The Cartel Movie - A Film by Bob Bowdon

Bob Bowdon on Lou Dobbs radio show | September 2, 2010

Director Bob Bowdon will appear on the nationally syndicated Lou Dobbs radio show Thursday, September 2 at 4:35 p.m. EDT. Find your local station here and tune in!

Free Tickets to Over-Performing Teachers | August 31, 2010

The Cartel will screen at the Burbank International Film Festival on Saturday, September 11 at 6:45pm, with a special promotion:
Free Tickets for Two to Los Angeles Teachers with Above Average Effectiveness Ratings*
The Los Angeles teacher ratings are available here and full press release here.
*as presented by the LATimes.com database; defined by the “overall effectiveness” marker appearing to the right of the word “average”

Accountability Breakthrough! | August 30, 2010

The LA Times releases teacher effectiveness data. Read the article -- and look up teachers by name -- here.

Bob Bowdon to be on Fox Business today | August 30, 2010

Director Bob Bowdon will appear on Fox Business Network's Varney & Co. this morning at 10:30 a.m. EDT. Don't miss it!.

Bob Bowdon on Martha Zoller radio show | August 30, 2010

Bob will be on the Gainesville, Georgia-based Martha Zoller radio show this morning at 11:30 a.m. EDT. Listen live here.

Bob Bowdon on Fox Business | August 25, 2010

Director Bob Bowdon appeared on Fox Business Network's Varney & Co today:

Bob Bowdon on Taking Back America | July 8, 2010

Director Bob Bowdon was recently interviewed by Aleksander Danilov of the Taking Back America podcast. Listen to the segment here.

The Cartel in Burbank | June 17, 2010

The Cartel has been selected to screen at the Burbank International Film Festival this fall! The festival is September 10-18, with the screening date TBD. More information will be available soon on the festival's website here.

The Cartel among several education reform films in 2010 | June 9, 2010

The Heritage Blog points to the influence The Cartel and other education reform films are having on teachers' unions. Read more here. This was also highlighted by Glenn Reynolds at Instapundit.

Bowdon on Fox Business Network's Varney & Co. |

Director Bob Bowdon appaeared on Varney & Co. Friday, May 28 to discuss The Cartel:

Bowdon on News 12's '12 in Our Schools' | May 25, 2010

Director Bob Bowdon was interviewed about The Cartel on News 12's '12 in Our Schools' program. This aired May 29-30.

Bowdon on the John Stossel show | May 6, 2010

Director Bob Bowdon appeared on the John Stossel show to discuss the film. Details here.

Bob Bowdon on Sirius XM | May 6, 2010

Bob Bowdon appeared on The All Out Show with Rude Jude and Lord Sear on Sirius XM. Details here.

NJ Gov. Christie Speaks Out About The Cartel | May 5, 2010

Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey enthusiastically spoke out about The Cartel and his support for charter schools during the American Federation of Children National Policy Summit on Monday night. Click here to read more about his speech.

Word is Spreading About The Cartel! | April 30, 2010

PR Newswire released information on today's 8-city premiere of The Cartel and the events being held in different cities, and news outlets everywhere are picking up the story, including FoxBusiness.com. For the list of coverage click here.

Bob Bowdon interviewed by Malden Observer | April 28, 2010

Director Bob Bowdon was interviewed by the Malden Observer about The Cartel's premiere in Boston. Click here to read the segment. This interview also appears in the Patriot Ledger.

Clip from Bob Bowdon's MSNBC Morning Joe Appearance | April 27, 2010

Bob Bowdon appeared on Morning Joe on Tuesday morning, April 27:

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Bob Bowdon on the WABC Joe Scarborough Show | April 27, 2010

Bob Bowdon was interviewed on WABC radio this week to discuss The Cartel. You can listen to the segment here. (Begins around the 24:00 minute mark.)

Bob Bowdon on Good Day Philadelphia | April 23, 2010

Bob Bowdon was interviewed on Good Day Philadelphia today. You can watch the video here.

Bob Bowdon interviewed on Bev Smith Show | April 23, 2010

Bob Bowdon was on the "Bev Smith Show" today to discuss The Cartel. This show is nationally syndicated by American Urban Radio Networks.

Bob Bowdon on WDUN News Talk 550 | April 23, 2010

Bob Bowdon was a guest on "The Al Gainey Show," which aired on WDUN News Talk 550 in the north Georgia area. More details here.

