- An independent production company, DKDmedia was founded by the award-winning husband & wife team, Karen Thorsen and Douglas K. Dempsey. Storytelling is their strength; history and social justice are their passions; documentary film and museum media are their most frequent formats. Whether working together or independently, their work wins awards and is seen by millions.
- James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket. A feature-length documentary about writer / civil rights activist James Baldwin. Winner, multiple awards. Honored at festivals in over two-dozen countries, including Sundance, London, Berlin and Tokyo. Credits: Producer / Director / Writer. A Co-Production with PBS / American Masters: feature-length version co-produced with Maysles Films; 50-minute French language version co-produced with French National Television. Currently in progress: 16mm film restoration and digital HD conversion of the original feature-length version; production of a 50-minute English language educational version.
- Thomas Paine: Voice of Revolution. A feature-length documentary & multimedia museum exhibit about the 18th-century author of Common Sense. Credits: Producer / Director / Writer / Editor. Designated as a “We The People” project by the National Endowment for the Humanities. One of only three films in the nation to be awarded an NEH Scripting Grant in 2011. Work-in-Progress.
- PeaceJam: Change Starts Here. A transmedia project using web-based shorts, longer-form docs and a PeaceJam curriculum to inspire teenage activism. With the help of twelve Nobel Laureates, over 600,000 teens have already completed a million+ service projects all over the world. Credits: Producer / Director / Writer / Editor. A Co-Production with the PeaceJam Foundation. Work-in-Progress.
- Joe Papp in Five Acts. A feature-length documentary about the street kid-turned-impresario who insisted that art is for everyone, both on-stage and in the audience. From free Shakespeare in the Park to HAIR, A Chorus Line and The Normal Heart, Papp consistently bucked tradition … and brought more theater to more people than any other producer in history. Credits: Co-Producer / Director / Writer (in collaboration with Tracie Holder). A Co-Production with PBS / American Masters and ITVS. Tribeca Film Festival world premiere, 2012; PBS broadcast premiere, 2014.
- Buried Prayers. A feature-length documentary about the buried treasure of Maidanek, a Nazi death camp in Poland. A story of defiance and redemption. Winner, Best Documentary Feature, Cinequest Film Festival. Credits: Writer / Editor, in collaboration with Historical Media Associates.
- One Small Candle. A documentary film history of the Pilgrims and their native neighbors. Credits: Producer / Director / Writer / Editor. Permanent Installation for the oldest operating museum in America: Pilgrim Hall Museum, Plymouth, MA.
- The Legacy of George Washington. Two multi-media theaters, an animation film and assorted AV programs. Winner, Thea Award. Credits: Media Content Co-Creator / Co-Producer. Permanent Installation for the Donald W. Reynolds Education Center at George Washington’s Estate in Mt. Vernon, Virginia. In Collaboration w/CCA, Boston & DEMP Inc, Brooklyn
- Television War. A twenty-year history of American involvement in Vietnam (1954-1975). An archival mix of news clips, commercials, combat footage and photos, presented on a fifteen-screen installation of period TV sets and sofas. Credits: Content Developer / Writer / Editor. Permanent Installation for the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History. In Collaboration w/CCA, Boston & DEMP Inc, Brooklyn
- Shackleton’s Antarctic Adventure. An IMAX documentary about polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton's 1914-1916 Trans-Antarctic Expedition. A larger-than-life testament to heroism and human endurance. Winner, Best Film Award, Big Screen Association. Credits: Writer / Editorial Consultant.
In Collaboration w/PBS Nova & WGBH, Boston & DEMP Inc, Brooklyn - Rats, Bats & Bugs! A three-part history, science & culture series with contemporary experts, archival images, vérité footage and impressionistic recreations. Winner, Parents Choice Award. Credits: Producer / Director / Writer & Series Content Developer. Produced for The History Channel.
Original Film Production Company
- DKDmedia -
Karen Thorsen & Douglas K. Dempsey
Selected Projects:
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