Ky Dickens
Born
Kristine Dickens

April 25th
Park Ridge, Illinois
SpouseKaisa Dille
ChildrenDaughter (2014) & Son ( 2019)
Director Ky Dickens at the Sunset Marquis

Ky Dickens is a filmmaker, writer and director best known for her documentaries Show Her The Money,[1] Zero Weeks,[2] Sole Survivor,[3] The City That Sold America[4] and Fish out of Water.[5]

Early life and education

Dickens was born and raised in Hinsdale, Illinois. From an early age she always had a camera or camcorder around her neck and would edit footage together by using two VCR's, one to play the tapes and the other to record the edited version.[6] She decided to devote her life to documentary film making at the age of 16 after a good friend died in car crash and she compiled past footage taken of him.[7] At Hinsdale Central High School, Ky was student council president her senior year. She was class president her first three years. She was voted the recipient of the Senior Honor Medal, an award voted on by seniors for the senior most demonstrative of character, service and academics. She graduated magna cum laude with majors in Human and Organizational Development and Sociology from Vanderbilt University.[8]

Career

Dickens' first feature film, Fish Out of Water, explores the seven Bible passages that are most used to condemn homosexuality and same-sex marriage. Dickens talked with ministers on both sides of the debate surrounding homosexuality and the Bible for the film.[6] The film was heralded as a reconciling tool for LGBTQ people and their families and screened at over 200 churches nationwide.[9] Fish out of Water is distributed nationally by First Run Features, and has been translated into Spanish, Russian, Haitian Creole and Italian. It was acquired by First Run Features in 2009, before it premiered at Outfest. For her 2013 documentary film Sole Survivor, Dickens contacted 10 of the world's 14 sole survivors of large plane crashes and featured four in the movie.[10] The documentary follows George Lamson, one of fourteen sole survivors in a commuter plane crash. Her 2018 documentary, Zero Weeks is about paid family leave, and how the United States is the only developed country in the world that doesn't guarantee paid leave for workers.[11][12] Zero Weeks premiered at the Camden International Film Festival and hosted its New York premiere at DOC NYC.[13] Zero Weeks was screened by a large network of action groups including MomsRising,[14][15] Family Values at Work [16][17] Mi Familia Vota and 9 to 5[18][19] in order to create local activism on the issue. Zero Weeks was screened for members of the US Congress at the DC Naval Museum in April 2018.[20][21] Ky's 2019 feature documentary, The City that Sold America, was produced by Emmy Award-winning executive producer Mary Warlick.[22] The film was the sequel to Emmy Award-winning Art & Copy.[23] The film premiere at the Chicago International Film Festival[23] and hosted its New York Premiere at DOC NYC.[24] The film is about Chicago's impact on American consumer tastes and culture, demonstrating that Chicago gave birth to advertising icons from Ronald McDonald, Jolly Green Giant, The Keebler Elves, Mr. Clean and Tony the Tiger and the Marlboro Man[4] and advertising ideas such as coupons, fast food restaurants, product placement, mail order catalogs and soap operas.[4] Ky's fifth feature film, Show Her the Money, premiered in October 2023. Executive Produced by award-winning actress Sharon Gless (Cagney & Lacey, Queers as Folk), the film features women entrepreneurs who bootstrap their companies into success stories, and the fierce and financially savvy women who fund them.[25] Show Her The Money has won multiple awards including BEST DOCUMENTARY at the Los Angeles Film Festival,[26] BEST DOCUMENTARY at the Twin Cities Film Festival,[27] The AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD at the Ft. Lauderdale Film Festival[28] and BEST DOCUMENTARY at the Women's Film Festival.[29] It premiered theatrically in Los Angeles and New York in December 2023.[30] It was on the "For Your Consideration" list for Best Documentary by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.[31] Ky won the FOCUS AWARD for "Achievement in Directing" from Women In Film.[32][33] She was a keynote speaker at the Houston Texas Annual Conference for Methodist Ministers in 2010, speaking to her work bringing Fish out of Water throughout the south.[34] Dickens also directs TV commercials for a wide range of clients.[35] She has been repped by STORY, They Director's Network, MK Films and Conspiracy[35][36] Her client lists includes Google, Facebook, TikTok, Intel, Wounded Warrior Project, Kellogg's, Hallmark,[36] McDonald's,[37] Tylenol,[36] Kraft, Wrangler, Revlon and Neutrogena, Wendy's, and Sears.[38]

