Slumlord Millionaire: Steph Ching, Ellen Martinez & the Battle for Housing Justice

On today’s episode of The Sounds of Film with Tom Needham, we turn our focus to Slumlord Millionaire, a gripping new documentary that recently captured the Audience Award at DOC NYC.

Directed by Steph Ching and Ellen Martinez, the film profiles the fearless tenants, community activists, and legal advocates standing up against predatory landlords and relentless gentrification in New York City. Through intimate and emotional storytelling, Slumlord Millionaire lays bare the devastating effects of a housing system where the right to live safely and with dignity is increasingly under threat.

After also winning the Documentary Award at CAAMFest, the film begins its Oscar-qualifying run at New York’s DCTV Firehouse Cinema—an especially resonant location amid the city’s skyrocketing rent crisis.

Across the U.S., rents have surged by 30% over the past five years, with the average rent in Manhattan hitting nearly $5,000 a month as of April 2024.

This economic pressure is displacing countless longtime residents—particularly immigrant families—from neighborhoods like Chinatown through aggressive and often unethical eviction practices. The film offers a powerful lens on this injustice, with poignant stories from resilient tenants and the tireless nonprofit lawyers fighting to protect them.

Opening June 6 at DCTV, Slumlord Millionaire is a searing exposé on housing inequality and a timely call to action. With its recent festival acclaim and urgent subject matter, the film stands as a vital piece of documentary cinema that captures a struggle not only playing out in New York but mirrored in cities nationwide, from San Francisco to Washington, D.C. It’s a must-watch for anyone concerned with justice, equity, and the future of America’s urban communities.

For more information about The Sounds of Film with Tom Needham, visit soundsoffilm.com