This exciting documentary tracks an intrepid team of local journalists covering the Muscogee (Creek) Nation in Oklahoma who are feeling the pinch of tribal politics. Filmmakers Rebecca Landsberry-Baker and Joe Peeler won a Special Jury Award for Freedom of Expression at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Doors at 5PM, screening begins at 6PM. 

Live post-screening talk: Stick around after the screening for a conversation with Co-Director Joe Peeler and local Indigenous journalists. Vee Hua (Bad Press Imapact Producer) and Jarrette Werk (Underscore News) will moderate the conversation with Joe Peeler, Mia Prickett (Smoke Signals Editorial Board Chair), and Chris Mercier (Tribal Council Vice Chair, Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde). Panel begins directly after the screening, at 7:45PM.

Panelists

Joe Peeler, Bad Press 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, 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.

Vee Hua, Panel Moderator
Vee Hua 華婷婷 (they/them) is a writer, filmmaker, and organizer with semi-nomadic tendencies. Much of their work unifies their metaphysical interests with their belief that art can positively transform the self and society. They are the Editor-in-Chief of REDEFINE, Interim Managing Editor of South Seattle Emerald, and Co-Chair of the Seattle Arts Commission. They also previously served as the Executive Director of the interdisciplinary community hub, Northwest Film Forum, where they played a key role in making the space more welcoming and accessible for diverse audiences.

Jarrette Werk, Staff Reporter and Photographer for Underscore News
Jarrette is a multimedia journalist with experience in digital news, audio reporting and photojournalism. He joined Underscore in June 2022 as a staff reporter and photographer, in partnership with the national Report for America program. Originally from Montana, Jarrette is a proud member of the Aaniiih and Nakoda Tribes of the Fort Belknap Indian Community. Prior to joining Underscore, he served as an associate producer for Nevada Public Radio’s (KNPR) “Native Nevada Podcast,” an eight-part podcast series highlighting the culture, issues and perseverance of the 27 tribal nations in present-day Nevada. He has been a member of the Native American Journalists Association since 2017 and has participated as a Native American Journalist Fellow four times, including once as a mentor-in-training. He has earned a national Hearst Journalism Award and regional Edward R. Murrow Award for his reporting.

Mia Prickett, Smoke Signals Editorial Board Chair
Mia Prickett is an experienced customer marketer with a demonstrated history of working with Fortune 1000 CIOs and CISOs building and amplifying customer success stories and thought leadership opportunities. Excellent customer and internal relationship development skills, focusing on forging ongoing value-driven relationships between the company and its customers, building a customer-centric community that drives innovation, success and evangelism.

Chris Mercier, Tribal Council Vice Chair, Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
Chris Mercier spent most of his early life in Salem, OR and and graduated from the School of Journalism & Communication at the University of Oregon in Eugene with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism-News Editorial. He also holds a law degree Lewis & Clark Law School.

Mercier was a regular contributing writer to the Tribal newsletter, Smoke Signals, in summer 1996 while in school and again between 2000 and 2002. He also has been published in the Eugene Daily Emerald, UO’s student newspaper, and the McMinnville News-Register. In 2001, he won an award from the Native American Journalists Association and three more NAJA awards in 2002. He was elected to Tribal Council in September 2004 and re-elected in 2007, 2010 and 2014. He served as Tribal chairperson during the 2006-07 Tribal Council sessions.