Just around the new year bend is the celebration January 21 of Public Domain Day celebration all the works that enter the public domain in 2026. In the United States, this is the opening of works from the 1930s, and Wikipedia tracks the works that will enter from different countries in 2026.
But check out the Internet Archive’s announcement of its 2026 Public Domain Film Remix Contest
We invite filmmakers, artists, and creatives of all skill levels and backgrounds to celebrate Public Domain Day, by creating and uploading a 2-3 minute short film to the Internet Archive.
This contest offers a chance to explore and reimagine the creative treasures entering the public domain, especially works from 1930 that will enter the public domain on January 1—classic literature, early sound films, cartoons, music, and art. Participants are encouraged to use materials from the Internet Archive’s collections to craft unique films that breathe new life into these cultural gems.
See full details and examples of past winning films https://blog.archive.org/2025/12/01/2026-public-domain-day-remix-contest/.
Indeed these are quite high end examples of video work (beyond my chops for sure), but if I was teaching media, I might make this asn assignment for students, or even scaled back, using media coming i the public domain to create posters. Regardless of your art skills, it’s worthwhile taking in the submissions that others make, and also just championing the value of works eventually entering the public domain.
Will you be doing anything to create awareness of Public Domain Day? Please tell us more.
