Bidder 70 Film Now Available for Your Congregation!

Tim DeChristopher acted with courage.

Tim DeChristopher, known as ‘bidder 70,’ has inspired us all with acting upon the courage of his convictions by derailing a widely protested federal oil and gas land sale, bidding millions of dollars to save thousands of pristine acres surrounding U.S. National Parks—with no intention of paying. He has served 1 1/2 years in prison and served restricted parole, including being denied taking a job as Social Justice Director at First Unitarian Church of Salt Lake City.

DeChristopher’s act was the result of an epiphany: He’d realized, literally in the blink of an eye, that Utah’s Bureau of Land Management would destroy areas around the Arches and Canyonlands National Parks by selling the rights. He understood that the BLM action was just another link in the chain of events that would carry global climate change to its devastating conclusion. To present Tim’s story, Gage and Gage Productions have compiled Bidder 70, a 72-minute documentary. The film has been featured and received accolades at multiple film festivals, and UUMFE is making it available for congregational film events.

Licensing Arrangement with UUMFE

Through the UUMFE licensing arrangement with the filmmakers, Gage and Gage Productions, UU congregations may contract with UUMFE to show the film at a reduced licensing fee.

• UUMFE will make a copy of the film available for $75 for congregations under 150 members and $100 for those over 150 members.
• If you are interested in screening “Bidder 70” in your congregation, please contact UUMFE Office Manager Sabrina Louise Harle, sabrinauumfe@gmail.com or 503-595-9392. She can answer any questions and will e-mail you a copy of the contract and a press kit giving more information about the film.
• Congregations are reminded that any public (non-individual) showing of the film requires a license.

Film Festival Prize Awarded

“In an excellent field of non-fiction (documentary) and feature length fiction films, Bidder 70 distinguished itself as a beautifully told story of a hero’s journey filled with passion and sacrifice that tugs at the head and heart to the final scene.”  – Jury, Traverse City Film Festival, 2012 Best American Film

Additional information about the film can be viewed at http://www.bidder70film.com. Tim plans to become a Unitarian Universalist minister and began his studies at Harvard University in the fall of 2013.