Synopsis

DARK MONEY, a political thriller, 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. This Sundance award-winning documentary is directed/produced by Kimberly Reed (PRODIGAL SONS) and produced by Katy Chevigny (E-TEAM).

“''Dark Money,' with its focus on the personal stories of how individuals are impacted by the flood of campaign money in the system, is an example of how 'storytelling matters when you are trying to raise awareness of the issues,' Chuck Todd (Meet The Press) said.”

—Ted Johnson, Variety

“Dark Money effectively pinpoints how the smear campaigns function in an election.”

—Todd McCarthy, The Hollywood Reporter

“One of the most galvanizing films at AFI Docs this year is 'Dark Money'”

—Ann Hornaday, The Washington Post

“Required viewing for American citizens”

—Vogue

“All the hallmarks of a great legal thriller, [Kimberly] Reed puts flesh and bone to the arcane minutiae and forcefully argues that dark money represents the greatest modern threat to our democracy. Essential and riveting.”

—John Lopez, Departures Magazine

Filmmakers

Kimberly Reed: director/producer

Kimberly Reed’s work has been featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, NPR, The Moth, and in Details Magazine. One of Filmmaker Magazine’s “25 New Faces of Independent Film,” she directed/produced PRODIGAL SONS, a “whiplash doc that heralds an exciting talent.” PRODIGAL SONS (First Run Features, Sundance Channel) landed on many Best of the Year lists, screened at more than 100 film festivals, and garnered 14 Audience and Jury awards, including the FIPRESCI Prize. Ms. Reed was recognized as one of OUT Magazine’s “Out 100,” and as Towleroad’s “Best LGBT Character of the Film Year.” She also produced/edited/wrote PAUL GOODMAN CHANGED MY LIFE (Zeitgeist Films), and produced THE DEATH AND LIFE OF MARSHA P. JOHNSON (Netflix).

Katy Chevigny: producer

Katy Chevigny is an award-winning filmmaker and a co-founder of Big Mouth Productions. She co-directed the Emmy-nominated E-TEAM with Ross Kauffman, which won the award for Best Cinematography at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival and was acquired by Netflix for a worldwide release. She also directed ELECTION DAY (2007) which premiered at the SXSW Film Festival in 2007 and was broadcast on PBS in 2008. With Kirsten Johnson, she co-directed DEADLINE, an investigation into Illinois Governor George Ryan’s commutation of death sentences. After premiering at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival, DEADLINE was broadcast on NBC to an audience of over six million, in an unusual acquisition of an independent film by a major network. Chevigny’s films have been shown theatrically, on HBO, Cinemax, POV, Independent Lens, NBC, Arte/ZDF, Britain’s Channel 4, and others, and have played at festivals around the world, including Sundance, Tribeca, Full Frame, SXSW, IDFA, Sheffield and Berlin.

Miriam Cutler: co-producer/composer

Miriam Cutler, Documentary Branch Academy member and Emmy-nominated composer, has an extensive background scoring for independent film amd TV projects. Her passion for documentary film has led to a focus in nonfiction: Sundance Premiere THE HUNTING GROUND (CNN), Oscar-nominated, KINGSPOINT (HBO) and POSTER GIRL (HBO), Emmy winners GHOSTS OF ABU GRAHIB (HBO), DESERT OF FORBIDDEN ART (PBS) VITO (HBO), Emmy- nominated ETHEL (HBO), THIN (HBO), BAFTA-nominated LOST IN LA MANCHA (IFC), Sundance winners AMERICAN PROMISE (PBS), SCOUTS HONOR (PBS) and LICENSE TO KILL (PBS), and Peabody Award-winning THE CASTRO. Her enthusiasm for documentaries has continued to escalate her involvement and has led her to becoming part of the production team. Miriam co-produced and scored ONE LUCKY ELEPHANT (OWN) and now is embarking on her second project as a co-producer of DARK MONEY. Miriam has served numerous times as a Lab Advisor for the Sundance Institute Documentary Composers Lab, and on film festival and awards juries including Sundance, Ashland, Bend, AFI, Independent Spirit Awards and IDA Awards. She has co-produced two Grammy-nominated live jazz albums on PolyGram/Verve for Joe Williams, and albums for Nina Simone, Shirley Horn, and Marlena Shaw as well as independently released albums of her own songs and soundtracks. Miriam also is part of the American Film Showcase, a cultural exchange program sponsored by the US State Department and USC.

Jay Arthur Sterrenberg: editor

Jay Arthur Sterrenberg is a Canadian American editor and director whose work has appeared in theaters, on HBO, CNN, Arte, ESPN, and PBS. He’s a founder of the Meerkat Media Collective, an award-winning arts collective & cooperatively run production company that prioritizes shared authorship and consensus process in their creative process. Documentary editing credits include the Sundance premiering films TROPHY and NARCO CULTURA, Tribeca award-winning UNTOUCHABLE, Academy Award-nominated REDEMPTION as well as the collaboratively directed Meerkat Media films BRASSLANDS and STAGES. Since 2009 he’s also been a proud member of New Day Films documentary distribution cooperative.