Steal This Story, Please!

Steal This Story, Please!
Directed by
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography
  • Cliff Charles
  • Nausheen Dadabhoy
  • Julia Dengel
  • Keith Walker
Edited byMona Davis
Music byZoë Keating
Production
company
Xceptional Communications
Release date
  • June 12, 2025 (2025-06-12) (DC/DOX)
Running time
98 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Steal This Story, Please! is a 2025 documentary film which explores the life and career of independent investigative journalist Amy Goodman and her work on the news program Democracy Now!. It was directed by Oscar-nominated, Emmy Awards-winning filmmakers Tia Lessin and Carl Deal.[2][3] Musician and political activist Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave) as well as actress and political activist Rosario Dawson are among the executive producers.[1]

For its world premiere, Steal This Story, Please! opened the DC/DOX film festival in Washington, D.C. on June 12, 2025.[1][4] The international premiere took place on November 15, 2025 at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam.[5] In both instances, the screening was followed by an in-person discussion involving Amy Goodman and filmmakers Carl Deal and Tia Lessin, about the importance of independent journalism.[1][6]

Cast

Release

Steal This Story, Please! was screened at the 52nd Telluride Film Festival on August 31, 2025 [7][8]

The film will be presented in the True Stories section of the 37th Palm Springs International Film Festival on January 3, 2026.[9]

Reception

Accolades

Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Cinema for Peace Awards 16 February 2026 Cinema for Peace Dove for The Most Valuable Documentary of the Year Steal This Story, Please! Pending [10][11]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Steal This Story, Please!". DC/DOX Film Festival 2025.
  2. ^ Wissot, Lauren (November 13, 2025). ""The Film Is a Portrait of Amy Goodman, But It's Also a Celebration of Resistance": Carl Deal and Tia Lessin on their DOC NYC and IDFA-debuting Steal This Story, Please!". Filmmaker Magazine.
  3. ^ Haynie, Olivia (November 12, 2025). "Amy Goodman has been a fearless journalist for more than four decades; she says her Jewish roots made her that way".
  4. ^ "Film About Democracy Now! Journalist Amy Goodman To Open Third Annual DC/DOX Festival (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.com. April 30, 2025.
  5. ^ "Steal This Story, Please!". IDFA. November 16, 2025.
  6. ^ "Amy Goodman at IDFA Screening of "Steal This Story, Please!"". DemocracyNow.org.
  7. ^ "52nd Telluride Film Festival Announces Lineup". Telluride Film Festival. June 12, 2025. Retrieved December 5, 2025.
  8. ^ Davis, Clayton (August 28, 2025). "Telluride Festival Lineup: 'Hamnet,' 'Springsteen' and 'Ballad of Small Player' Set for Premieres With Tributes for Ethan Hawke and Noah Baumbach". Variety. Retrieved December 5, 2025.
  9. ^ "Steal This Story, Please!". Palm Springs International Film Festival. December 3, 2025. Retrieved December 5, 2025.
  10. ^ Bizilj, Jaka (January 4, 2026). "Cinema for Peace Unveils Nominees for 2026 & supports the people of Venezuela". Cinema for Peace Foundation. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  11. ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (January 8, 2026). "Cinema For Peace Gives Shoutout To Venezuelan Opposition Leaders As It Unveils 2026 Nominees Including Pope Leo, Jafar Panahi & Scarlett Johansson". Deadline. Retrieved January 15, 2026.