Ky Dickens directing "CRITICAL CONDITION" - a series of short films about the healthcare crisis in states that did not expand medicaid.

Awards and recognition

Sole Survivor premiered at Michael Moore's Traverse City Film Festival in 2013, and its New York premier was at DOC NYC in 2013. It was Indiewire's project of the month in September 2012 and received the Best of the Midwest Award for “Best Feature Film” in November 2013. It was acquired by CNN Films for broadcast and theatrical worldwide distribution in August 2013, and premiered on the network in January 2014. In October 2013, Dickens received the Focus Award for “Achievement in Directing” from Women in Film.[38]

  • Achievement in directing Focus Award[38]
  • BEST DOCUMENTARY, Los Angeles Film Festival[26]
  • BEST DOCUMENTARY,Twin Cities Film Festival[27]
  • AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD, Ft. Lauderdale Film Festival[28]
  • BEST DOCUMENTARY, Women's Film Festival.
  • "For Your Consideration" Best Documentary, Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences[31]
  • Sophie Award, BEST DIRECTOR 2020
  • Culture Champion, Game Changer Award 2018[39][40]
  • Jury Prize - Best Documentary, BMA Awards.[41]
  • Jury Prize- Best Documentary, International Women's Film Festival[42]
  • Jury Prize- Best Documentary Film Editing[43]
  • Jury prize - Best Documentary, Show Me Justice International Film Festival[44]
  • Best Feature Film of 2013, Best of the Midwest Awards
  • Jury Prize - Best Documentary, Reeling International Film Festival[45]
  • Audience Award, Louisville LGBT Film Festival[46]
  • Best of Fest Selection, DOC UTAH 2013
  • Audience Award Runner Up, Tall Grass Film Festival[47]
  • Huffington Post - "Top 15 Films to Look Forward to in 2013"[48]
  • Filmmaker Magazine - "Top 10 Picks for the DOC NYC Film Festival"[49]
  • PBS POV - "Ten Films to Look Forward to in 2012"[50]
  • Indiewire - Project of the Month[51]
  • After Ellen Visibility Prize, Best Festival Release with a lesbian Character (runner-up)[46]
  • Audience Award, Louisville LGBT Film Festival[46]
  • Named to New City's "Film 50" List - The 50 artists shaping the film culture in Chicago

Private life

Ky has been a passionate advocate for people with special needs dating back to High School where she spearheaded the inclusion program and worked as an aide to classmates who had autism or other disabilities. Though she originally considered getting her bachelor's degree in either special education or religious studies, she ended up pursuing Sociology and Human and Organizational Development at Vanderbilt University.[52] Ky knew she wanted to be a filmmaker from a young age. She constantly had a video camera in her hand while growing up. When a close friend died at the age of sixteen, she was able to help memorialize him through the various videos she'd captured of him. This was when she decided to pursue non-fiction storytelling.[53]

