NY Theatrical Premiere: Documentary: Slumlord Millionaire

DOC NYC 2024 Audience Award Winner

Special Q&As after some screenings

Rent in Manhattan, NYC has reached $5000, surpassing the median rent nationwide. Experts predict it will only climb. As rents increase, some landlords have become more aggressive in pushing long-term tenants to leave their homes. Landlords ignore repairs, turn off heat and gas, and refuse to eliminate vermin. Their goal? To make apartments so uninhabitable, residents are forced out. The landlord can then deregulate the apartment, charging market rate, raking in higher profits. These actions drive up costs in the already unaffordable market and displace families who make up the fabric of the neighborhood, changing communities forever. Slumlord Millionaire follows the stories of the Bravo family who have been in a legal battle with their landlord for 15 years; Janina Davis, a former supermodel trying to reclaim her home after a deed theft scam; Ren Ping Chen, a resident of Chinatown who fears his historic community may disappear after the construction of four luxury towers; and Moumita Ahmed whose city council campaign was viciously targeted by real estate developer billionarires. Each story is a David vs. Goliath-type battle that exposes the human toll of gentrification.

Directed by Steph Ching & Ellen Martinez 2024 86 min
Produced by Ellen Martinez, Steph Ching and Nicole Tsien U.S. English, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese