Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine

Special #TBT Photos of Matt

On this somber anniversary week, we continue our Virtual Vigil to honor Matt and all victims of hate. Today, we'd like to share 3 special ‪#‎TBT‬ photos of Matt throughout his all-too-brief life. ‪#‎RememberMatt‬ ‪#‎EraseHate‬.

Posted on 9th Oct

We won the Audience Favorite Documentary Award!

Some wonderful news! Humbled and grateful to learn that Matt Shepard Is a Friend of Mine has won the North Louisiana Gay & Lesbian Film Festival's Audience Favorite Documentary Award AND Runner-up for aGLIFF's Audience Award! Thank you, Shreveport & Austin, for all the love!

Posted on 20th Sep

Your Free "Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine" Sticker!

Join our Matt Shepard Is a Friend of Mine mailing list in the month of September and receive a FREE MSIAFOM sticker! Sign up on our homepage here: http://mattshepardisafriendofmine.com/

Posted on 4th Sep

Share how Matt Shepard is a friend of yours!

In the film, you learn how Matt Shepard kept many letters and postcards from friends as well as journals of his personal thoughts and feelings. The letters and journals reminded Matt about the good things in life and helped him to stay positive, no matter how hard life got.

Download your own free "I AM" sign and, as Matt did, list 3 things that make YOU the unique individual that YOU are.

Take a photo with your new sign and share it with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter! Use the hashtag #IamMatt

Download "I AM" sign here

Posted on 28th Aug

Our New Fall Screening Dates: Part 1

Shreveport, St. Louis, Austin, Chicago & Taipei, Taiwan!! Check out our first batch of upcoming fall MSIAFOM screening dates! More news and screenings will be announced very soon!

Posted on 23rd Aug

Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine Wins Best Documentary at Inside Out!

Last night, we heard the wonderful news that Matt Shepard Is a Friend of Mine won the Audience Award for Best Documentary at Inside Out LGBT Film Festival!!! Thank you, Toronto, for showing us so much love! We're over the moon! http://www.strictlydocs.com/inside-outs-latest-friend/

Posted on 2nd Jun

Sheffield Doc/Fest Videotheque

We're proud to announce that Matt Shepard Is a Friend of Mine is an official selection of the Sheffield Doc/Fest Videotheque! TV buyers, distributors, sales agents, festival programmers, and Doc/Fest delegates will be able to screen our film at the festival. The Sheffield Doc/Fest, one of the most prestigious documentary gatherings on the international festival and market circuit, takes place in Sheffield, England from June 7-12, 2014. If you're headed to the fest, check us out!

Posted on 15th May

We won big in Cleveland!

We had a wonderful time at the Cleveland International Film Festival this past weekend! One we will never forget. And we were overjoyed that Judy and Dennis Shepard could join us in Cleveland for our screenings and thoughtful Q&A discussions.

A whopping 97,804 people attended this year's festival to watch 186 feature films and 168 short subjects. In this attendance record-breaking year, Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine 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!

(Photo courtesy of Laura Watilo Blake)

Here we are, moments after our film was announced, walking up on the stage Closing Night of the festival to accept the first of the 2 awards. This is a moment we will always remember and cherish. What a tremendous honor! We're still blown away!

There were so many people!!! (Photo courtesy of Debby Samples)

We are thrilled and so very, very grateful to have been recognized by such a passionate, committed audience. You can read more about our time at the festival here: http://www.cleveland.com/moviebuff/index.ssf/2014/03/cleveland_international_film_f_67.html

You can also check out this great review of the film in Cleveland's Plain Dealer. We got an "A"! http://www.cleveland.com/moviebuff/index.ssf/2014/03/cleveland_international_film_f_65.html#incart_river

The people of Cleveland showed us such warmth and appreciation. The entire CIFF team was so unbelievably kind, supportive, and just all-around amazing. Cleveland Rocks!

Posted on 4th Apr

I'm Soo Proud of You!

