June 30th, 2005

For Immediate Release

COLAGE is thrilled to announce that In My Shoes: Stories of Youth with LGBT Parents has received the Frameline Audience Award for Best Short at the 29 th annual San Francisco LGBT Film Festival. Directed by Jen Gilomen, In My Shoes profiles five youth with LGBT parents as they share their views on family, same-sex marriage, and making change. This documentary film was produced by the COLAGE Youth Leadership and Action Program (YLAP), a 10-month leadership and activism program for teen youth with one or more lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgender parents.

One of the youth participants in the film, Marina Gatto, the 17 year old activist daughter of lesbian moms responds, "I'm so thrilled, excited, and humbled that the audience of the SF film festival chose our film for this award.  I am touched knowing that in sharing our families, our lives, and our world with SF, San Francisco has embraced us and let us know that they honor all families."

Lily Donavan-Seid, a member of COLAGE YLAP and the daughter of a gay father and straight mom agrees. "I think it's so awesome that we won this award! I wasn't expecting it at all because there were so many other movies and this one was basically put together by a group of kids, so I feel special."

The prestigious and industry-coveted Frameline Audience Awards are awarded to three movies (one feature, one documentary and one short) each year based on the polling of audience members. The response to In My Shoes has been a resounding success with folks sharing: "It's not just a youth movie, it's a good movie!" and "This is the most poignant and compelling argument for gay marriage I've ever seen!"

Jen Gilomen, the director of this film worked over 10 months with the members of YLAP to create this powerful documentary. She shared, "When I showed In My Shoes to a group of high school students, one of them said that the experience of watching it was like getting to be a part of each family.   I think that is well stated, because I was so touched having the opportunity to be a part of these young peoples' lives and families, to be invited into their homes, and to listen to them share their experiences." She jokingly added, "I thought of myself as an overachiever until I met these young people.   They're going to be able to do anything in life, because they've already made the decision to stand up, share their experiences, and chip away at the system that treats them and their families unequally."

Members of YLAP decided to focus their action project on documentary film making this year in order to produce a piece that would share the true lives and true faces of youth from queer families. In My Shoes will be distributed widely beginning in Fall 2005 accompanied by a complete youth created Action and Discussion guide. This is the third year of the YLAP program: in its first two years COLAGE YLAP created That's So Gay: Portraits of Youth with LGBT Parents, a traveling art show, the Respect All Families poster series and Focus on MY Family: A Queerspawn Anthology.

"I am so proud of the amazing youth who are a part of this film and the COLAGE Youth Leadership and Action Program. With the fabulous Jen Gilomen, they have created a powerful commentary on family and making a difference in the world; now, with the recognition of the Frameline Audience Award, COLAGE will be even better poised to spread the message of this film across the country- from school houses to courthouses," added Meredith Fenton, COLAGE Program Director and director of the YLAP program.

COLAGE is the only national organization that engages, connects and empowers children, youth and adults with LGBT parents. To learn more about COLAGE, YLAP or the In My Shoes film project contact Meredith Fenton, COLAGE Program Director at 415-861-5437 x102, . Or visit our website www.colage.org .