Alumna McMillion Sheldon Nominated for Oscar
Emerson alumna Elaine McMillion Sheldon, MFA '13, was nominated for an Academy Award on Tuesday, January 23, for her documentary short, Heroin(e), about three women working to break the cycle of addiction in Huntington, West Virginia, the epicenter of America’s opioid epidemic.
Sheldon directed the 39-minute film, which was co-produced by her husband, Kerrin Sheldon.
Huntington, once a bustling industrial town, now has an overdose rate 10 times the national average, and this flood of heroin threatens the city with a cycle of poverty, crime, and addiction. Heroin(e) highlights three women working to change the story: Fire Chief Jan Rader, who spends the bulk of her time reviving people who have overdosed; Drug Court Judge Patricia Keller, who hands down sentences with empathy; and Necia Freeman of Brown Bag Ministry, who feeds women selling their bodies for drugs.
Heroin(e) is available on Netflix, and will also be screened as part of the Bright Lights Film Series on Thursday, February 15, at 5:00 pm in the Bright Family Screening Room. Sheldon will lead a discussion via Skype following the film.
Categories
