A 79-year-old former Colorado film commissioner has filed a lawsuit against state officials alleging age discrimination and defamation following his termination in September 2025. Donald Zuckerman, who served as film commissioner from May 2011 until his dismissal, claims he was wrongfully fired after refusing to take responsibility for a significant accounting error involving nearly three-quarters of a million dollars.
The lawsuit, filed in Denver County District Court on Wednesday evening, names the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, former supervisor Eve Lieberman, and his replacement Arielle Brachfield as defendants. Zuckerman alleges that his termination came despite his instrumental role in securing the relocation of the prestigious Sundance Film Festival from Park City, Utah to Boulder, Colorado, with the event scheduled to debut in its new location in January 2027.
According to the 16-page complaint, Zuckerman faced persistent pressure to retire from Lieberman throughout their working relationship. He states that he repeatedly informed his supervisor of his intention to remain in his position until Colorado successfully hosted the Sundance Film Festival for the first time. The complaint describes how Lieberman placed him on a performance improvement plan, which Zuckerman claims he completed within two weeks.
The central issue arose in April 2023 when the film office unexpectedly received a $747,816 credit. Zuckerman maintains that he immediately reported the irregularity and subsequently learned from a state budget analyst that the funds had been transferred due to what was described as a “legislative whoopsie.” Despite his prompt disclosure and follow-up efforts to ensure accurate correction of the accounting error, Zuckerman alleges that the director of operations for the Office of Economic Development and International Trade wrongly reported him to the Governor’s Office Controller.
The situation escalated when Zuckerman says he disclosed all of his non-conflicting projects to the controller. According to the complaint, Lieberman then accused him of lying and questioned who was paying him, suggesting improper external compensation. When Zuckerman refused to resign voluntarily, the office terminated his employment and replaced him with a younger employee.
Following his dismissal, Zuckerman claims that Lieberman sent an email to all his professional contacts stating that he was no longer employed at the agency. The complaint argues that this communication publicly indicated his termination and implied it was for cause, noting that other similarly situated members of the leadership team did not have their departures publicized in this manner.
Beyond the age discrimination claims against the government agency, Zuckerman alleges that Lieberman engaged in defamation by suggesting to others that he had committed acts “so heinous that she could not repeat them.” The complaint specifically references the context of the MeToo movement, claiming that Lieberman’s statements created an impression among several community partners that Zuckerman had been involved in some form of sexual controversy.
The lawsuit seeks damages for the alleged discrimination and defamation, as well as the impact on Zuckerman’s professional reputation and ability to secure new employment. His attorney, Maxim Belovol of the Denver firm Volya Law, is representing him in the matter.
A spokesperson for the attorney general’s office declined to provide comment on the pending litigation when contacted about the case.
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