“Activist in tone, and paced like a thriller, Reed’s movie painstakingly details how an election can be brusquely seized and swayed by unseen forces…a story that should crowbar open the eyes of anyone affected by the increasing power of corporations in all corners of life” -- Robert Abele
DARK MONEY examines one of the greatest present threats to American democracy: the influence of untraceable corporate money on our elections and elected officials. The film takes viewers to Montana—a frontline in the fight to preserve fair elections nationwide—to follow an intrepid local journalist working to expose the real-life impacts of the US Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision. Through this gripping story, DARK MONEY uncovers the shocking and vital truth of how American elections are bought and sold.
Preceded by SEAT 31: ZOOEY ZEPHYR (2024)
After Zooey Zephyr’s expulsion from the Montana House of Representatives for defending transgender medical care she claims a nearby bench as her “office,” transforming a shocking political moment into an opportunity to defend her constituents, embrace her identity and community, and celebrate joy.
Presented in partnership from the MFA in Documentary Media and the Hoffman Visiting Artist Fund for Documentary.
About the guest:
DuPont and FIPRESCI Prize-winning director Kimberly Reed directed the award-winning I’M YOUR VENUS, a followup on Venus Xtravaganza from PARIS IS BURNING, which was recently released on Netflix. She directed/produced the Oscar®-shortlisted film Seat 31: Zooey Zephyr (The New Yorker), winner of Best Short Documentary at Palm Springs Shortfest and Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, among others. Kim also directed/produced DARK MONEY (PBS Distribution, Amazon Prime Video), an award-winning selection at Sundance that was promptly named one of Vogue’s 66 Best Documentaries of All Time, nominated for 4 Critics’ Choice Awards and the IDA Award for Best Documentary, won the duPont Columbia Prize, and was shortlisted for an Oscar®. Her first film PRODIGAL SONS (Sundance Channel, BBC) won 14 international awards, including the FIPRESCI Prize. Kim was named an American Film Showcase Expert, one of Filmmaker Magazine’s “25 New Faces of Independent Film” and to Out Magazine’s “Out 100.” Her films have premiered at Telluride, Sundance, BFI London and Tribeca, and have been released on HBO Max, Netflix, Amazon & PBS. Kim is a member of AMPAS, sits on the AMPAS Documentary Branch Executive Committee and Equity & Inclusion Committee, and is co-chair of the AMPAS LGBTQ+ Affinity Group.
Cost: Free
Block Museum of Art
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