Photo Credit: Rick Egan (The Salt Lake Tribune)
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From Jamie’s Desk:
Being at Sundance this past week has been a very complicated experience. With this being the last Sundance Film Festival in Park City after more than 40 years (which I’ve attended 21 years of), it has been a very emotional experience for everyone. On one hand, I’m inspired by both new and seasoned filmmakers who are making extraordinary docs and narrative films. On the other hand, it's impossible to ignore what’s happening in our country right now, and watching movies all day can make you feel like you are not doing your part. It’s hard to go on business-as-usual while ICE is, in Minnesota and beyond, using their Gestapo-like tactics to instill fear. The recent horrific murders of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, as well as the non-stop terrorizing of people across the country—including five year-old Liam Ramos—are top of mind for many people here in Park City, which is being shown through conversations, an impromptu protest on Main Street, and ICE OUT pins seen throughout the city and on red carpets.
We are living through unprecedented times. While the U.S. is threatening to intervene in Iran if protestors are killed, that very same thing is happening in our own backyard. At this point, it seems like everyone has given their thoughts on the situation, and I’m troubled by the number of people I have heard from that are believing the blatant lies coming from the Trump administration and right-wing media. False information is taken as fact and assumptions are made about the victims. DHS and the White House are telling us not to believe our eyes and ears, and a frighteningly large chunk of Americans are blindly listening to them.
Few things that have happened in Trump's first or second terms have frightened me as much as these actions. When people can normalize the killing of American citizens by a masked, rogue police force—we are entering a new phase. No one wants to live in a country that looks more like Germany 1936 than America in 2026.
While we all feel helpless, there are countless things that you can do in your daily lives to make an impact. That’s demonstrated at Sundance by artists making powerful, thought-provoking films, by the people in Minnesota who are working 24/7 to protect their communities from ICE, and by people all across the country that are standing up for neighbors who are being terrorized.If you want to do your part but aren’t sure where to begin, below are some resources. Some are educational (as Bryan Stevenson said, learning is an action item), others are tangible actions such as advocacy training, and others could use financial help. Do what you can–collective action is how we support each other during this time.
Resources
National:
Immigrant Defense Project – Founded 30 years ago, IDP fights to end the current era of unprecedented mass criminalization, detention and deportation through a multi-pronged strategy including advocacy, litigation, legal advice and training, community defense, grassroots alliances, and strategic communications.
5Calls – Make your voice heard by calling your representatives. This website has set scripts for each issue–whether it’s voting to defund ICE, pushing for the impeachment of Kristi Noem, or other top of mind action items. This website provides you what to say and gives you the number for your Reps.
Minneapolis:
Immigrant Defense Network – This is a network of over 90 immigrant, labor, legal, faith, and community organizations dedicated to protecting and advancing the constitutional rights of immigrant communities across Minnesota. They accept donations and provide educational pamphlets such as knowing your rights, how to protect your neighbors, and more.
Stand With Minnesota – This is a database where you can find GoFundMe links and other resources to help provide mutual aid.
Los Angeles:
Immigrant Defenders Law Center — This is a nonprofit social justice law firm based in Los Angeles that provides free legal representation and support to immigrants facing deportation and other challenges within the U.S. immigration system.
It’s also more important than ever to support journalists, scholars, and authors who are reporting fact-based information. I’m sharing a few below that I follow, either on social media or Substack. This isn’t an exhaustive list—so feel free to share any additional sources you like.
Jessica Yellin – Journalist and founder, News Not Noise
Timothy Snyder – Author and authoritarian government expert
Jessica Tarlov – Journalist, co-host of The Five Fox News, co-host of Raging Moderates podcast
Anne Applebaum – Author and authoritarian government expert
Tim Miller – Journalist and founder, The Bulwark
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Discussed in this issue: Sundance films you can watch at home, Rep. Seth Moulton on Lunch with Jamie, and how Union County turned a real drug court into an incredible film.
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Due to Sundance, there was no Lunch with Jamie this week–but I want to encourage you all to sign up for next week’s recording with Rep. Seth Moulton on February 3 at 1 PT/4 ET. This will be part of our Meet the Candidates series, but will also focus on current events.
Register here to join.
A former Marine-turned-Congressman, Seth is now running for Senate to represent Massachusetts. He’s made headlines recently for his response to the killing of Alex Pretti. You can watch his powerful reaction below.
This conversation will be open to all — but remember, only members can ask questions and vote on topics.
Will Poulter, Annette Deao, and Adam Meeks at Sundance for UNION COUNTY
🎬 Union County - At its best, films can help you get a look at a story that you might never know–or look at something that is right in front of us, but from a different perspective. Union County looks at a drug court in Ohio, where director Adam Meeks lives. It’s hard to find someone who hasn’t been affected by addiction, either directly or indirectly, and the way this drug court handles it is a model for how society should always treat drug offenses. Until we acknowledge that addiction is a disease rather than a choice, we will never make a real dent. Will Poulter is fantastic in the film (as he always is), and Noah Centineo (who I knew very little about before this) delivers a very special performance. However, the real stars are the actual members of this drug court, starting with the judge and counselor Annette, who are true saints. It's genuinely made me want to figure out how we can help them do this work. Please take the time to watch this film — it’s available online through the weekend.
🎥 The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist – With so many genres and tastes out there, it’s rare for something to be unequivocally MUST SEE, but this film is. It’s hard to compare it to anything, but it is so well made and so informative. Daniel Rohrer and Charlie Tyrell perfectly mix a human story about technological anxiety with doing as much as they can to make AI understandable to the layperson. It feels as if every key person in the AI space appears in this film– from Sam Altman and Dario Amodei to Eli Yudkowsky and Aza Raskin. We all owe this team a debt of gratitude for making this film. Although you might leave with even more questions than when you arrived, you will have a much better understanding of what could come. This was in-person only, but be sure to keep an eye out for release information.
🍿 Do yourself a favor and take some time to watch some Sundance films online this weekend. Make sure to check out Union County first, and if you have some more time here are a couple of my other festival favorites: Hot Water, Extra Geography, Bedford Park, and To Hold A Mountain.
🎂 Happy birthday to Josh Resnick, Michael Kives, Daniel Lachman, and Benjy Federbush!
Anything we should have on our radar? Just reply to this email with any upcoming releases, events, or something fun.
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