The Cartel Sold Out in NJ! | April 21, 2010

The Cartel was sold out at its Westfield, New Jersey screening Monday night. It was covered by My9 TV and in the Westfield Patch, here and here.

Bob Bowdon interviewed by AM New York | April 12, 2010

Bob Bowdon talks to Robert Levin of AM New York. You can read the interview here.

The Cartel Featured on Telegraph 21 | April 5, 2010

The Cartel is mentioned on Telegraph 21, a video magazine featuring the best documentary films from around the world. You can view the feature here.

Fun Music News! | April 5, 2010

Complete Soundtrack from The Cartel now available for digital download to your computer or MP3 player. Click Here

Bob Bowdon on KXYL 96.9 FM and 1240 AM | March 30, 2010

Bob Bowdon was a guest on "Morning Call," which is aired on KXYL 96.9 FM and 1240 AM in the Brownwood, TX area. Details here.

Bob Bowdon on WFTL 850 AM | March 30, 2010

Bob Bowdon was a guest on AM News on Friday April 2, which aired on WFTL 850 AM in the Palm Beach, FL area. More station information here.

Bob Bowdon on 'On Deadline with Sid Salter' | March 30, 2010

Bob Bowdon was a guest on "On Deadline with Sid Salter," today. Details here.

Bob Bowdon on WOWO 1190 AM | March 30, 2010

Bob Bowdon was a guest on AM News on Thursday, April 1, which aired on WOWO 1190 AM. For more details, click here.

Bob Bowdon on KVEL 920 AM and KLCY 105.4 FM | March 30, 2010

Bob Bowdon was a guest on the Lincoln Brown show on Friday, April 2, which aired on KVEL 920 AM and KLCY 105.4 FM. Coverage is in northeastern Utah.

Bob Bowdon on Gulf Coast News | March 30, 2010

Bob Bowdon was a guest on Gulf Coast News radio on Monday, April 5. He was featured on American Forum with host William Sackett. Details here.

The Cartel is a Winner! | March 29, 2010

The Washington DC Independent Film Festival awards The Cartel the 2010 Visionary Award, as well as the 2010 Audience Award for Best Documentary! For details on the awards, click here.

The Cartel Premieres in 11 Major Cities! | February 23, 2010

APRIL 16 - The Cartel opens in New York and Los Angeles.
APRIL 23 - The Cartel opens in Houston
APRIL 30 - The Cartel opens in Boston, Chicago, Denver, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Washington DC, Philadelphia, and St. Louis
For a listing of theaters, click here.

The Cartel Comes to D.C. | February 18, 2010

On Sunday March 7th, 2010, at 12:00 noon, The Cartel screened as part of the Washington, DC Independent Film Festival. Festival information is available here.

The Cartel on Education Next | November 6, 2009

Mark Bauerlein reviews The Cartel at EducationNext.org.

See the review of the film by Allison Kasic at Yeah Right culture blog.

Don't miss Bob Bowdon discuss The Cartel on ReelBlack TV.

Patti Hartigan calls The Cartel "tough and unrelenting." Scope it out here at True/Slant.

"If you're looking for a reason to criticize teachers, unions, bureaucrats, Legislators and property taxes, Bowdon will help you vent." Read the entire blog post here.

See what Steven Rea, Inquirer movie columnist and critic, has to say about The Cartel.

Bob Bowdon appeared on NJ101.5 WKXW, on the Dennis and Michele Show, to talk about The Cartel. See www.nj1015.com for more info.

Watch Bob Bowdon talk about The Cartel on Fox Good Day Philadelphia.

Friday, October 9th, 2009, The Cartel opens in New Jersey at AMC Cherry Hill 24, AMC Jersey Gardens, AMC Menlo Park 12, and the Showroom in Asbury Park. For more information, see the Screenings page.

Check out this clip about local spending in NJ schools.

Check out this clip about corruption in NJ schools.

Check out this clip about charter schools in New Jersey.

Thursday, January 14, The Cartel will screen at 6:45 pm at the Texas Public Policy Foundation in Austin, TX, as part of the 8th Annual Policy Orientation for the Texas Legislature. Director Bob Bowdon will host a Q&A after the screening.

Don't miss this review from The Daily Record.

On Sunday, September 20 and Friday, September 25, 2009 The Cartel screened at Rutgers University in New Jersey. For both screenings there was a Q&A with director Bob Bowdon afterward. More details here.

