Journalist and author Mark Judge, best known for The Devil’s Triangle, a memoir recounting his experience during the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation hearings, is launching a new project: an anti-communist film festival in Washington, D.C. The festival, Judge says, is a response to the growing popularity of socialism in American politics — particularly following the rise of far-left figures like New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani.
“It’s time for an anti-communist film festival,” Judge wrote on the event’s GoFundMe page. “Conservatives have been complaining about Hollywood for decades, yet the right has struggled, through lack of will or lack of money, to make movies promoting freedom and revealing the evils of socialism. The answer? Hold an anti-Communist film festival.”
The announcement has gained traction on social media, drawing support from high-profile conservatives, including actor Nick Searcy (Justified), who praised the timing and concept.
Hollywood’s Historical Blind Spot
In an interview with Breitbart News, Judge criticized Hollywood for its long-standing resistance to anti-communist storytelling. From his point of view, this isn’t simply a matter of artistic preference, but of ideological alignment.
“They didn’t want to make anti-communist movies because so many of them were and are communists,” Judge stated. “Hollywood loves to shout about McCarthyism and the blacklist of the 1950s, but they ignore that many of these people were actual communists.”
As an example, Judge points to Odds Against Tomorrow (1959), a film featured on the Criterion Channel’s “Film Noir and the Blacklist” series. He notes that both its star, Harry Belafonte, and screenwriter Abraham Polonsky had well-documented ties to communist movements. Belafonte openly praised communist leaders like Fidel Castro and Hugo Chávez, while Polonsky eventually admitted to Communist Party membership and refused to cooperate with the House Un-American Activities Committee.
“Like today’s Hollywood, they were propagandists,” Judge said, citing film historian Imogen Sara Smith’s commentary that many blacklisted writers of the era “did attack capitalism and the American way.”
What Makes a Great Anti-Communist Film?
Judge was quick to disclaim that anti-communist films shouldn’t just be political — they need to be good movies.
“The basics — craftsmanship and story,” he explained. “The Lives of Others is a masterpiece of acting, editing, pacing, and screenwriting. It reveals the characters as human beings.”
In addition to The Lives of Others, Judge recommends lesser-known Cold War-era films like I Was a Communist for the FBI and My Son John, as well as more popular titles like Red Dawn and Freedom’s Fury. He also plans to include satirical films like The Death of Stalin and The Unbearable Lightness of Being in the festival lineup.
Why Now?
Judge says the inspiration for the festival came from years of attending film festivals and working in cinema. But he also sees it as a timely cultural response.
“It’s also crucial that young people don’t get brainwashed with socialism, which is happening… This is a solution.”
With film production costs often prohibitive, Judge believes showcasing existing classics is a practical way to provide an alternative to Hollywood’s dominant political narratives.
“Why not arrange a lineup of great older movies, rent out a theater and have a big party?” he said. “It’s an idea that fits the moment we’re in and also will get a bunch of freedom-loving people under one roof for beer and popcorn.”
A Festival With a Mission
At its core, the Anti-Communist Film Festival aims to be more than just a gathering of like-minded moviegoers. Judge hopes it will offer a cultural counterpunch to the normalization of socialist ideology in modern media and politics.
“I hope we can have fun, get a bunch of us together for a big party, and be edified by watching some great films,” Judge said. “We want to remind people about the evils of communism — and also have a good time doing it.”
Talks are underway with theaters in the D.C. area, and Judge is raising funds to cover rental and licensing fees. If successful, the festival could become an annual tradition — and a rallying point for those who recognize culture as the major front in the battle of ideas.
READ NEXT: FBI Arrests Conservative Actor Returning From Daily Wire Movie Premiere