I'm overwhelmed and so very touched by this lovely post in I'm Soo Proud of You about me and my journey making Matt Shepard Is a Friend of Mine. You can check it out here: http://imsooproudofyou.com/2014/03/21/michele/

I'm Soo Proud of You is a brand-new, wonderfully inspiring blog by my friend Tamara Ham that highlights "uplifting relatable stories featuring my loved ones* who inspire me and their loved ones who inspire them and their loved ones who inspire them and so on and so on…"

It's a great project! We could all certainly use a little more love and encouragement in our lives. As Tamara says, "I’m crazy about my loved ones* and the stories they share with me. I just want to gush about them. I’m soo proud of you let’s me do that. Hopefully it’ll inspire others to reach out to their loved ones and let them know they’re proud of them."

A million thanks to Tamara Ham and her inspiring blog I'm soo proud of you, my husband Liam, the MSIAFOM team, Matt, and his amazing family and friends...old and new! I am unbelievably blessed, grateful, and soooooo proud of all of YOU!

Posted on 21st Mar

RIP Fred Phelps

I remember Matt's funeral like it was yesterday and vividly recall the anger and utter disgust I felt for the protests outside.

As anti-gay hate personified, Fred Phelps unintentionally helped open people's eyes, including my own, to the struggles of the LGBT community. Thank you for inspiring countless people to wake up, open their hearts to love, and fight for their LGBT brothers & sisters. May that be your legacy.

Here are a few thoughtful articles on Phelps' passing: A Gay Dad’s Requiem on the Death of Fred Phelps and this Huffington post article from our respected colleague and friend Cathy Renna.

Posted on 20th Mar

Spring Tour: Part 1

We're packing our bags! "Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine" is going back on tour for the spring! Our first stops: Cleveland, Laramie, Ogden!

MSIAFOM first screens in competition at the Cleveland International Film Festival on March 29th and 30th. We are honored that Matt's parents Judy and Dennis Shepard will be joining us at the festival and for our post-screening Q&A discussions.

After Cleveland, Director Michele Josue will be taking the film to the Shepard Symposium on Social Justice at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. Honoring the work of the Shepard family and the memory of Matthew, the Shepard Symposium works as a living reminder of the need for information and dialogue about social justice concerns in American and beyond. Needless to say, bringing the film to the Symposium and back to Laramie, where Matt's tragic attack took place, is a hugely emotional milestone for us. We're overwhelmed that we are finally able to share our Matt with the Laramie community. The film will screen at the Symposium on April 3rd. Stay tuned for more details.

Then it's off to Ogden, Utah! Michele heads to Weber State University to present the film on April 7th. This is a very special Kickstarter screening event for our Kickstarter hero Ray Kimber! Ray was invaluable to the success of our 2nd Kickstarter campaign, and we are so happy to be able to share the film with his community.

In mid-April, the film will screen at Napa Valley Community College (April 17th) and San Bernadino Valley College (April 18th).

We'll be sure to blog, tweet, and Facebook about all our adventures. We hope to see you at one of these Spring screenings!

Posted on 5th Mar

Jason Collins meets with the Shepards

Last night was very special! Dennis, Judy, and Logan Shepard met with Jason Collins, the first openly gay active NBA player. Jason wears the no. 98 jersey in honor of Matt, who was murdered in 1998. The Shepards drove up from Wyoming to attend the game.

Jason, who recently signed a 10-day contract with the Brooklyn Nets, played the final eight minutes of the Nets' 112-89 win over the Denver Nuggets. Before meeting the Shepards, Jason said, “I was in college at the time when [Matthew] was killed. Of course it’s a tragedy what happened and I just hope it inspires others to come forward. It’s definitely going to be special meeting them after the game (Thursday) and I’m looking forward to it."

After the game, he met with the Shepard family and gave them an autographed black and white 98 jersey. Judy Shepard said receiving the jersey was "cool. It was very sweet, very genuine and very thoughtful."

Watch this video about their meeting here:

We're so touched by Jason's tribute and this very special meeting, and in awe of Jason's courage and strength!

Posted on 28th Feb

Heading to the Cleveland International Film Festival!

We're thrilled to announce Matt Shepard Is a Friend of Mine has been selected to screen in competition at the Cleveland International Film Festival! MSIAFOM screens on March 29th and 30th.

