WEBSITE mattshepardisafriendofmine.com

TRAILER mattshepardisafriendofmine.com/trailer

FACEBOOK

facebook.com/matthewsheparddocumentary

PRESS CONTACT Kim Dixon

Dominion3 Public Relations1420 Camden Avenue, # 5

Los Angeles, CA 90025kim@dominion3.com

O: 310.478.3393 C: 310.880.3016

A FILM BY MICHELE JOSUE Running Time: 89 minutes

Format: HD Cam

A FILM BY MICHELE JOSUERunning time: 89 minutes

Format: HD Cam

WEB SITEwww.mattshepardisafriendofmine.com

TRAILERwww.mattshepardisafriendofmine.com/trailer

CONTACTLiam McNiff

323.717.5887 | liam.mcniff@mac.com

FACEBOOKwww.facebook.com/mattsheparddocumentary

TWITTERhttps://twitter.com/MyFriendMatt

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MATT SHEPARD IS A FRIEND OF MINEA feature documentary directed by Michele Josue

On October 7, 1998, University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard was brutally beaten and tied to a fence and left to die because he was gay. Fifteen years later, Michele Josue, a close friend of Matt’s, revisits the shocking case with never-before-seen photos, rare video footage, as Shepard’s all-too-brief life is remembered through the vivid testimonies of those who knew him best. New revelations emerge in one of the most notorious hate crimes in US histo-ry, leading to a searing, poignant, and multi-layered biographical and sociological portrait. In the end, the notion of forgiveness--embodied in the moving and courageous final act of Shepard’s parents--takes on truly heroic proportions.

MICHELE JOSUE & MATTHEW SHEPARD IN ‘95

MICHELE JOSUE AT THE SITE OF MATTHEW’S ATTACK IN LARAMIE, WY

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Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine is Michele Josue’s feature directorial debut. The film had its International Premiere at IDFA, where it finished in the Top 20 of the IDFA Audience Favorites. At the Cleveland International Film Festival, the film won the festival’s top honors: The Roxanne T. Mueller Audience Choice Award for Best Film and the Greg Gund Memorial Standing Up Award.

MICHELE JOSUE AND JUDY SHEPARD ACCEPTING THE FIRST OF TWO HONORS AT THE CIFF AWARDS CEREMONY

FINAL SCREENING AT IDFA CLOSING AWARDS CEREMONY AT CIFF

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The film recently had its Canadian Premiere at Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film Festival, one of the top LGBT film festivals in the world, where it won the Audience Award for Best Documentary.

The film made a big splash in the Canadian media, with interviews and reviews appearing in The Canadian Press, Yahoo Canada, and numerous film and popular media websites. Michele Josue and Judy and Dennis Shepard were also featured nationally on E-Talk, The Global News Morning Show, Daily Xtra, and CBC’s The National.

ON THE INSIDE OUT RED CARPET

THE SHEPARDS ON ETALK

POST-SCREENING Q&A AT THE TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX

AT THE ETALK STUDIOS

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JUDY SHEPARD

After losing her son to a murder motivated by anti-gay hate, Judy Shepard has become a leading advocate for LGBT rights. Determined to prevent others from suffering their son’s fate, Judy and her husband Dennis turned their grief into action and established The Matthew Shepard Foundation to carry on Matthew’s legacy. Judy travels across the nation speaking to audiences about what they can do as individuals and communities to make this world a more accepting place for everyone. Judy also serves on the board of the Human Rights Campaign.

MATTHEW’S MOTHER JUDY SHEPARDTHE SHEPARDS WITH JASON COLLINS,

THE 1ST OPENLY GAY NBA PLAYER

In addition to serving on the board of the Human Rights Campaign and sharing her story as a Keppler Speaker, Judy and her husband Dennis work with the U.S. State Department to promote LGBT equality around the world.

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In 2009, President Obama signed into law the landmark Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which protects citizens from being persecuted because of sexual orientation, gender, and disability.

Judy’s 2009 book The Meaning of Matthew was a New York Times hardcover best seller. Here is Judy talking to Ellen DeGeneres about The Meaning of Matthew on “The Ellen Show”: http://www.ellentv.com/videos/1-lnfwfaxe/

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In advance of the film’s Canadian Premiere, Michele Josue and The Shepards were interviewed on The Global News Morning Show for a live segment. You can view the segment here: http://globalnews.ca/news/1350324/watch-matthew-shepard-remembered-in-new-documentary-film/

The film and Matt’s legacy were also featured in an extensive report on Canada’s CBC News: https://ca.news.yahoo.com/video/doc-shows-matthew-shepard-person-220600752.html

