Ky Dickens is an award-winning filmmaker celebrated for her transformative documentaries that tackle complex social issues, influence public policy, and ignite cultural change. This conversation was not only an education about a reality that you may not have known about but also access to a new power to communicate. If you could not speak but you could communicate your full self what would you express for the deepest part of yourself. How do you take on huge visions and still maintain who you are and your tether to those you love. This conversation with Ky is a gift for the world. Below is her bio and there are links in the comments. Known as a storyteller at the intersection of film and societal impact, she has received numerous accolades, including the Focus Award for Achievement in Directing and the Change Maker Award for advancing social change through art and film. Ky’s fifth film, Show Her the Money, featuring Elizabeth Banks and Sharon Gless, was named one of the decade’s best financial films by US News and World Report. The film has won three Jury Prizes for “Best Documentary,” including from the Los Angeles International Film Festival. Ky recently ventured into audio storytelling with her groundbreaking podcast, The Telepathy Tapes, which explores telepathy within the nonspeaking community and raises profound questions about consciousness and human potential. Lauded as “paradigm-shifting” and “groundbreaking,” the podcast has topped Apple’s and Spotify’s charts, claiming the number one spot within three months of its release. The Telepathy Tapes is now being developed into a feature film slated for 2025. Ky’s previous work includes #TimeToCare, which premiered at SXSW and was screened for the United States Congress in 2021. The film explores caregiving through the lens of social influencers whose journeys captivated millions on TikTok. Her film Zero Weeks (Amazon), about America’s paid leave crisis, debuted its trailer at the White House Summit on the State of Women, hosted by Oprah and Michelle Obama. Ky’s other notable projects include The City That Sold America (Freestyle Releasing), a deep dive into Chicago’s pivotal role in American consumer culture, and Sole Survivor (CNN Films), a haunting profile of lone survivors of otherwise fatal plane crashes. Between 2019 and 2021, Ky directed the award-winning short film series Critical Condition, On the Edge, and Left Behind, which highlighted Americans suffering due to the Medicaid Gap. Her first narrative film, In the Jungle, is set to be released in 2024. Collectively, Ky’s films have garnered over 20 awards, including audience choice, best film, and best directing honors. In addition to her feature work, Ky directs commercials for major global brands, including Netflix, Google, TikTok, and Johnson & Johnson. She is an active member of Film Fatales Los Angeles and the Directors Guild of America. A lifelong advocate for the special needs community, Ky spearheaded her district’s inclusion program when she was in high school. She graduated magna cum laude from Vanderbilt University and lives in Los Angeles, California, with her family, rescue dog, Devon Rex cats, and Kombucha scoby.
