TDCI’S Securities Division Joins TN Tech to Bring Award-Winning Financial Documentary This Is Not Financial Advice to Middle Tennessee

NASHVILLE - The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance (TDCI) Division of Securities is partnering with Optimist, the award-winning LA-based studio behind documentaries featured on Netflix, HBO, and PBS, along with FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority) to bring This Is Not Financial Advice to Tennessee Technological University’s (TN Tech) campus in Cookeville on Tuesday, September 8.

Winner of the Anthem Award for Education & Awareness, the film dives into the rise of financial influencers, the culture of FOMO, and the emotional forces that shape investing decisions. This event is designed to spark real-world conversations about personal finance, the line between investing and gambling, and the importance of financial wellness in today’s economy.

The evening’s event will be hosted in partnership with TN Tech’s International Economics Honor Society Omicron Delta Epsilon (ODE), of which Dowell serves as advisor, and the Society for Advancement of Finance and Economics (SAFE) Club. The screening starts at 4:30 p.m. and will be held in the second-floor auditorium in Foundation Hall.  Partnering with TN Tech’s Economics Lecturer Dr. Chelsea Dowell, the TDCI’s Securities Division and FINRA will present a virtual Q&A panel with the filmmakers immediately following the screening.

“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to showcase this film with the TN Tech community because it highlights the forces shaping today’s rapidly evolving investment environment,” said TDCI’s Director of Investor Education Rachel Carden. “This is why it’s more important than ever for investors to ground their decisions in solid education. This film invites viewers to really slow down and reflect on the broader implications these trends have on the future of investing.”

This is Not Financial Advice world-premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and has since made the rounds at several prestigious film festivals around the country. The Guardian called it a “gripping financial horror film,” and Next Gen Personal Finance described it as a “must see”, “a captivating look at the intersection of money, social media, and human psychology that will be seen by future generations as a period piece for this extraordinary era.”

Bringing a film with this level of national acclaim to Tennessee offers local audiences a chance to engage in conversations shaping the broader financial culture. This perspective is especially valuable for young Tennesseans who are navigating an increasingly complex and digital financial landscape – one that is currently experiencing a rise in “gambling culture,” whether it’s cryptocurrency, sports betting, or online prediction markets.

“As someone who teaches students to analyze the forces that shape our financial choices, I’m excited for them to engage with this documentary,” said TN Tech’s Economics Lecturer Dr. Dowell. “It offers a timely look at how trends like crypto and financial influencers can distort perceptions of risk and reward, and it encourages students to think more critically about the information they encounter online and how it influences real‑world financial decisions.”

The Securities Division’s partnership with TN Tech and FINRA reflects a shared commitment to helping Tennesseans build financial resilience in an increasingly digital marketplace. As more individuals turn to social media for financial information, events like this screening create space for meaningful dialogue about how to separate credible guidance from fast-moving trends.

“As financial information becomes more accessible—and more overwhelming—our responsibility is to help Tennesseans navigate it with clarity and confidence,” said Securities Division Assistant Commissioner Elizabeth Bowling. “By supporting events like this screening, we’re strengthening our commitment to investor protection and encouraging Tennesseans to rely on sound education, not digital noise, when making financial choices.”

For more information and to view a trailer of the film, visit tinfafilm.com.

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About the Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance:  Protecting Tennesseans, empowering professionals. Our divisions include the State Fire Marshal’s Office, Insurance, Securities, Regulatory Boards, the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy, the Tennessee Emergency Communications Board, and TennCare Oversight. For more information, visit tn.gov/commerce.

About TN Tech: Tennessee Tech produces practical, ready-to-work graduates from a broad range of academic disciplines prepared to compete in a technologically driven world. Here, students have the freedom to discover and pursue their passions, knowing there is a supportive community behind them. Developing their passions into hundreds of student clubs and organizations, Tech students make an impact on campus, in the community and around the world.

About FINRA: FINRA is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to investor protection and market integrity. FINRA regulates one critical part of the securities industry—member brokerage firms doing business in the U.S. FINRA, overseen by the SEC, writes rules, examines for and enforces compliance with FINRA rules and federal securities laws, registers broker-dealer personnel and offers them education and training, and informs the investing public. In addition, FINRA provides surveillance and other regulatory services for equities and options markets, as well as trade reporting and other industry utilities. FINRA also administers a dispute resolution forum for investors and brokerage firms and their registered employees. For more information, visit finra.org.

About Optimist: Optimist is an Emmy-winning production studio using film to change minds, lives, and policies. From This Is Not Financial Advice to Living on One Dollar, Salam Neighbor, The Undocumented Lawyer, and Champions of the Golden Valley, our documentaries have premiered on Netflix, HBO, Amazon, PBS, National Geographic, and The Atlantic, reaching millions of viewers worldwide. Paired with education and impact campaigns in partnership with vetted nonprofits, our films have helped raise more than $100 million for causes spanning refugees, poverty, immigration, food access, financial literacy, and justice reform.

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