Ky's 2018 film, Zero Weeks, was based on her experience of having a lack of time after the birth of her daughter in 2014.[54] Ky married furniture designer, Kaisa Dille[55] in 2012.[56] Her son was born in Los Angeles in 2019. After starting her documentary and TV commercial directing career in Chicago, Ky and her family moved to Los Angeles.[4] Her father-in-law, Republican Senator Steven Dille, passed away in March 2020. Ky revered her father-in-law for being fair-minded and listening to various perspectives and working across the isle. They had a close relationship where they talked about social and political ideas. He was a supporter of her documentary work, bringing copies of her film FISH OUT OF WATER to small conservative churches in Minnesota in hopes they'd soften their views on marriages between people of the same gender.[57]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Show Her the Money Movie". Show Her The Money Movie. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
  2. ↑ Stevens, Heidi. "'Zero Weeks' film explores abysmal U.S. family leave laws". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
  3. ↑ Willmore, Alison (2013-12-26). "CNN to Premiere 'Sole Survivor,' a Documentary About Lone Survivors of Plane Crashes". IndieWire. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
  4. 1 2 3 4 ""The City That Sold America" premieres at Chi Film Fest | Reel Chicago - Midwest film, audio, production, TV, and advertising". | Reel Chicago - Midwest film, audio, production, TV, and advertising. 2018-10-09. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
  5. ↑ "theLstop.org An interview with Ky Dickens". Archived from the original on 2018-10-12. Retrieved 2014-10-21.
  6. 1 2 "Chicago filmmaker focuses on gays and the Bible". Retrieved 11 Oct 2014.
  7. ↑ "Daily Candy: Woman behind the lens". Retrieved 17 Oct 2014.
  8. ↑ "Out & About Nashville: Dickens revisits Vanderbilt to screen debut film". Retrieved 11 Oct 2014.
  9. ↑ B.), Elizabeth (aka Elli (2009-12-13). ""Fish Out of Water" Tackles Homosexuality & The Bible: The Autostraddle Interview". Autostraddle. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
  10. ↑ MPR News: Air-crash survivor describes pressure to accomplish something big with his life
  11. ↑ "Film 50 2014: Chicago's Screen Gems". Retrieved 14 Oct 2014.
  12. ↑ "Zero Weeks official site". Retrieved 29 December 2015.
  13. ↑ "DOC NYC 2017 Women Directors: Meet Ky Dickens — "Zero Weeks"". womenandhollywood.com. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
  14. ↑ "Gratitude and Resistance". MomsRising. 2017-11-02. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
  15. ↑ "Women AdvaNCe Presents: ZERO WEEKS". Eventbrite. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
  16. ↑ "Dads Need More Than Zero Weeks". Retrieved 2019-01-01.
  17. ↑ "Family leave documentary screening, panel discussion set for Feb. 20 | Penn State University". news.psu.edu. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
  18. ↑ "Women Against Hate, United by Love". Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin. 2018-09-21. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
  19. ↑ Staff Report (2018-10-03). "10/4/18 - Zero Weeks - Screening and Paid Family Leave discussion". The Colorado Independent. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
  20. ↑ "ZERO WEEKS". New America. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
  21. ↑ Street, ZERO TO THREE 1255 23rd; Washington, NW Suite 350; Dc 20037638-1144899-4301. "ZERO WEEKS Premiere in Washington, DC". ZERO TO THREE. Retrieved 2019-01-01.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  22. ↑ "THE CITY THAT SOLD AMERICA: New Documentary Reveals Chicago's True A | LBBOnline". lbbonline.com. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
  23. 1 2 "SCREEN | Ky Dickens' Chicago Ad Doc Premieres Tonight | January 2019 Stories". screenmag.com. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
  24. ↑ "2018 DOC NYC in Focus: American Perspectives". what (not) to doc. 2018-10-24. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
  25. ↑ https://www.thewrap.com/sharon-gless-women-entrepreneurs-show-her-the-money/
