29 Jun 2017 Washington, D.C. Premiere of WRITTEN OFF Draws Huge Crowd for Opioid Addiction Crisis
Washington, D.C. — WRITTEN OFF, a gripping personal narrative documentary, premiered on Tuesday, June 27th at the Newseum to politicians, public health advocates and those concerned or affected by the opioid addiction crisis. The event began with opening remarks from Ross Little, Chairman of the Second Genesis Foundation, and US Representative Ann Kuster, followed by a screening of the film and a panel discussion moderated by Wendy Rieger, NBC4 News Anchor.
Below is the list of available interviewees who spoke at the event:
• US Representative Ann Kuster, Co-Chair, Bipartisan Heroin Task Force
• Ross Little, Chairman, Second Genesis Foundation
• Molly Hermann, Written Off, Director, Writer and Co-Producer
• Ana Marie Cox, American Author, Blogger, Political Columnist and Culture Critic
• Rob Lyall, Written Off, Co-Producer and Director of Photography
• Jane Funk, Written Off, Matt Edwards’ Mother
• Bob DuPont, President, Institute for Behavior and Health
Written Off is based on the personal journals of a young man, Matthew Edwards, whose addiction to opioids began with pain medicine prescribed following a minor surgery. His grippingly honest writing reveals the secrets he tried so hard to conceal throughout a decade long struggle to escape opioids and the stigma that surrounded his addiction.
Like many Americans, the opioid crisis has touched the lives of filmmakers Molly Hermann and Rob Lyall, partners in the Falls Church, VA production company The Biscuit Factory. They reconstruct those years of Matt’s life through his own words, home video and interviews with friends and family members—and the result is a universal story. The film title, Written Off, mirrors the fate of victims of addiction as their need for drugs drives them to break trust (and often the law) as well as ruin relationships which cuts them off from community.
Though he suffered from a potentially deadly disease, Matt Edwards faced an unsympathetic world. Stigmatizing the victim was an early hallmark of the HIV crisis. The filmmakers envision Written Off as shifting that conversation for the addiction crisis, much like the movie Philadelphia did 25 years ago.
Festivals and Awards: Arizona International Film Festival: Best Documentary, Julien Dubuque International Film Festival, Omaha International Film Festival: Best Documentary, Ridgefield Independent Film Festival, Richmond International Film Festival: Best Screenplay, Green Bay Film Festival, IndieFEST: Award of Excellence, 2016 Humanitarian Award, Utopia Film Festival, Weyauwega International Film Festival: Best Documentary, LA Awareness Fest.
View Trailer: https://www.written-off.com/
For additional information on the Second Genesis Foundation please visit:
https://www.secondgenesis.org
For exclusive interviews with speakers at the event contact Debi Gasper at:
dgasper@theadagency.com
202-360-8399
For more photos from the event visit:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0Bz-gwVjkx7uBdnlQVXNFd1ZnT3M?usp=sharing