
-- By Stephanie Ornelas
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist John S. Knight's editorial policy was quite simple: Get the truth and print it.
May 3 is World Press Freedom Day and we're celebrating the occasion by highlighting some Sundance Festival films that tell the captivating stories born in the newsroom. It's so important to pay tribute to the journalists who sacrificed so much to uncover the truth - some even with their lives. Honoring the basic principles of press freedom means understanding what journalists have to go through to tell a compelling news story.
Whether it's a feature that follows a specific writer or news team, or a documentary highlighting the evolution of newsgathering in the digital age, there are a lot of great films that celebrate media and journalism. Here are eight that premiered at past Sundance Film Festivals:
Page One: Inside the New York Times (2011)
Page One: Inside the New York Times (pictured above) explores the ways the internet has changed print media by looking into the lives and daily tasks of three writers at The New York Times. The journalists include up-and-comer Brian Stelter, established yet restless reporter Tim Arango, and David Carr, an outspoken warhorse with a volatile temper. The film reveals the difficulties in maintaining the ways of traditional journalism in a changing news environment as it covers 12 months of life at the Times. The documentary premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for two News and Documentary Emmy Awards.
A Thousand Cuts (2020)
With press freedom under threat in the Philippines, A Thousand Cuts goes inside the escalating war between the government and the press. The documentary follows Maria Ressa, a renowned journalist who has become a top target of President Rodrigo Duterte's crackdown on the news media.
Christine (2016)
Rebecca Hall stars in this drama that centers around an ambitious, 29-year-old reporter who is relentlessly motivated to succeed. With ratings low, the station manager issues a mandate to deliver juicier and more exploitative stories, including a story firmly at odds with her serious brand of issue-based journalism. The film, which is based on true events, premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival.
Church and The Fourth State (2020)
In this short, a reporter uncovers a case file that reveals a shocking series of child abuse allegations in Idaho's Boy Scouts, which rattles the community and implicates the Mormon Church. The case ends up revealing widespread abuse - crimes that threaten to bankrupt the Boy Scouts.
Mike Wallace is Here (2019)
Mike Wallace is Here offers an unflinching look at the legendary reporter, who interrogated the 20th century's biggest figures in his over fifty years on air, and his aggressive reporting style and showmanship that redefined what America came to expect from broadcasters. The documentary, which relies exclusively on archival footage, won the Grand Jury prize at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival.
The Dissident (2020)
2020 was a big year for press/media-themed films, like the Sundance Film Festival must-see hit, The Dissident. When Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi disappears after entering Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul, his fianc e and dissidents around the world are left to piece together the clues to a brutal murder and expose a global cover-up perpetrated by the very country he loved.
True Story (2015)
True Story, (2015 Sundance Film Festival), stars Jonah Hill who plays New York Times journalist Michael Finkel who loses his job when it's revealed that he was not entirely truthful in a cover story he wrote. Things take a turn for the worse when he becomes a victim of identity theft; a man named Christian Longo assumed his name and is now being accused of murdering his own family. Finkel meets with Longo to hear his story, as he searches for a way to rebuild his shattered reputation.
The Last Thing He Wanted (2020)
This 2020 Sundance Film Festival premiere is packed with a star-studded cast featuring Anne Hathaway, Ben Affleck, William Dafoe, and Rosie Perez. In the film, a hard-hitting reporter becomes entangled in the story she's trying to break when she helps her ailing father broker an arms deal in Central America.
Most recent headlines
04/09/2025
Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been a...
01/05/2025
Paul Reubens appears in Pee-wee as Himself, an official selection of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Michael Ochs A...
01/05/2025
After four years of lectures, study sessions, exams, and parties, college senior...
01/05/2025
72.4% of overall TV viewing in Q1 2025 is of content that includes advertising
...
01/05/2025
NEW YORK LiveNow From Fox, Fox Television Stations' national news streaming service, has released viewing data showing the first quarter was the best quarte...
01/05/2025
The global installed base of Smart TVs and Connected TV (CTV) devices will reach 4.2 billion units by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 9.6% from 2.65 billion in 2025,...
01/05/2025
Samsung TV Plus has announced that it is expanding its existing lineup of more than 50 sports channels with five new free, ad-supported streaming television (FA...
01/05/2025
MELBOURNE, Fla. Carlo DiMarco has joined USSI Global as vice president of strategic marketing and growth, with responsibility for strategic business development...
01/05/2025
WASHINGTON The NAB has filed a wide-ranging rebuttal to proposals by the pay TV industry that the FCC delete and/or significantly change rules governing retrans...
01/05/2025
WASHINGTON The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has filed a lawsuit to stop the Trump administration from firing three of its board members, claiming the pre...
01/05/2025
HONG KONG Riedel Communications today said it has opened a new office in Hong Kong, enhancing its presence in the Asia-Pacific region....
01/05/2025
MUMBAI, India & BALTIMORE In a development that could advance efforts to bring NextGen TV to cellphones, FreeStream Technologies, Lava International and HMD hav...
01/05/2025
01 05 2025 - Media release Screen Australia empowers 100 distinctive Australian narratives
All The Boys Are Here writer/director Goran Stolevski and It s All...
