The subject matter: abuse of power, freedom of the press, & the importance of local journalism
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Please consider donating to our campaign for Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. 100% of your donation (minus credit card processing fees) will go to RCFP.
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Film:
Seized
Seized is a gripping, stranger-than-fiction investigative thriller that plunges audiences inside the troubling police raid on the Marion County Record. What begins as a shocking small-town incident quickly spirals into a national story, exposing how corruption, politics, and decades-long tensions turned a quaint Kansas community into a battleground over the First and Fourth Amendments. The film unfolds in real time through police body-cam and surveillance footage, revealing the raid’s chaos, the bombshells that followed, and the devastating personal toll on the newsroom, including the tragic death of its 98-year-old co-owner.
The film will premiere on Sunday, January 25th, 2026 at The Ray Theatre in Park City and will also be available through Sundance Film Festival’s online program from January 29th - February 1st, 2026.
Nonprofit:
Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP) is the leading pro bono legal services organization for journalists and newsrooms in the U.S. The Reporters Committee provides legal representation, amicus curiae support, and other legal resources at no cost to protect First Amendment freedoms and the newsgathering rights of journalists across the country.
From broadcast journalists to documentary filmmakers to independent freelancers, journalists of all kinds can contact the Reporters Committee for assistance — no matter what legal obstacles they face.
Audience:
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Ways for The Audience to Respond
Seized received a $30,000 grant to support their outreach and impact efforts. Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press received a $30,000 grant to support their work of protecting the newsgathering rights of journalists across the country.
The Filmmakers
Sharon Liese, Director
Sasha Alpert, Producer
Paul Matyasovsky, Producer
Bruce D. Brown, President
Stephen J. Adler, Board Chair
Michael Zwirn, VP of Development
The Nonprofit Leaders