Kimberly Reed

For other people named Kimberly Reed, see Kimberly Reed (disambiguation).
Kimberly Reed
Reed in 2018
Born
Montana, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Occupations
  • Film director
  • film producer
Notable work
Websitekimberlyreed.com

Kimberly Reed is an American film director and producer who is best known for her documentaries Prodigal Sons[1] and Dark Money which premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival.[2][3] In 2007, Filmmaker magazine named her one of the "25 New Faces of Independent Film."[4]

Early life and education

Kimberly Reed was born in Montana to Lorne and Carol McKerrow.[5] Her father was an ophthalmologist.[1] She had an older brother Marc, who was adopted, and a younger brother, Todd.[1][6][7][5] She played quarterback on the Helena High School football team.[1][6]

Reed recalls feeling "just this friction" about her assigned gender and having an epiphany when, at the age of six or seven, she saw Renee Richards on television, and thought "whoa, that’s it".[1][5]

Reed earned a Bachelor of Arts from University of California at Berkeley[5] where she graduated magna cum laude.[citation needed] Reed earned a Master of Arts in film production from San Francisco State University. While in her twenties, she transitioned.[5]

Career

Film

Dark Money

Dark Money premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2018.[8] Variety describes the film as a "potent investigative piece."[9] In early 2018 the film traveled to several festivals and the rights to the film were purchased by PBS as part of the POV series of documentaries.[10]

Prodigal Sons

Prodigal Sons is an autobiographical account of Reed's return home to Montana for her 20th high school reunion as a trans woman. The project initially focused on her brother Marc's story and evolved into an exploration of family, sibling rivalry, coming out, and reconciling with the past.[1] It debuted at the Telluride Film Festival in 2008. The Los Angeles Times called it a "succinct, eloquent personal journal".[11] After the release Reed was invited to return to Helena to deliver the 2015 commencement address.[12]

Seat 31: Zooey Zephyr

Seat 31: Zooey Zephyr documents Zooey Zephyr’s work in the Montana legislature and includes her proposal to her wife Erin Reed. [13] [14] Seat 31: Zooey Zephyr was nominated for a 2025 Academy Award in the ‘Documentary Short’ category. [15] [16]

  • Big Sky Documentary Film Festival 2024 - Winner of Mini Doc Competition
  • Palm Springs International ShortFest 2024 - Best Documentary Short
  • Frameline 2024 - Jury Award, Outstanding Documentary Short
  • CinemaQ 2024 - Audience Award and Best Short Film

Opera

Together with Mark Campbell, Reed wrote the libretto for As One, a chamber opera/song cycle composed by Laura Kaminsky. As One is a coming-of-age story about a transgender woman. As One premiered in September 2014 in partnership with American Opera Projects at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.[17]

Filmography

Film

Year Film Role
2008 Prodigal Sons Director, Editor, Producer
2018 Dark Money Director, Writer, Cinematographer, Producer
2024 Seat 31: Zooey Zephyr Director, Writer, Cinematographer, Producer

Television

Year Television Role
2020 Equal Director (S1, Ep2: Transgender Pioneers)

Recognition

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Smith, Damon. "Kimberly Reed, Prodigal Sons | Filmmaker Magazine". Filmmaker Magazine. Retrieved 2018-03-25.
  2. ^ "Sundance '18: Kimberly Reed shines light on "Dark Money"". Retrieved 2018-03-25.
  3. ^ "'Dark Money': Film Review | Sundance 2018". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2018-03-25.
  4. ^ "25 New Faces - Filmmaker Magazine - Summer 2007". www.filmmakermagazine.com. Retrieved 2018-03-25.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Transgender Transition". Oprah.com. Retrieved 2018-04-08.
  6. ^ a b The Moth (2011-11-10), The Moth Presents Kimberly Reed: Life Flight, retrieved 2018-04-08
  7. ^ a b "Best Of 2009, Guest Editors: Rick Moody On "Prodigal Sons" - Magnet Magazine". Magnet Magazine. 2010-01-03. Retrieved 2018-04-09.
  8. ^ "Sundance '18: Kimberly Reed shines light on "Dark Money"". Retrieved 2018-04-08.
  9. ^ Harvey, Dennis (2018-04-04). "Film Review: 'Dark Money'". Variety. Retrieved 2018-04-04.
  10. ^ Ramos, Dino-Ray (2018-03-01). "PBS Acquires Rights To Sundance Docu 'Dark Money'". Deadline. Retrieved 2018-04-04.
  11. ^ "Review: '45365'". Los Angeles Times. 2010-03-19. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2018-04-08.
  12. ^ ProdigalSonsFilm (2015-06-19), Kimberly Reed's amazing commencement speech video - transgender filmmaker, retrieved 2018-04-08
  13. ^ "Seat 31: Zooey Zephyr".
  14. ^ Kim, E. Tammy (2024-10-02). "Zooey Zephyr's Defense Of Trans Lives In A Deep-Red State". The New Yorker.
  15. ^ Heilbron, Alexandra (2024-12-18). "Academy announces films for Oscar nominees shortlist". Showtimes.
  16. ^ Bright, Charles (2024-12-23). "2025 Oscars Best Documentary Short cheat sheet". GoldDerby.
  17. ^ Allen, David (September 5, 2014). "The Arc of a Transgender Life". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 4, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  18. ^ "Kimberly Reed". New Day Films. Retrieved 2018-04-08.
  19. ^ "2011 - The 2017 Cinema Eye Honors for Nonfiction Filmmaking". The 2017 Cinema Eye Honors for Nonfiction Filmmaking. 2016-10-12. Retrieved 2018-04-08.
  20. ^ "Movies: Best LGBT Characters of the Film Year - Towleroad". Towleroad. 2010-12-23. Retrieved 2018-04-08.
  21. ^ "New York Foundation for the Arts". www.nyfa.org. Retrieved 2018-04-08.
  22. ^ "25 New Faces - Filmmaker Magazine - Summer 2007". www.filmmakermagazine.com. Retrieved 2018-04-08.
  23. ^ Indiewire (2008-12-31). "indieWIRE & Industry Top 10s for 2008". IndieWire. Retrieved 2018-04-08.

Further reading

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kimberly Reed.