The award-winning documentary Homegrown, directed by Michael Premo, has been extended for streaming through May 1 at Homegrown.film, as the filmmakers work tirelessly to keep the film accessible to U.S. audiences seeking to understand the roots of America’s political fracture.
Homegrown first premiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival, it has been shown at 50 film festivals globally and has distribution in Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand. The film was recently honored with the prestigious 2026 Alfred I duPont-Columbia University Award for outstanding public service journalism, recognition typically reserved for major broadcast investigations.
Rather than being picked up by a major distributor in the United States, Homegrown has relied on grassroots screenings, community partnerships, and direct streaming through its own platform. The extension, according to the filmmakers, is a deliberate effort to keep the film available during a period of intensifying national and global political tension.
“We are doing everything we can to keep this film in front of audiences,” said Premo. “People are searching for answers about how we got here. Homegrown doesn’t offer easy conclusions. It offers proximity. It offers context. And it offers the uncomfortable human truth behind headlines.”
Homegrown follows three conservative activists in the years leading up to the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, offering rare, intimate access to their organizing, motivations, and political evolution. Rather than focusing solely on the violence of that day, the film examines the identity shifts, media ecosystems, and cultural grievances that fueled a movement.
In addition to the duPont-Columbia Award, the film has received The Phoenix Prize at Film Fest Cologne, the Justice Matters Award at the Filmfest DC, and was nominated for the 2025 Cinema Eye Honors Spotlight Award.
Yet it remains independently distributed in the United States.
A Film at the Center of Urgent Conversations
On March 9, Homegrown will be featured at the Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College as part of its Democracy Under Pressure series. Titled “Democracy Under Pressure — Homegrown and Understanding the Rise of the Multiracial Right,” the event will include scenes from the documentary, followed by a conversation between Michael Premo and political theorist Cristina Beltran. The discussion will examine what is drawing increasing numbers of Black and Latino Americans to the Conservative Movement.
On Thursday, April 23, the film will also be featured at the Albany Film Commission event at the Albany Cap Center in Albany, NY. Premo will be in conversation with author and journalist Paul Grondahl. The event is sponsored by the New York State Writers Institute.
Additional screenings and Talk Back events across the country are in the works. Audiences are encouraged to visit Homegrown.film for updates and event information.
Educators and community organizers interested in hosting group screenings or discussions can contact the film team at https://homegrown.film/host-a-screening.
A Warning and an Endorsement
Oscar-winning screenwriter Charlie Wachtel, co-writer of BlacKkKlansman, calls the film essential viewing:
“Raw and unapologetic. Homegrown is a snapshot of how democracy dies by the hands of the very people who think they’re saving it. There are consequences to living in a society that amplifies lies — this documentary proves it.”
As political polarization intensifies and democratic norms face renewed strain, confronting uncomfortable realities is not optional.
Homegrown will remain available for streaming through May 1 at Homegrown.film.
About Homegrown
Homegrown is a feature documentary directed by Michael Premo that follows three conservative activists as they mobilize across the United States in the lead-up to January 6. With unprecedented access and a commitment to human-centered storytelling, the film examines how political identity, media ecosystems, and personal conviction converge in moments of national rupture.
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