Here is an in-depth package on Een Vendaag, the Netherlands’ most prestigious news program, profiling Judy Shepard and Dennis Shepard and Michele Josue during their time at IDFA: http://www.eenvandaag.nl/buitenland/47993/ouders_vermoorde_matthew_doen_hun_verhaal

TV APPEARANCES

THE GLOBAL NEWS MORNING SHOW INTERVIEW WITH CBC NEWS THE NATIONAL

JUDY SHEPARD BEING INTERVIEWED FOR EEN VENDAAG

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Here is Judy Shepard and Michele Josue being interviewed on Cleveland’s Fox 8 Morning News with reporter Stefani Schaefer: http://fox8.com/2014/03/28/matt-shepards-mom-friend-talk-about-new-documentary/

Judy and Dennis Shepard also appeared on NBC’s Channel 3 News for a live TV interview with reporter Kim Wheeler: http://archive.wkyc.com/video/3405821873001/1/Matthew-Shepards-parents-visit-Cleveland-Film-Fest

Michele Josue and Producer Liam McNiff appeared on Pivot’s TakePartLive to discuss the film and Matthew Shepard’s legacy.

TV APPEARANCES CONTINUED

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“Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine” was funded largely through two hugely successful Kickstarter fundraising campaigns that raised just under $100,000 from over 1,000 supporters around the world. The average Kickstarter pledge was $97, and the primary vehicle for converting pledges was Facebook.

“Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine” boasts an ever-growing coalition of outreach partnerships, which include the following amazing organizations:

GRASS-ROOTS EFFORTS & KICKSTARTER

PARTNERSHIPS

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MEDIA

Here are a few of the extensive media entities that have already covered “Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine.” For further media, please visit http://mattshepardisafriendofmine.com/reviews

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OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

PREMIERE AT THE NATIONAL CATHEDRAL STANDING OVATION AFTER THE FILM

Q&A DISCUSSION AT IDFA WITH MICHELE JOSUE AND THE FACING

FEAR TEAM

COAST TO COAST PREMIERE: On October 4, 2013, “Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine” made its Coast-to-Coast World Premiere at the Washington National Cathedral and the Mill Valley Film Festival, beginning a whirlwind fall screening tour designed to highlight the 15th anniversary of Matthew Shepard’s passing (October 12), National Coming Out Day (October 11), and National Bullying Prevention Month (October).

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE AT IDFA: With Judy and Dennis Shepard in attendance for the last few screenings, the film played to sold-out crowds and standing ovations. In this prestigious festival that hosts over 300 films, “Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine” became an IDFA hit and finished #16 in the IDFA Audience Award Voting. The film also made history headlining IDFA’s first-ever “Gay Night,” which also featured the Oscar-nominated short documentary “Facing Fear.” The film and Judy and Dennis Shepard were highlighted in a 20-minute news segment on Een Vandaag, the Netherlands’ most prominent news program.

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OTHER HIGHLIGHTS CONTINUED

CLEVELAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL: CIFF 2014 broke attendance records with a whopping 97,804 people showing up to watch 186 feature films and 168 short subjects. “Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine” played in sold-out screenings with standing ovations, garnered extensive media coverage, and came away with winning the festival’s top prizes: The Greg Gund Memorial Standing Up Award AND The Roxanne T. Mueller Audience Choice Award for Best Film.

COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS: Educational outreach partner Facing History and Ourselves and The Allstate Foundation have hosted 3 community screening events (“Community Conversations”) of the film in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Cleveland featuring Michele Josue and producer Liam McNiff, himself a Facing History alum. Director Kimberly Peirce (“Boys Don’t Cry”) introduced the Los Angeles event (October 9) with a special video message: http://www.deadline.com/2013/10/kimberly-peirce-remembers-boys-dont-cry-for-matthew-shepard-docu-video/

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OTHER HIGHLIGHTS CONTINUED

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER: Although the film was not released in 2013 and therefore would not qualify for Oscar consideration, The Hollywood Reporter’s “Feinberg Forecast” cited Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine as a long-shot contender for a 2013 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

SHEPARD SYMPOSIUM: On April 3, 2013, the film had its first-ever Wyoming screening in Laramie, where Matthew was attacked, at the Shepard Symposium on Social Justice. The Symposium, which honors Matthew’s memory and the work of the Shepard family, takes place at the University of Wyoming, where Shepard was a student. Key subjects in the film, including law enforcement officials who handled Shepard’s case, joined Michele Josue for an in-depth post-screening discussion panel.

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

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CONTACT

FOR INQUIRIES OR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT

Liam McNiff 323.717.5887

liam.mcniff@mac.com

OFFICIAL WEBSITEwww.mattshepardisafriendofmine.com

FACEBOOK PAGEhttps://www.facebook.com/matthewsheparddocumentary

TWITTERhttps://twitter.com/MyFriendMatt