Brave New Films Action Fund is the advocacy partner of Brave New Films, a left-of-center film production company. Both are headed by founder and president Robert Greenwald and share the same web and mailing address. The Action Fund works to translate Brave New Films’ left-of-center agenda into public policy. ¹

Finances

In fiscal year 2018, Brave New Films Action Fund reported $65,512 in revenue, of which $63,945 was derived from contributions and grants. It also reported $103,004 in expenses, of which $42,466 was allocated towards employee salary and benefits. The Action Fund ended the year with a $37,492 loss and $44,457 in net assets. ²

Priority Issues

Although the Brave New Films Action Fund does maintain its own web presence, it works to advance the left-of-center “social justice” mission of Brave New Films. This mission includes promoting left-of-center criminal justice policy, increased gun control, and left-of-center electoral policy based on claims of voter suppression against ethnic minorities promoted by Brave New Films’ productions. ³

Robert Greenwald, the founder and oftentimes director of Brave New Films’ documentaries, has testified in front of Congress as a result of his work with the Brave New Films Action Fund. This includes an appearance before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations Defense Sub-Committee to discuss his documentary on war profiteering in Iraq and an appearance before Congress in a briefing on the use of American unmanned combat drones. Greenwald’s film Unmanned: America’s Drone Wars was shown at the briefing as well. ^{4 5}

Staff and Leadership

Robert Greenwald is the founder and president of Brave New Films and the Brave New Films Action Fund. Prior to forming the organizations, Greenwald was involved in the production and direction of numerous television shows and movies and has been nominated for and received numerous awards, including 25 Emmy Award nominations and two Golden Globe nominations. He has directed many of Brave New Films’ productions. ⁶

Greenwald has also written numerous articles for HuffPost, taking a left-of-center stance on issues such as immigration, criminal justice policy, and gun control. ⁷ In the wake of the politically motivated attack on Republican officials by a left-wing gunman in 2017, Greenwald likened the Republican legislators who survived the attack to hostages to the gun industry who had Stockholm Syndrome. ⁸

Greenwald has contributed to exclusively left-of-center candidates and PACs, including $5,000 to the left-of-center Future Now Fund that works on state legislative races. ⁹

1. Brave New Films. “About.” Accessed May 17, 2021. https://www.bravenewfilms.org/about.
2. Brave New Films Action Fund, IRS (Form 990), 2018, Part I
3. Brave New Films. “About.” Accessed May 17, 2021. https://www.bravenewfilms.org/about.
4. Daily Kos. “Robert Greenwald and Jeremy Scahill Testifying to Congress Now.” Accessed May 17, 2021. https://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/5/10/333204/-.
5. McCauley, Lauren. “Congressional No-Show at ‘Heart-Breaking’ Drone Survivor Hearing.” Common Dreams, October 29, 2013. https://www.commondreams.org/news/2013/10/29/congressional-no-show-heart-breaking-drone-survivor-hearing.
6. Brave New Films. “Robert Greenwald.” Accessed May 17, 2021. https://www.bravenewfilms.org/robert_greenwald.
7. “Robert Greenwald | HuffPost.” Accessed May 17, 2021. https://www.huffpost.com/author/robert-greenwald.
8. Greenwald, Robert. “Congressional NRA ‘Hostages’ Exhibit Full-Fledged Stockholm Syndrome.” HuffPost, 22:50 400AD. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/congressional-nra-hostages-exhibit-full-fledged-stockholm_b_594323dbe4b024b7e0df4aa7.
9. FEC.gov. “Browse Individual Contributions: Robert Greenwald.” Accessed May 17, 2021. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=Robert+Greenwald&contributor_employer=Brave+New+Films&min_date=01%2F01%2F2000&max_date=05%2F17%2F2021.