An Exclusive Advance Screening of The American Revolution

Join us for an unforgettable evening: an exclusive advance screening of The American Revolution, the highly anticipated new PBS documentary series from Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt.

Timed to the 250th anniversary of the Revolutionary War, this six-part series brings America’s fight for independence to life through the diverse voices of those who experienced it — soldiers and civilians, enslaved and free African Americans, Native peoples, Loyalists, and Patriots — offering a vivid, multi-layered portrait of our nation’s founding.

Several segments were filmed right here at Washington Crossing Historic Park, underscoring its unique role as a living classroom for the American Revolution. This special event celebrates that connection and offers a rare opportunity to hear directly from the filmmakers and interpreters whose work keeps this history vibrant.

This program is presented by Friends of Washington Crossing Park in partnership with the Princeton Battlefield Society as part of the Princeton Battlefield Society’s Cadwalader Lecture Series.

What to Expect

    • Guests will enjoy a 45-minute curated clip reel from The American Revolution introduced by Director, Sarah Botstein, followed by a panel discussion moderated by Jennifer Martin, Executive Director of Friends of Washington Crossing Park.
    • Together the panelists will explore how reenactors serve as storytellers who bring history to life and how documentary filmmakers, living-history interpreters, and reenactors collaborate to fill in the gaps left by the limited material culture of the 18th century.
    • The evening concludes with an open audience Q&A session for a chance to engage directly with the panelists.

Meet the Panelists

Sarah Botstein – Director & Producer

Sarah Botstein is one of the leading documentary producers of her generation, responsible for some of the most acclaimed and widely viewed public television programs of the past two decades. She has produced landmark series with Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, including Jazz (2001), The War (2007), Prohibition (2011), The Vietnam War (2017), College Behind Bars (2019), and Hemingway (2020). The U.S. and the Holocaust marked her debut as a co-director, premiering in September 2022 to widespread critical acclaim for its powerful portrayal of how Americans grappled with one of the greatest humanitarian tragedies in history.

In addition to her television work, Botstein is an original contributor to Ken Burns UNUM, a web-based platform highlighting historical themes across the Florentine Films library and collaborates with PBS LearningMedia and WETA-TV to develop educational content for the Ken Burns Classroom. She has been a featured speaker at film festivals, universities, and public history forums across the country, sharing insights on the art and ethics of documentary storytelling. Currently, Botstein is producing an epic six-part series on the American Revolution — portions of which were filmed at Washington Crossing Historic Park — and a three-part series about the life and presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson, continuing her commitment to creating deeply researched, visually compelling films that illuminate America’s past for new generations.

 

Megan Ruffe – Co-Producer

Originally from Bucks County, Megan Ruffe has been at Florentine Films since 2013 and is co-producing the upcoming series on the American Revolution. She began as an apprentice editor and production associate on The Vietnam War (2017), later serving as post-production supervisor on College Behind Bars (2019) and contributing to Hemingway (2021) and Benjamin Franklin (2022). She also produced UNUM Shorts, a web series featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and on CBS Sunday Morning. Megan graduated summa cum laude from the Schreyer Honors College at Penn State University where she studied film and geography. (Photo credit: Caitlin Cooper).

 

Buddy Squires – Cinematographer

Buddy Squires is an Oscar-nominated filmmaker, Emmy-winning director of photography, and founding member of Florentine Films. His cinematography credits include six Oscar-nominated films, one Academy Award winner, twenty-two Emmy-nominated productions and ten Emmy Award winners. In 2007, he was honored with the International Documentary Association’s Outstanding Documentary Cinematography Award (career achievement), and his work is regularly featured at the Sundance, Telluride, and Tribeca Film Festivals. He is best known for his work on The National Parks, The War, Jazz, The Civil War, New York, Baseball, Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery, Stonewall Uprising, Soundtrack for a Revolution, and many more. His producing credits include Statue of Liberty (Oscar nomination with Ken Burns) and Coney Island (Sundance Film Festival). He is the director of Listening to Children (Emmy nomination) and the co-director of Fast Eddie, Seeking Justice, People’s Poetry, and War Files.

 

James McKane – Design Examiner & Living History Interpreter & Commander

James McKane works full-time as a Design Examiner for the United States Patent and Trademark Office. He is a nationally recognized living-history interpreter and artisan, serving on the Board of Directors for the Brigade of the American Revolution, where he also holds the role of Chief Safety and Authenticity Inspector. James commands the Third New Jersey Regiment, the “Jersey Grays,” Capt. Bloomfield’s Company and has been active in Revolutionary War reenactment since 2013.

Through his business reproducing 18th-century clothing and equipment, McKane has produced more than 200 hand-sewn regimental coats, hundreds of cartridge boxes and knapsacks, and supplied museums and historical organizations across North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Since 2022, he has collaborated with Florentine Films on the upcoming series The American Revolution, even recreating an 18th-century redoubt fortification on his property for filming.

 

Event Details

📍 Location
Visitor Center – Washington Crossing Historic Park
1112 River Road, Washington Crossing, PA 18977
(Directions to the Visitor Center)

📅 Date & Time
Thursday, October 23, 2025
7:00 – 8:30 PM

🎟️ Tickets
$20 – Members of Friends of Washington Crossing Park & Princeton Battlefield Society 
$40 – General Admission

Space is limited — reserve your spot today!