Groundbreaking Documentary to Make Its U.S. Debut in Los Angeles April 3, Followed by New York Screening at IFC Center April 15–16
New York Premiere to Feature Post-Screening Q&As with Three-Time Emmy Award-Winning Director Peter Klein, Moderated by MSNBC’s Ali Velshi and Investigative Reporter Simon Ostrovsky
LOS ANGELES, March 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bribe, Inc., the jaw-dropping true story of global corruption, secret codes, whistleblowers and million-dollar bribes, will make its highly anticipated U.S. premiere on Thursday, April 3 at the legendary TCL Chinese 6 Theatres in Hollywood as part of the 25th Annual Beverly Hills Film Festival. The film will also have its New York debut on April 15–16 at the IFC Center in Manhattan.
Described by The Guardian as “filled with the kind of cloak-and-dagger developments one associates with potboilers and airport novels,” the film plunges viewers deep into the hidden world of global business, where bribery has become a trillion-dollar industry propping up authoritarian regimes, enabling human rights abuses and undermining democracy itself.
Writer, investigative journalist and the film’s producer Calyn Shaw will attend the screening at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres. Shaw’s journalism has spanned the globe, from exposing targeted killings in Brazil (The New York Times) to uncovering supply chain breakdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic (PBS Frontline).
“Bribe, Inc. is more than a film—it’s a reckoning,” said Shaw. “This isn’t just about a single scandal. It’s about a global system built on secrets, where power and profit are protected at any cost. The question is: what are we going to do about it?
In New York, Bribe, Inc. will screen at the IFC Center on April 15 and 16, followed by post-screening Q&As featuring director Peter Klein and director of photography Claire Ward. The discussions will be moderated by Emmy and DuPont-winning reporter Simon Ostrovsky and Ali Velshi, longtime business journalist and MSNBC host. Klein, a three-time Emmy Award-winning producer and director, brings three decades of hard-hitting documentary experience to the film, having created dozens of investigative programs that shine a light on global injustice.
“This film takes viewers inside a world most people never see—and many in power would prefer stay hidden,” said Klein. “As journalists and filmmakers, we have a duty to shine a light on corruption, not just for shock value, but to ignite change. Bribe, Inc. is our call to action to understand the true cost of corruption.”
As global enforcement of anti-bribery laws weakens and trust in institutions collapses, Bribe, Inc. emerges as a cinematic gut-punch—an urgent demand for accountability in a world where corruption is routine.
The film doesn’t shy away from political complicity. It explores Donald Trump’s controversial views on bribery as a tool of global commerce and examines the politicians who have excused corruption as a cost of doing business. On February 10, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order suspending enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA)—a law enacted in 1977 to prevent U.S. companies from bribing foreign officials. The administration claimed the law’s “overexpansion and unpredictable enforcement” hurt U.S. competitiveness. Critics argue the move may undercut global anti-corruption efforts and signal retreat from ethical business standards.
Variety praised the film’s revelations as “explosive,” especially for exposing a covert effort by the U.S. Department of Justice to seize jurisdiction and protect blue-chip corporations from scrutiny. From war-torn Iraq to backroom deals in Monaco, Bribe, Inc. forces audiences to follow the money—and confront the consequences. Bribe, Inc. is a real-life political thriller that dares viewers to ask: what kind of world are we really living in—and who’s getting rich off the silence?
About Bribe, Inc.
Bribe, Inc. is a real-life political thriller that exposes one of the largest corporate bribery scandals in modern history. Told through the lens of whistleblowers, investigators and journalists, the film uncovers a trillion-dollar corruption network stretching from oil fields in Iraq to boardrooms in Monaco—and all the way to the halls of power in Washington. Directed by Emmy Award-winner Peter Klein and co-produced by investigative journalist Calyn Shaw, Bribe, Inc. reveals how corporations, politicians and regulators conspire to protect a global system built on secrecy and profit. Described by The Guardian as “cloak-and-dagger,” and praised by Variety for its “explosive” revelations, the film challenges audiences to follow the money—and confront the cost of complicity. For more information, visit https://bribeinc.com/.
Media Contact:
Ellen Mellody
570-209-2947
EMellody@kcsa.com
