''Pursuit of Equality'' is a 2005 American

documentary film A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in te ...

directed by Geoff Callan and Mike Shaw, about the struggle of

same-sex couples A same-sex relationship is a romantic or sexual relationship between people of the same sex. ''Same-sex marriage'' refers to the institutionalized recognition of such relationships in the form of a marriage; civil unions may exist in countries ...

for marriage equality in the United States. Its focus is mostly on the same-sex marriages performed in San Francisco from February 12 to March 11, 2004. A major fundraising event for Equality California was also inspired by, and named after, the film. Director Geoff Callan, along with San Francisco mayor

Gavin Newsom Gavin Christopher Newsom (born October 10, 1967) is an American politician and businessman who has been the 40th governor of California since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 49th lieutenant governor of California f ...

and philanthropists Christopher Bently and

Wilkes Bashford Wilkes Bashford is a clothing retailer headquartered in San Francisco, California, United States. In November 2009, Wilkes Bashford was acquired by Mitchells Stores. The flagship store was opened in 1966 by its namesake Wilkes Bashford. It is favo ...

, hosted a wedding celebration titled The Pursuit of Equality in order to increase public awareness of this issue before the November 4th vote on

California Proposition 8 Proposition 8, known informally as Prop 8, was a California ballot proposition and a state constitutional amendment intended to ban same-sex marriage; it passed in the November 2008 California state elections and was later overturned in co ...

Synopsis

By issuing

same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being Mexico, constituting ...

licenses, San Francisco Mayor

uproots the status quo, attempts to change the way the nation looks at life, love, and

marriage Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

. From the first frame of the film, even before the press is aware, this film crew is with Mayor Gavin Newsom's senior staff as the nation's first same-sex couple exchange their vows and ignite a controversial civil rights topic. The story continues on the streets, in the courtrooms, and on the steps of City Hall, where same-sex couples clash with church groups who declare that their sexual and romantic desires are sinful. The film focuses on the compelling,

human rights Human rights are moral principles or normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for certain standards of hu ...

struggles surrounding same-sex marriage and captures the elation and despair of couples and families who are fighting for equal rights. This film made the independent

film festival A film festival is an organized, extended presentation of films in one or more cinemas or screening venues, usually in a single city or region. Increasingly, film festivals show some films outdoors. Films may be of recent date and, depending upo ...

circuit, winning multiple awards, and is scheduled for a wider release in the United States in 2008.

Awards

* 2005:

San Francisco International Film Festival The San Francisco International Film Festival (abbreviated as SFIFF), organized by the San Francisco Film Society, is held each spring for two weeks, presenting around 200 films from over 50 countries. The festival highlights current trends in i ...

Audience Award An audience award is typically an award at a film festival (or some other type of cultural festival or similar competition) which is selected by the audience attending the festival, rather than by the festival jury or a group of critics. Example ...

for Best Documentary * 2006: San Luis Obispo Film Festival, Audience Award for Best Documentary * 2006:

Melbourne Queer Film Festival The Melbourne Queer Film Festival is an annual LGBT film festival held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Held in November, the festival is regarded as the largest queer film event in the Southern Hemisphere. The festival attracts around 23,00 ...

, Audience Award for Best Documentary * 2006:

Sonoma Valley Film Festival Sonoma International Film Festival (SIFF) is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit arts organization dedicated to promoting the best in independent film and filmmakers from around the world, inspiring savvy film lovers and introducing the power of film to stude ...

, Audience Award for Best Documentary * 2006: Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival, Audience Award for Best Documentary * 2006:

Palm Springs International Film Festival Palm Springs International Film Festival (sometimes stylized shortly as PSIFF) is a film festival held in Palm Springs, California. Originally promoted by Mayor Sonny Bono and then sponsored by Nortel,here for Table of Contents it started in 1989 ...

, Best of the Fest * 2009: GLAAD Media Awards, Special Recognition for Directors Geoff Callan and Mike Shaw

References

External links

* *
The Pursuit of Equality fundraiser
2005 films Documentary films about same-sex marriage in the United States American LGBT-related films 2005 documentary films Films shot in San Francisco LGBT culture in San Francisco Documentary films about human rights Documentary films about California 2005 LGBT-related films 2000s English-language films 2000s American films {{LGBT-documentary-film-stub

Synopsis

Awards

See also

References

External links