  26. 1 2 "STORY Director Ky Dickens' Documentary "Show Her the Money" Set For Theatrical Release". SHOOTonline. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
  27. 1 2 Bednarek, Brooke (2023-10-29). "TWIN CITIES FILM FEST ANNOUNCES 2023 AWARD WINNERS". Twin Cities Film Fest. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
  28. 1 2 "It's A Wrap – Fort Lauderdale Film Festival". Retrieved 2023-12-22.
  29. ↑ "The Women's Film Festival (2023)". IMDb. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
  30. ↑ Roche, Barbara (2023-11-16). "STORY's Ky Dicken's doc gets theatrical release in LA and NY". Reel Chicago News. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
  31. 1 2 Davis, Clayton (2023-12-07). "Academy Announces 288 Eligible Titles for Animated, Documentary and International Feature Oscar Races". Variety. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
  32. ↑ "Interviews: Women in Film Chicago at the 2013 Focus Awards". hollywoodchicago.com. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
  33. ↑ "Focus Awards honor Wiegan, Dickens, Mindeman Oct. 16 | Reel Chicago - Midwest film, audio, production, TV, and advertising". | Reel Chicago - Midwest film, audio, production, TV, and advertising. 2013-10-03. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
  34. ↑ "Breaking the Silence: Ky DIckens". Archived from the original on 9 September 2014. Retrieved 21 Oct 2014.
  35. 1 2 "STORY adds director Dickens and producer/rep McIntyre | Reel Chicago - Midwest film, audio, production, TV, and advertising". | Reel Chicago - Midwest film, audio, production, TV, and advertising. 2016-10-20. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
  36. 1 2 3 ArtisansPR. "STORY Signs Real People/Documentary Director Ky Dickens | Creative Content Wire". Retrieved 2019-01-01.
  37. ↑ "Real People/Documentary Director Ky Dickens Joins STORY". SHOOTonline. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
  38. 1 2 3 "Sole Survivor: Ky DIckens". Retrieved 11 Oct 2014.
  39. ↑ "Game Changer Awards". Retrieved 2019-01-01.
  40. ↑ "Family Values @ Work Celebrates 2017 GameChanger Awards". Retrieved 2019-01-01.
  41. ↑ "Film News: 'Sole Survivor' is Top Film at 2013 Best of the Midwest Awards". imdb. Retrieved 2020-12-18.
  42. ↑ "zeroweeks". incap.org. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
  43. ↑ "Colorado International Film Festival & Screenplay Contest - 2017 Winners". coloradofilmfestival.com. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
  44. ↑ "Chicago Reader: The Wingnuts Had a Point". Retrieved 17 Oct 2014.
  45. ↑ "Windy City Media Group: REELING FILM FEST 2009 Reeling in the 'Fish'". Retrieved 17 Oct 2014.
  46. 1 2 3 "Zero Weeks: A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT AMERICA'S MATERNITY LEAVE CRISIS". Retrieved 17 Oct 2014.
  47. ↑ "McHenry Count College: Online Press Room". Retrieved 17 Oct 2014.
  48. ↑ "Huffington Post: Ky Dickens' 'Sole Survivor': Fundraiser Supports Local Filmmaker's New Documentary". HuffPost. Retrieved 17 Oct 2014.
  49. ↑ "Film Maker Magazine: 10 Picks for the DOC NYC Film Festival". Retrieved 17 Oct 2014.
  50. ↑ "Chicago3Media: Entertainment for the World". Retrieved 17 Oct 2014.
  51. ↑ "Indiwire: Ky Dickens". Retrieved 17 Oct 2014.
  52. ↑ "Ky Dickens: Chicago's Taxidermist of Truth". shots. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
  53. ↑ Honore, Guernslye (2023-10-31). "Ky Dickens: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Became A Filmmaker". Authority Magazine. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
  54. ↑ Gregoire, Gabe. "We Have to Fight Like the Dickens". The Portland Phoenix. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
  55. ↑ "Kaisa Dille - Design with Integrity | The L Stop". Retrieved 2019-01-01.
  56. ↑ "Ky Dickens & Kaisa Dille". SPLASH. 2013-01-14. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
  57. ↑ Home, Johnson-Hagglund Funeral. "Obituary for Stephen Everett Dille | Johnson-Hagglund Funeral Home". Obituary for Stephen Everett Dille | Johnson-Hagglund Funeral Home. Retrieved 2020-12-18.
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