01/05/2025
How PFX Delivered 750 VFX Shots in Just Four Months For Anthony Hopkins Thriller...
01/05/2025
Careline's New Wave Makeup Commercial Shot With URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton May 1, 2025
0 Comments
CAD Studios relies on large format, full fram...
01/05/2025
Telling the story: Extensive technical set-up delivers comprehensive Special Oly...
01/05/2025
Just Around the Bend: Olympic Broadcasting Services Readies for the Milano-Corti...
01/05/2025
Wireless Microphone Spectrum Alliance Gets Going With Lobbying To Ensure RF Acce...
01/05/2025
Voice actor and producer Mark Yoshimoto Nemcoff shares his first impressions of the DPA 2017 Shotgun Microphone, from real-world auditions to side-by-side compa...
01/05/2025
With my previous console, Freeman recalls, I always had to run a Waves server for EQ and compression, but when I switched to DiGiCo, I found it was such an op...
01/05/2025
Stream all episodes ofLook Who's Hangry from April 29
An RT Player Original in partnership with Heinz...
01/05/2025
Here is your host, Patrick Kielty!
T naiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and T...
01/05/2025
Exclusive interviews and un-seen footage feature in new two-part series...
01/05/2025
May brings more than just rainbows and sunshine - it's also time for fresh adventures and epic battles. This GFN Thursday spotlights 20 can't-miss games...
01/05/2025
RT Investigates reveals details of Christian Brothers who were senior leaders a...
01/05/2025
RT Statement
The Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) project is one of the projects that was funded from the proceeds of RT 's land sale in 2017, the init...
01/05/2025
Watch our promo: RT Supporting the Arts | What's on
This May, RT is delighted to support Bealtaine Festival, Fastnet Film Festival, and Dublin Dance Fest...
01/05/2025
For Nicolas Simon, advancing the field of robotics is a personal mission that could change his siblings' lives.
Two-thirds of Simon's family members us...
30/04/2025
Film elements held at the Deluxe warehouse in March of 2015. Photo by Luis Silva...
30/04/2025
EA SPORTS FC 25 fans in Australia and Saudi Arabia, get ready to immerse yourselves in the beautiful game like never before. Spotify is excited to announce a n...
30/04/2025
The past year has been nothing short of a whirlwind for Tucker Wetmore. After th...
30/04/2025
Mexico's love for podcasts is no longer a trend-it's a lifestyle. With m...
30/04/2025
Slam poet Huda the Goddess wins 2025 Les Murray Award
30 April, 2025
Media releases
Australia for UNHCR and SBS are proud to announce that Huda Fadlelmawla...
30/04/2025
SBS, NITV and NIDA partner to empower the next generation of screen creatives
30 April, 2025
Media releases
SBS, National Indigenous Television (NITV) and ...
30/04/2025
By Joyce JC Cataldo
The media and entertainment industry is evolving faster than ever. Technology is shifting the way we create, distribute, and experience c...
30/04/2025
An image of Valencia, Spain, in the OneAtlas Living Library...
30/04/2025
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. WPSD-TV, the NBC affiliate in Paducah, Ky., has selected Bitcentral's Central Control playout system to upgrade the station's mast...
30/04/2025
AMSTERDAM Zero Density, a global provider of virtual studio productions and on-air graphics, has appointed Baris Zavaroglu as its new CEO. Zavaroglu succeeds Of...
30/04/2025
The Avit Group, a forward-thinking audio-visual technology company, is bringing over 50 years of combined experience in delivering audio-visual design and insta...
30/04/2025
NXTGENbps will be showcasing its latest sustainable battery power solutions at this year's Media Production & Technology Show (MPTS), appearing alongside pa...
30/04/2025
Van Dyke skates and operates on Shoresy | photo by Dave Ferguson
Toronto-based Cinematographer Brett Van Dyke (Heartland, Jann, Carter) stepped into the rink...
30/04/2025
Leading provider of media playout solutions PlayBox Neo will exhibit a vast array of significant upgrades to its range of smart media innovations at CABSAT from...
30/04/2025
ITV Studios is renowned for its award-winning productions, including the reality TV phenomenon I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! Produced by Lifted Ente...
30/04/2025
The UK's presence at this year's CABSAT brings together 20 innovative companies under the GREAT Britain and Northern Ireland banner. From advanced infra...
30/04/2025
Lightware continues to strengthen its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives by fostering diversity, inclusion, and community engagement within...
30/04/2025
LiveU is demonstrating for the first time in the UK, its revolutionary technological breakthrough in IP-video transport, LiveU IQ (LIQ ) and bringing its expand...
30/04/2025
Stand: A40
Calrec has been putting sound in the picture for more than six decades and is still pushing the boundaries of audio broadcasting with a full range o...
30/04/2025
Buckinghamshire New University (BNU) has opened its new virtual production studio, designed and integrated by CJP Broadcast. The installation equips students wi...
30/04/2025
Independent news producer in India focuses on delivering stories
nxtedition has supplied a complete newsroom system to Collective Newsroom, based in New Delhi,...
30/04/2025
Connecting the present, building the future
FOR-A, a cutting-edge video broadcast technology company backed by more than 50 years experience, will showcase it...