fiscal sponsorship
Turn
TYPE: Documentary Feature
GENRE: Documentary
STATUS: Post-Production
LOGLINE
“Turn” tells the stories of LGBTQs, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim, who are turned away by their faiths, and stories of religious leaders that make it their life’s work to turn towards them...all in the name of God. It is a film of hope and belief that all people are worthy of love.
SYNOPSIS
“Turn” is a bold and intimate documentary told over a period of three years that intertwines the stories of LGBTQ people in the North Carolina who struggle between being accepted by their faiths and for who they are. It is also the story of religious leaders (Christian, Jewish & Muslim) fighting for the rights of the LGBTQ community. For many it is the line between heaven and hell, between being loved and hated, between being accepted and abandoned by their families, all in the name of God.
PLEASE, IT'S EASY TO DONATE and you can get a tax deduction through my non-profit fiscal agent the Independent Film Production (IFP) which sponsors my documentary as a 501c3 production. All you have to do is go to https://fiscal.ifp.org/project.cfm/879/ and fill out their form. This allows us to give tax deductions to individuals and corporations who make any amount of financial donation. Any individual that contributes $100 or more will get a ‘Thank you’ in the end credits! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CONSIDERING THIS IMPORTANT DOCUMENTARY.
ARTISTIC STATEMENT
No artisic statement provided
KEY CREW
Ellen Shepard - Director
Ellen Shepard completed her first full-length documentary “Sitting at God's Table" in 2015, featuring five religious leaders from different faiths and denominations, including Presiding Bishop Michael Curry of the Episcopal Church. This film has had numerous screenings across the South, including the NC Museum of History as part of their Billy Graham Exhibit and was an Official Selection at the Indigo Moon Film Festival. Shepard relocated to Raleigh, N.C. from Los Angeles where she was Senior Producer of Documentaries at UCLA. There she produced her award winning short documentary “My Parents Are Growing Old and So Am I” and “Teen Rap” that focused on teen suicide. She was Assistant Professor of Film Production at Saint Augustine's University in Raleigh, N.C. where she developed their BA degree in Film Production and taught classes in Documentary Filmmaking and Film Production.
Eric Barstow - Director of Photograhy
ERIC BARSTOW, MFA in Experimental & Documentary Arts at Duke University, is currently the Videographer for Duke University’s John Hope Franklin Humanities Institute. As a Christian, Eric was hesitant to take on the role of DP for "Turn," but through our friendship and the filming of "Turn" he has come to really be a strong supporter for LGBTQ rights. Go! Eric!!! Eric was the editor on Ellen Shepard's full-length documentary "Sitting at God's Table." Eric was also a videographer at the 50th Anniversary of Freedom Summer at Tougaloo College in Jackson, MS.
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ACCOLADES
UPDATE - July 18, 2019
ADVISORS & CONSULTANTS
Rev. Jeff Babajtis, Benson Memorial United Methodist Church, Rev. William Barber, President of Repairers of the Breach, Rev. Tim Brown, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Jimmy Creech, former Methodist Reverend, Rev. Brian Crisp, Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, Rabbi Lucy Dinner, Temple Beth Or, Rev. David Hailey, Hayes Barton Baptist Church, Imam Salahuddin Muhammad, As Salaam Islamic Center, Rev. Nancy Petty, Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, Rabbi Melissa Simon, NC Hillel at UNC Chapel Hill, Rabbi Eric Solomon, Beth Meyer Synagogue, Jill Hinton, Psychologist & Leader of LGBTQ Support Group, Gaily Paliga, NC President of NOW, and Ames Simmons, Policy Director at Equality North Carolina.
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