Bridegroom

Linda Bloodworth Thomason, creator of Designing Women, makes her documentary feature debut with the emotional journey of Shane and Tom, two young men in a loving and committed relationship. Unfortunately, their love is cut short by Tom’s accidental death, and his partner finds himself facing the failure of same sex marriage protections that leave him completely shut out and ostracized. Bloodworth Thomason sheds light on the often-overlooked struggles that same sex couples face as a result of marriage inequality. As this issue heads to the United States Supreme Court for deliberation, Bridegroom is poised as a timely and moving documentary about love and perseverance through loss. On May 7, 2012, the anniversary of Tom’s death, after a year of documenting his own grief, Shane made a tribute video. The short received over three million online views and has been translated into more than twenty languages. The impact of Shane’s YouTube video is another example of how these stories need to be told to seed and inspire change. —Genna Terranova