CSU filmmakers’ new documentary looks to uncover the ‘Big Lie’ about mail-in voting

Contact for reporters:

Stacy Nick
Stacy.Nick@colostate.edu

Note to journalists: Interviews with the film’s creators, Colorado State University Journalism and Media Communication instructors Steve Weiss and Jesse Grace, are available. More information can be found at https://col.state/TNRMz. All assets — including photos and podcast audio/transcripts — are available for media use.

The film “Democracy Vs. The Big Lie: The Truth Behind Mail-in Voting” looks at the controversy over mail-in voting during the 2020 U.S. election, including the January six insurrection when more than 2000 rioters breached the nation’s capital after months of false accusations — including from then-President Donald Trump — that the election had been stolen.

Co-written, directed and produced by Colorado State University Journalism and Media Communication instructors Steve Weiss and Jesse Grace — and narrated by actor Alec Baldwin — the film features interviews with election officials and politicians from both sides of the aisle, along with the CSU researchers Mike Humphrey and David Wolfgang.

Focusing on the key states of Texas, Colorado and Arizona, the documentary looks at each one’s election process, taking a behind-the-scenes look at how mail-in ballots are processed and what systems each state has in place.

Since its release, “Democracy Vs. The Big Lie” has been making the rounds in the festival circuit, including a recent screening at the Awareness Film Festival, and received awards for best feature film at both the Political Film Festival and the Political Feedback Film Festival. Next up, CSU’s own Strayer Center for Public Service Leadership is hosting a special screening, along with a panel discussion with the filmmakers on Nov. 3.

In the latest episode of CSU’s new podcast, Audit, host Stacy Nick recently spoke with Weiss and Grace about the project to find out more about the process behind making the film and what it was like to find themselves with a story ending that no one could have seen coming.

The podcast, along with a full transcript of the interview, can be found here.