A leading U.S. regional film festival, the CIFF has been recognized as one of the 50 leading film festivals in the world by IndieWIRE. They have an amazing line-up this year, and we're honored to be a part of it! MSIAFOM will screen in the Greg Gund Memorial Standing Up Competition, which highlights "films with a conscience." This is CIFF's largest and most popular competition.

Director Michele Josue is also in competition for the ReelWomenDirect Award for Excellence in Directing by a Woman. Both competitions are based on audience votes, so please wish us luck!!

We're also honored to announce that Matt's parents Judy & Dennis Shepard will be joining us at the festival and will be there for our post-screening Q&As. So if you're in the Cleveland area, we hope to see you!!! And please, spread the word! We'd love to sell out our screenings! Tickets are available to the general public on March 7th.

For more information, please visit: http://www.clevelandfilm.org/films/2014/matt-shepard-is-a-friend-of-mine

Posted on 21st Feb

"I am Matthew Shepard but no one will ever know"

"I am Matthew Shepard, but no one will ever know." Before the Carnegie Mellon screening of MSIAFOM, our friend Meg Evans shares her personal story of growing up scared and confused, but ultimately loved. She talks about her connection to Matt and why it's so important for everyone to share their own stories. As Meg says, "We all have stories that can help change lives. Share yours with someone who might just need to hear it."

Posted on 6th Feb

Remembering Matt on TakePart Live

Through what feels like a wonderful stroke of luck, we were invited to come on Pivot TV's TakePart Live show to talk about the film. After hanging out in the dressing rooms, enjoying the free snacks, going through hair and makeup so we're not super shiny, and enjoying the fun live taping, we were on the air! We had a great chat about Matt with the hosts. We're so grateful to have had this opportunity to come on TPL and spread the word about the film and the work of the Matthew Shepard Foundation.

Everyone was so incredibly kind and helpful, and we had a really great time. Thanks so much to the great TPL team for being so nice, making us feel so welcome, and making live TV feel not so scary. And extra thanks for the free mug:)

Posted on 4th Feb

A Little Kickstarter Shout-out

During an IDFA Q&A with Pat Aufderheide, Director Michele Josue gives a nice shout-out to our many Kickstarter supporters who helped make MATT SHEPARD IS A FRIEND OF MINE a reality. We're looking forward to bringing the film to more audiences! Check out the video clip.

Posted on 23rd Jan

Words of wisdom

"I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear." -Martin Luther King, Jr.

Posted on 20th Jan

A Letter to Matt by Francesca Caparas

Dear Matt,

I still remember when I first heard about what happened to you. I was in AP English class and our teacher, Ms. Hamblin, told us what those two men had done. At that time you were still in critical condition; it wasn't until the following week that Ms. Hamblin told us you had died. We had been reading Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead that week, and the news of your death struck me as equally surreal. To live in a world where something so brutal could happen: how did life become so irrational, so absurd?

Since your death, many stories have been told about you by different people. The people who knew you very well—your mom, Michele, Nikki, Zeina—have told powerful stories about you. And then there are people who did not know you but who have been moved by your story. To be sure, there are many stories that have been told and many stories left to tell. If I were to write my own story about you, I would try to include all the little details I remember.

I remember the way the saliva gathered at the corners of your mouth when you talked. I remember the big Doc Marten boots you used to wear that made your legs look even skinnier than they were. (Of course, it was the 90's so everyone was wearing Doc Marten boots then.) I remember the time you tried to surprise our friend, Nikki, and I totally ruined it by giving it away. You got so angry at me, and I remember how you stomped your big Doc Martened foot as a sign of your frustration. I never got a chance to apologize; I didn't even know how big of a surprise I had ruined. I didn't know that you had left school a few weeks prior because you had been through your own personal hell. I didn't know that you had just gotten back to school that day and this was the first time Nikki was going to see you. When you covered Nikki's eyes and told me not to tell her it was you, I quickly blurted out your name. I was a rebellious teenager and in my ignorance I thought it would be funny to give you away. But when I saw the way Nikki's face lit up at the sound of your name, I realized this had been no ordinary surprise. She looked as if she had just witnessed a miracle, and I had stupidly robbed it of some of its magic. I've always regretted my actions that day because years later you went through another hell, but this time you didn't come back. I never had a chance to redeem myself, to let you surprise Nikki again with a miraculous return. I've always wanted to say I'm sorry for ruining that first surprise. Maybe that's why I'm writing a letter, rather than a story.

