ky dickens
DIRECTOR
Award winning filmmaker Ky Dickens is best known for her acclaimed documentaries that shift public policy and culture. She’s been hailed a storyteller at the intersection of film and complex social issues - demonstrated by receiving the Focus Award for Achievement in Directing and the Change Maker Award for influencing social change through art and film.
Her 2019 film, The City That Sold America is about Chicago’s crucial, yet often-overlooked, place in American consumer culture. The film is a sequel to Emmy-award winning Art & Copy. Her 2018 film Zero Weeks, about America’s paid leave crisis, premiered the trailer at the White House Summit on the United State of Women, hosted by Oprah and Michelle Obama. Zero Weeks is being used by state legislatures, businesses and hospitals nationwide to move the needle towards a national paid leave policy. Ky’s 2016 documentary hit Sole Survivor, profiled four survivors of otherwise fatal plane crashes. Her first feature documentary, Fish Out of Water, was recognized for its instrumental role in changing the national faith perspective on LGBTQ human rights. All four of Ky’s feature documentaries can be viewed on Amazon Prime. Collectively, they have won more than 20 awards for best picture and audience choice.
She is currently directing, Critical Condition a film about America’s healthcare crisis, especially in states that did not expand Medicaid. Her latest short film, #TimeToCarefeatures an in-depth look at some of the heartwarming caregiving stories that appeared on TikTok during the pandemic – and what they mean about American culture. She is developing the new documentary, Battle Cry, about a clandestine group of veterans saving lives of armed service men and women who are dealing with extreme mental health challenges. She’s also working on her first narrative film, In the Jungle written by Chelsea Kania.
In addition to her feature film work, Ky directs commercials for some of the biggest brands in America. Her clients include Netflix, Google, Facebook, Tylenol, McDonald’s, Purina, Hershey’s and Kellogg’s. Ky is featured on the “Free the Work” list of the female directors in America. She’s an active member of Film Fatales Los Angeles. She graduated with Magna Cum Laude honors from Vanderbilt University. She lives in beautiful Burbank, CA with her family, kombucha scoby and Devon Rex cats.