The Battle for a Free Press at the Muscogee Creek Nation
“…AN ABSORBING, EYE-OPENING LOOK AT THE FIGHT FOR A FREE AND OPEN PRESS IN THE MUSCOGEE (CREEK) NATION…”
- Manohla Dargis, The New York Times
WATCH THE TRAILER
“THE SLIGHTLY GIDDY… TENOR OF A CLASSIC MUCKRAKING NARRATIVE LIKE ALL THE PRESIDENTS MEN.”
- DENNIS HARVEY, VARIETY
SCREEN BAD PRESS for your Community
We’ve partnered with The Atlantic Festival, SPJ Conference, Daily Beast Convo, PAM CUT, UNT Mayborn Nonfiction Conference, Idaho University's Oppenheimer Symposium and many other conferences, universities, organizations, policymakers, and companies to support tribes in implementing press protections and mobilizing young voters in tribal nations.
We offer:
BAD PRESS Screening Event includes licensing to screen for a large audience
Live Appearance or Virtual Q&A with Co-Directors Rebecca Landsberry-Baker, Joe Peeler, and Film Protagonist Angel Ellis
Custom Virtual Toolkit with custom build website that contains discussion guide, questions, and bonus content
Masterclass – Film & Journalism: Editing with Director Joe Peeler, Cinematography with Tyler Graim, Journalism with Angel Ellis and Director Rebecca Landsberry-Baker
Meet the Directors
Rebecca Landsberry-Baker is an enrolled citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and the executive director of the Native American Journalists Association. She is a recipient of the 2018 NCAIED “Native American 40 Under 40” award and was selected to the Harvard Shorenstein News Leaders Fall 2022 cohort. Landsberry-Baker made her directorial debut with the documentary feature film, BAD PRESS, which was supported by the Sundance Institute, Ford Foundation JustFilms, NBC, and the Gotham. BAD PRESS premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and received the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Freedom of Expression.
Joe Peeler is a Sundance award-winning director and editor whose work has appeared on NETFLIX, HBO, FX, ESPN, Hulu and CBS. Joe began his career apprenticing under legendary director Peter Bogdanovich, and from there edited Lucy Walker’s Academy Awards Shortlist documentary short The Lion’s Mouth Opens; multiple episodes of the Netflix original series Flint Town; and Margaret Brown’s SXSW premiere documentary short The Black Belt. Most recently, Joe co-directed Bad Press, which premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and won the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Freedom of Expression.