I could have written a story, but this letter is how I choose to keep your memory alive. However, even though this letter is addressed to you, I should be honest and tell you that I'm not writing it entirely for you. I'm writing it for my students, too, and I hope you don't mind if I share it with them. Yes, I'm a teacher now. In the years since you've passed—years filled with facts and fictions and memorials and laws, all in your honor—I've gone to school, become a teacher, and now I teach my own English classes. My classes focus on social justice, and what surprises me every year is how fewer and fewer students have actually heard your story. When we discuss civil rights, often my students have little knowledge of the actual people who sacrificed their lives, sometimes unwillingly like yourself, in order to secure rights for others. That's what made me realize I needed to write this letter. I saw your story slipping out of our collective memory, and I knew I had to do something.

In my English composition classes I have my students write letters: to themselves, to me, to their relatives. I use it as a way to instill in them an awareness of their audience. Through the letter-writing process they have to envision their reader, to be conscious of what the reader knows or needs to know about the topic being discussed. So in writing this letter, I have had to envision you. I've had to draw from the things we shared, the things we knew about each other, and the things we might still teach each other. And in choosing the words to fill that space between what we know and what we still want to share with each other, I feel like I might have found something that had been slowly slipping away.

Writing a letter means being part of a conversation, and I'm keeping your memory alive by having this conversation with it. This is what I'll teach my students when I show them this letter. Then I'll encourage them to maintain their own dialogue with your memory. I want your story to be part of their story. I want them to know you and remember you so that one day when they are writing a letter to someone who has changed their lives, then maybe...maybe, they'll think about that time in English class when they heard about what happened to Matt Shepard.

Wishing you a peaceful rest,

Chesa

Posted on 16th Jan

Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine by Heidi Clemmer

Matt is a very dear friend of mine and I miss him more than words can say. Matt's mother and my mother are cousins and very good friends. They lived in Wyoming and we lived in California, so we didn't see each other very often. And even though there is photographic evidence that we had previously been mischievous together, I don't recall hanging out with him until I was 11... Matt was 13. The whole family gathered in Cody, WY to celebrate my grandparent's 50th wedding anniversary.

When I first saw Matt on that trip (I can't believe I am admitting this), I was bummed that we were cousins. He was so sweet and CUTE... Gosh, was he cute. Call it a crush, whatever, he was fun to be around and I instantly loved him. We caught snakes and played imaginative games while the adults did the talky talky drinky drinky thing that grown-ups do. We had a blast together!

Before our journey home, we went to Thermopolis for a stinky swim. I understand now the uniqueness of the hot springs, but then I just remember the natural water smelling too disgusting to swim in. But after we got past the smells and the many jokes, we hit the slides. Matt, being a small guy, thought it would be funny to stop himself in the small blue tube and wait for me. He would always be in a different spot so I never knew where I would slam into him. We would laugh and laugh and shoot out into the pool together. We did this over and over all day long. The pure joy on his face waiting in that blue tube is the image of him that I will hold in my mind forever. I even have recurring dreams about falling down a tunnel or a mudslide and finding Matt waiting there. It's very reassuring.

After that trip, Matt and I became pen-pals. He would send me letters, pictures, and postcards and I would do the same. I remember him asking me to send more pictures of myself because his roommates really liked them. (I think I stopped sending pictures of myself after that.) He would tell me all about the amazing places he was going, and for about 5 years I got pictures from Spain, Switzerland, and Italy. I don't remember exactly what year the letters stopped, but I think it was after his trip to Morocco.

It makes me so sad that I was not there for him in those 4 years we lost touch... those 4 years he needed me most. I often thought of him and told myself I would go see him when I had time. But while attending college in Dallas, I turned on the news and saw that Matt had been killed. I was in shock! Why would anyone hurt Matt? The confusion set in.

