Ky Dickens is a filmmaker, writer and director best known for her
documentaries Zero Weeks, Sole Survivor, The City That Sold America
and Fish out of Water.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. 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. 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.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. 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. 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. Zero Weeks premiered at the Camden
International Film Festival and hosted its New York premiere at DOC
NYC. Zero Weeks was screened by a large network of action groups
including MomsRising, Family Values at Work Mi Familia Vota and 9 to
5 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. Ky's 2019 feature documentary, The City that Sold America,
was produced by Emmy Award-winning executive producer Mary Warlick.
The film was the sequel to Emmy Award-winning Art & Copy. The film
premiere at the Chicago International Film Festival and hosted its New
York Premiere at DOC NYC. 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
and advertising ideas such as coupons, fast food restaurants, product
placement, mail order catalogs and soap operas. Ky won the FOCUS AWARD
for "Achievement in Directing" from Women In Film.[24] 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. Dickens also directs TV commercials for a wide
range of clients. She has previously been repped by MK Films,
Conspiracy and Story.[27] Her client lists include Hallmark,[27]
McDonald's,[28] Tylenol,[27] Kraft, Wrangler, Revlon and Neutrogena,
Wendy's, and Sears.[29]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.[29]
documentaries Zero Weeks, Sole Survivor, The City That Sold America
and Fish out of Water.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. 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. 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.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. 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. 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. Zero Weeks premiered at the Camden
International Film Festival and hosted its New York premiere at DOC
NYC. Zero Weeks was screened by a large network of action groups
including MomsRising, Family Values at Work Mi Familia Vota and 9 to
5 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. Ky's 2019 feature documentary, The City that Sold America,
was produced by Emmy Award-winning executive producer Mary Warlick.
The film was the sequel to Emmy Award-winning Art & Copy. The film
premiere at the Chicago International Film Festival and hosted its New
York Premiere at DOC NYC. 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
and advertising ideas such as coupons, fast food restaurants, product
placement, mail order catalogs and soap operas. Ky won the FOCUS AWARD
for "Achievement in Directing" from Women In Film.[24] 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. Dickens also directs TV commercials for a wide
range of clients. She has previously been repped by MK Films,
Conspiracy and Story.[27] Her client lists include Hallmark,[27]
McDonald's,[28] Tylenol,[27] Kraft, Wrangler, Revlon and Neutrogena,
Wendy's, and Sears.[29]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.[29]
Share this
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
Join us for free and get valuable content delivered right through your inbox.