From Jersey blogger Joe Bendel:

How far does a billion dollars go in New Jersey? Evidently, not very far. The NJ Schools Construction Corporation "lost" upwards of that amount, and how did they respond? Naturally, they demanded billions more from taxpayers. Yet, the SCC is only emblematic of far greater corruption. Bob Bowdon exposes pervasive graft and outright collusion between the New Jersey educational bureaucracy and the NJEA, the state teachers' union, in his devastating documentary The Cartel (trailer here), which screens during the upcoming Jersey Shore Film Festival.
[...]
Bowdon repeatedly makes the point that the distressing trends detailed in the film apply nationwide. While that is no doubt correct, the abuses are particularly egregious in the Soprano State. One would anticipate disturbing anecdotes in a documentary about the public school system, but The Cartel surpasses all expectations. It is an important documentary and a valuable alarm bell that both parents and taxpayers need to heed. After winning the Audience Award at this year's Hoboken International Film Festival, The Cartel screens again at the JSFF on July 8th, July 14th, and July 15th.

For information about show times, screenings, and tickets, visit JerseyShoreFilmFestival.com.

This Saturday, The Cartel will screen at the Philadelphia Independent Film Festival. Director Bob Bowdon will host a Q&A afterward.

The 2009 Jersey Film Festival named The Cartel a featured film, and gave it a select slot on opening night! The film screened at 8 pm at the Axelrod Theater, and there was director Q&A afterward with Bob Bowdon.

Additional screenings at the Jersey Shore festival took place on July 14 at the same location, and on July 15 at 7 pm at the Showroom in Asbury Park.

The Cartel ran away with the Audience Award at the 2009 Hoboken International Film Festival--and followed with screenings at the Jersey Shore Film Festival and the Philadelphia Independent Film Festival.

Meanwhile, critics keep raving.

The Hudson Reporter says that filmmaker Bob Bowdon "can connect the dots."

In a review that ran in seven papers across New Jersey, Trenton bureau chief for Gannett City Newspapers, Bob Ingle, says "Reading about [the problem] is one thing. Seeing it makes you want to yell at the screen."

And Canada's Society for Quality Education says, "While this documentary looks at American education, there are still enough parallels to Canadian education that might make it worthwhile viewing. Let's hope the Toronto Film Festival and other Canadian film venues think so too. While school kids in Canada are force-fed "An Inconvenient Truth", this one looks as if it might shake things up on the education scene."

Watch for this important film coming to a theater near you.

The Cartel was named an official selection of the 2009 Jersey Shore Film Festival. It screened on the evening of July 8.

MPI is proud to announce that The Cartel, Bob Bowdon's unrelenting and eye-opening look at the failure of our K-12 schools, enjoyed a highly successful screening Saturday at the Hoboken International Film Festival.

Bob Ingle, the Trenton Bureau Chief for Gannett New Jersey newspapers, raved about the film:

The audience was spellbound at the jaw-dropping corrupti0n and waste that has resulted in New Jersey's property taxes being the worst in the nation and our kids getting the fuzzy end of the lollipop. The audience laughed as the NJEA president tried to explain why tenured teachers seldom are fired no matter how bad they are. They snickered at Corzine's education commissioner, Lucille Davy, who couldn't explain why charter school applications are turned down. They saw Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts tell reporters there are no sacred cows in Corzine's budget then saw Corzine brag about adding more education money, probably headed for some rat hole.

There were the kids crying because they lost out in the lottery to get one of the open seats at a good charter school. They laughed as the film demonstrated if car manufacturers were assigned districts like schools some people would have no choice but to buy a Yugo.

This film is like a sharp stick in the eye. It should be seen by anyone who votes or pays taxes in New Jersey or plans to. More than that, it should be seen by Davy, Corzine and the members of the Legislature who stand behind this fraud of a "thorough and efficient system" of education.

My guess is Corzine lacks the courage to sit for it. It will be shown at more film festivals, then theaters then dvd. Watch it before you vote.

The Star-Ledger writes that Bowdon's is a "style reminiscent of -- though not as in-your-face as -- filmmaker Michael Moore." The Bergen Record calls the film "a tough talking expose" that is "nonetheless lighthearted." Blogs are also abuzz about a film that has only just begun to make its way to a public that urgently needs--and wants--to hear its message.

Coming soon: The Philadelphia Independent Film Festival, where The Cartel has just been named an official selection. The festival runs from June 25-28; details will be posted here when they become available.