A lot has happened since Heather Aimee O’Neal talked to the lesbian filmmakers of Wish Me Away, Chely Wright’s story. The documentary, which premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival last summer, has packed theaters and spawned standing ovations at film festivals across the country. The movie won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the LA Film Festival and the Frameline 35 Festival in San Francisco, and similar awards at the Seattle LGBT Film Festival, Pittsburgh LGBT Festival, Tallgrass Film Fest in Kansas, Palm Springs Film Festival, and the Nashville Film Festival. Soon, more of us will get to see Wish Me Away. First Run Features picked up the film for a Spring 2012 theatrical launch – with VOD and DVD releases to follow. The theatrical trailer dropped this week — and you may want to grab a tissue before you watch. The same intimacy that made Chely’s book,Like Me , such an emotional read for many of us is even more intense in the movie. By giving the filmmakers access to her personal video diaries, we feel the fear and raw emotions she went through as she drew closer to coming out. But that’s also what gives Wish Me Away such a sense of hope – knowing that Chely has become a strong voice in the LGBT community and that she is happy both personally and professionally shows the power of living openly. Things haven’t always been easy, but she has no regrets. Chely’s journey ultimately was a healing one. The wide release of Wish Me Away will be announced shortly; check the film’s website for updates and to see if it’s coming to a film festival near you in the meantime.
Are you looking forward to seeing Wish Me Away? Do you relate to Chely Wright’s story? Check back Monday for an interview with Chely about her Like Me Lighthouse Foundation.
