FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                          
January 17, 2014

PRESS CONTACTS:
Manny Rivera, manny@afer.org or 323.892.2081

Documentary Follows AFER’s Five-Year Journey Toward Defeating
Proposition 8 and Restoring Marriage Equality in California

Los Angeles, CA – 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, executive director of the American Foundation for Equal Right (AFER). “We congratulate Ben and Ryan for premiering ‘The Case against 8’ at Sundance and for putting together a compelling film that captures the exciting milestones, personal moments, and raw emotions that together constitute our incredible journey to overturn Proposition 8.”

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.”

The American Foundation for Equal Rights is the sole sponsor of Hollingsworth v. Perry, the landmark federal case that challenged and eliminated California’s Proposition 8.  It is the first case involving the fundamental right of gay and lesbian Americans to marry ever to be fully briefed and argued before the U.S. Supreme Court. The case resulted in a landmark trial that became the truth commission on marriage equality, a historic 136-page decision that found Prop. 8 unconstitutional, and the restoration of marriage equality in California.

Since its founding, AFER has fought for full federal marriage equality for all Americans.  AFER continues its legacy of fighting for marriage equality for all Americans through a case in Virginia, Bostic v. Rainey, which challenges Virginia’s discriminatory and harmful Marriage Amendment in federal court.

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About the American Foundation for Equal Rights

Since its founding in 2009, the American Foundation for Equal Rights has fought for full federal marriage equality for all Americans.  As the sole sponsor of the federal constitutional challenge to California’s Proposition 8, AFER brought together bipartisan attorneys Theodore B. Olson and David Boies to secure a victory at the United States Supreme Court that restored marriage equality to our nation’s most populous state.  AFER continues its legacy of fighting for marriage equality for all Americans through Bostic v. Rainey, the federal constitutional challenge to Virginia’s discriminatory and harmful Marriage Amendment. To learn more, visit www.afer.org.