Documentary VALENTINE ROAD Heading to Sundance Film Festival

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HBO Documentary Films and Bunim/Murray Productions are heading to Sundance with VALENTINE ROAD, an official selection of the 2013 Sundance Film Festival in U.S. Documentary Competition. HBO Documentary Films has worldwide television rights to the feature documentary.

A directing debut from first time filmmaker Marta Cunningham and produced by Sasha Alpert (HBO's AUTISM: THE MUSICAL) and Eddie Schmidt (HBO'S TWIST OF FAITH), VALENTINE ROAD is a powerful and complex film that unravels the tragic murder of a teenager, who had begun experimenting with his gender identity, by a fellow student at an Oxnard, California middle school. The film explores the circumstances that led to the crime as well as its complex aftermath. Ultimately VALENTINE ROAD is a story of two victims-the deceased and the murderer-whose paths led them to this tragic incident.

"As we experienced with AUTISM: THE MUSICAL, HBO is an amazing partner and their support for VALENTINE ROAD ensures that we will be able to reach the broadest audience possible for our film," said Alpert. "VALENTINE ROAD's focus on gender discrimination and the tragedy that occurred as a result of easy access to firearms, topics that sadly remain all too relevant, epitomizes what we are trying to do with BMP Films. It is no doubt why it became an official selection for the Sundance Film Festival U.S. Documentary Competition," added Jonathan Murray, Chairman Bunim/Murray Productions.

VALENTINE ROAD is a BMP Films production in association with Eddie Schmidt Productions. Executive Producers are Jonathan Murray and Gil Goldschein.

About Bunim/Murray Productions
Bunim/Murray Productions is the leading producer of innovative entertainment content. The Emmy Award-winning company is widely credited with creating the reality television genre with its hit series The Real World (27 seasons for MTV). Bunim/Murray Productions has also produced films, including Pedro (MTV) and the Emmy Award-winning Autism: The Musical (HBO). Based in Van Nuys, CA, Bunim/Murray Productions was founded in 1987 by Jonathan Murray and the late Mary-Ellis Bunim, who were inducted into the Television Academy of Arts & Science's Hall of Fame in 2012. The company joined Banijay Group in 2010.