This was the first time I had heard, out loud, that he was gay. Of course he's gay. Who cares? I didn't need him or anyone else to tell me. Just like I didn't need to tell him or anyone else that I was straight. It is what it is. You are who you are. Why should it matter? And no one deserves to be tortured because of that... NO ONE!

I clearly remember the moment I knew Matt liked boys. When we were at the hot spring, we walked right through a group of giggling 13 year old girls in bikinis and he didn't take a second glance. At first I thought it was odd, and then we went past some boys and I commented on how cute they were... he blushed and didn't disagree with me. It didn't even phase me. I knew then that he and I had the same type, and that only made us closer. It only got weird when society said it had to be.

I could go on and on about the healing process, the regret, the hurt, the forgiveness, etc. But all I want to do is to remember that smiling face waiting for me in the water slide.

-Heidi Clemmer

Posted on 14th Jan

Happy New Year

Goodbye 2013!

It's been an amazing whirlwind of a year, and we're looking forward to what the New Year will bring. Wishing you all the very best in 2014!

Posted on 31st Dec

We're going to Amsterdam!

We are extremely proud to announce that "Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine" has been officially selected to have its International Premiere at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA). IDFA is the largest and arguably THE best documentary film festival in the world, so you can only imagine how excited we are to be invited to this esteemed festival. Having received more than 3,000 submissions, this year's program will include 288 titles (including ours!). Since starting in 1988, IDFA has become one of the most pivotal documentary film festivals on the international cinematic front. This year's festival runs from Nov. 20-Dec. 1.

I have also been selected (along with only 7 other North American filmmakers) to participate in the festival's World Documentary Exchange program. WDE aims to support filmmakers in search of distribution for their film as well as deepen their knowledge of the documentary market. So during my time at IDFA, I will be attending the WDE panel discussions, one-on-one meetings with sales agents and TV buyers, and social networking events. I feel so incredibly lucky to be given this huge opportunity and so much professional support at the festival!

More exciting news: IDFA is programming its very first "Gay Night" on Nov. 27th, in which they will screen "Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine." We are also extremely honored that Judy and Dennis Shepard will be joining us at IDFA towards the end of the festival for our film screenings and post-film discussions.

If you're in Amsterdam (or in the vicinity), we sincerely hope you can join us for our International Premiere! We should be finding out our IDFA screening times shortly and will keep everyone posted. We also have some great upcoming screening events happening nationwide. Coming up this month: Chicago, Sacramento, San Francisco, Pittsburgh (just added!), and Reno.

Posted on 27th Oct

Coming soon...

Fresh off the Press!

The silk screen press that is :)

Coming soon to our store:

American Apparel t-shirts in NEW colors: Indigo blue, light blue, and heather gray

Tote bags

Limited edition "Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine" poster & official film poster

Here's a little glimpse:

Posted on 27th Sep

Meet our Associate Producer, Anna Josue, Jack-of-all-Trades!

Hello from sunny L.A!  My name is Anna-Marie Josue, sister to Director Michele Josue, and Associate Producer of “Matt Shepard Is a Friend of Mine.”  For the past 3 years, my job description has ranged from dancing in Kickstarter thank you videos to in-house travel agent to official FedExer, to now blogger and webmaster.

While my B.A. in Communications has come in handy writing press releases and handling different social media tasks, it wasn’t until this past weekend when I bumped into famed interior designer Jonathan Adler that I can officially add PR rep to my resume.

With the upcoming D.C. premiere fast approaching and nothing to wear, Michele and I set out on a much-needed shopping trip. On the way out of Nordstrom, we saw famed interior designer Jonathan Adler was signing merchandise.   That is when the tough, unafraid, no shame publicist in me took over.

Throwing my nerves aside, I purchased my merchandise and introduced myself (and the film) to Mr. Adler. While he signed my copy of his new book, I discovered that no, he won’t be in LA for our screening, he lives in New York, and that he is a genuinely super nice man. He asked us what Matt was like as a person.  Michele told him how funny, smart and what a great friend Matt was.  Jonathan Adler asked us to keep him posted if we ever screen in New York and took my business card.  He also thanked us for making the film, which touched our hearts. It was the best shopping day ever.

Posted on 23rd Sep