"The Homestretch" follows three homeless Chicago teens, one of them LGBTQ, as they fight to stay in school, graduate, and build a future.
The free screening of this new film will take place at 7 PM, Thursday, November 13 at Berry United Methodist Church, 4754 N Leavitt St, Chicago. The following night, one of the teens, Kasey White, will be a guest on the Gay Liberation Network on Chicago Access Network TV, at 6:30 pm on Cable Channel 21 in Chicago, interviewed by GLN's Roger Fraser.
"The Homestretch," an official selection of the Human Rights Watch 2014 film festival, challenges audiences to rethink stereotypes of homelessness as the teens work to complete their education while facing the trauma of being alone and abandoned at an early age. As their stories unfold, the film connects deeply with larger issues of poverty, race, juvenile justice, immigration, foster care, and LGBTQ rights.
"The Homestretch will be an amazing and important film with the potential to change the way we think about the problem of youth homelessness," said Alex Kotlowitz, author of the widely-acclaimed book There Are No Children Here. A trailer of the film can be found at www.homestretchdoc.com/trailer
A free-will offering to benefit The Night Ministries will follow the screening, which is co-sponsored by the Gay Liberation Network and Berry United Methodist Church. The film was made by Anne de Mare and Kirsten Kelly, and is a co-production between Spargel Productions and Kartemquin Films.
For more information, please email LGBTliberation@aol.com or call 773-209-1187.