Freeheld

"Freeheld" is a 2007 documentary by Cynthia Wade and Vanessa Roth. It chronicles the story of Laurel Hester in her fight against the Ocean County, New Jersey Board of Chosen Freeholders to give her earned pension benefits to her partner, Stacie. On February 24, 2008, it won the Academy Award for Best Short Documentary. The documentary also won a Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival in 2007.

Considered by Indiewire to be one of the top short films of 2007 [http://www.indiewire.com/movies/2007/12/shorts_column_s_1.html] , "Freeheld" has played in over 50 festivals Worldwide and has earned 14 festivals awards [http://www.freeheld.com] . The film had its US broadcast premiere in June 2008 on Cinemax.

Synopsis

The film follows the story of Lieutenant Laurel Hester, a lesbian New Jersey police detective, who while dying, wishes to leave her pension benefits to her life partner but is not allowed, as homosexual couples in most places in the United States are not afforded the same legal rights as married heterosexual couples. [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0914369/plotsummary Freeheld (2007) - Plot summary ] ]

External links

* [http://www.freeheld.com "Freeheld"] Official Site.
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0914369/ "Freeheld"] at the Internet Movie Database.
* [http://www.cynthiawade.com "Director Cynthia Wade"] .

References