American Foundation for Equal Rights

Marriage News Blog

Prop. 8 Case Documentary premieres this weekend at Sundance Film Festival

This weekend, “The Case Against 8,” a behind-the-scenes look at the American Foundation for Equal Rights’ federal court challenge to California’s Proposition 8, will premiere at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.  The full-length documentary follows the case against Proposition 8, Hollingsworth v. Perry, through every level of federal court, documenting all the significant milestones in the historic case that returned marriage equality to California.

Directed by Ben Cotner and Ryan White, “The Case Against 8” is one of only 16 documentaries selected for the prestigious film festival.

“Since the very beginning, we wanted the story of our plaintiffs to be told.  ‘The Case Against 8,’ with its incredible behind-the-scenes access to the first marriage equality case to reach the Supreme Court, serves as another vehicle to show the world that there is no good reason to deny loving couples their fundamental right to marry the person they love,” said Adam Umhoefer, AFER’s executive director.

Shot over the course of almost five years, the film follows AFER’s plaintiffs, Kris Perry & Sandy Stier, and Paul Katami & Jeff Zarrillo, and the bipartisan legal team of Ted Olson and David Boies, who came together to challenge Proposition 8 in federal court through Hollingsworth v. Perry.

“We are thrilled that ‘The Case Against 8’ is reaching the big screen,” said Perry. “Sandy and I spent years in front of Ben and Ryan’s cameras, and they captured some of the most suspenseful and exciting moments of our lives. We look forward to being able to share our journey with the public and give hope to young gay Americans, especially those living in states where marriage equality is not recognized, that justice and equality will prevail.”

 

“This is a story that hits close to home for us, but it is also the story of the tremendous work done by our legal team and the incredible support that we received from thousands of Americans who believe that the freedom to marry is a fundamental right,” added Katami.  “We look forward to seeing ‘The Case Against 8’ on the big screen and looking back at what was an incredible journey.”

Watch a short interview with the filmmakers: