Bad Press

Directed by Rebecca Landsberry-Baker (Muscogee Creek) and Joe Peeler

When the Muscogee Nation suddenly begins censoring their free press, a rogue reporter fights to expose her government’s corruption in a historic battle that will have ramifications for all of Indian Country.

The battle for the free, unimpeded flow of information to the public is in danger in both the Muscogee Nation and the United States, and in both cases, those who control that flow hold some measure of sway over their elections’ outcomes. Bad Press holds up a timely and important mirror to those in power in both the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and America. There is no one more qualified to tell this story than director Rebecca Landsberry-Baker, who has lived this story for more than a decade.

Bad Press was supported by the Sundance Institute, Ford Foundation JustFilms, NBC, and the Gotham. It premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and received the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Freedom of Expression.

Co-Director:
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. Bad Press is Landsberry-Baker’s directorial debut.

Co-Director:
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,

Bad Press:
Winner, Special Jury Award: Freedom of Expression, Sundance Film Festival
Winner, Best Documentary Feature, River Run International Film Festival
Winner, Grand Jury Prize: Best Documentary Feature, Dallas International Film Festival
Winner, Jury Award: Best Documentary Feature, Berkshire International Film Festival
Winner, Best Documentary Feature. deadCenter Film Festival
Winner, One In A Million Documentary, Sun Valley Film Festival

Runtime 01:38:00, US