In less than a week after making its highly anticipated world premiere debut at Cinequest, «Love Is All You Need?» was awarded the prestigious New Vision Award. The controversial film is hitting the film festival circuit and starting a «Moviement™»; sharing its empowering message of love and respect while lensing hot button issues in a unique way.
Love Is All You Need? captures the realities of bullying and intolerance in a world where gay is straight, straight is gay, and heterophobia divides a community.
Directed and co-written by Kim Rocco Shields, Love Is All You Need? is based on the critically acclaimed short of the same name and is inspired by real-world instances of bullying. The short film was a worldwide viral sensation garnering tens of millions of views as well as being self-translated into over a dozen languages by fans of the film. The film’s message of knocking down prejudicial walls has been praised by parents and children alike, however it did receive some push back by educators and conservative groups. The film received massive national media coverage on multiple occasions after school teachers in rural areas were asked to resign for showing it to students. The controversy surrounding the short, and her passion for human rights, contributed to director Kim Rocco Shields creation of the feature length film.
Director Kim Rocco Shields and her passion for human rights, contributed to her creation of the feature length film. The extended version of film seeks to raise awareness to the topic of prejudice and to ensuring that the lives of Matthew Shepard; beaten to death and left to die on a fence; Tyler Clementi, who committed suicide after being outed at Rutgers; and Britney Cosby, bludgeoned and shot to death by her own father for being a lesbian, were not to be forgotten. Through continued viewings of the short film and with the assistance of educators from the University of Southern California‘s Rossier School of Education, Love Is All You Need? currently being developed as a lesson plan to teach empathy and tolerance in junior high and high school.
The Cast of «Love Is All You Need?»
Briana Evigan, Tyler Blackburn, Emily Osment, Elisabeth Röhm, Jeremy Sisto, Ana Ortiz, Kyla Kenedy, Leonard Roberts, Blake Cooper Griffin, Jenica Bergere, Katherine LaNasa, Paul Ben-Victor, Ava Allan, Jacob Rodier, Tim Chiou, Robert Grant, Shawn Parsons, Leisha Hailey, Lexi DiBenedetto, Mike C. Manning, And more.
«’Love Is All You Need?’ is more than just a film – it’s a movement. A movement that started with a simple idea that inspired me to face the 6-year battle of creating, funding, (and now recently completing) the feature film» – «Love Is All You Need?» director and co-writer Kim Rocco Shields.
Love Is All You Need? will screen at festivals internationally this year. The feature film will be shown next at the Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF) on April 7 & 8.
For more information about Love Is All You Need? visit www.loveisallyouneedthemovie.com or connect with Love Is All You Need? on Facebook and on Instagram and Twitter @liayn_themovie.
