The Freedom to Marry is the nerve-wracking, behind-the-scenes story of a historic civil rights movement and the campaign to win same-sex marriage, from the earliest days of their journey to their final frenetic dash to the US Supreme Court.

Evan Wolfson is globally recognized as one of the most significant figures in the marriage equality movement. As the founder and president of Freedom to Marry, his organisation’s crusade is known as one of the most successful civil rights campaigns in the United States’ modern history.

The documentary will premiere in Australia at the Mardi Gras Film Festival on 22 February and will be given an Australia-wide cinema release thanks to Demand.   This ‘cinema on demand’ platform is perfect for grassroots activism. It allows everyday Australians to host one-off screenings of independent and niche movies.

Australian Marriage Equality is currently working with local marriage equality champions in the country’s most politically important areas to host screenings of the documentary in an effort to bolster regional support including Shepparton, Lismore, Grafton, Nowra, Box Hill, Berwick, Kiama, Torquay and Port Hedland.

Alex Greenwich of Australian Marriage Equality said, “The Freedom To Marry documentary is an inspiring film for all Australians to watch. While Australia and the US are different ballgames, we can learn quite a lot from how they achieved marriage equality and grew public and political support along the way. I’m very fortunate to have received mentoring, guidance and support from Evan over the years, and am grateful to have been able to draw on his experience and knowledge.

“What we’ve learnt from Evan, and this is evident in the documentary, is that marriage equality is born from a grassroots movement, and reform can be achieved through respectful conversations that change hearts and minds. Fairness and equality are at the heart of Australian society and we believe our laws should reflect these values of which we are most proud. It’s time for all Australians to be treated equally under the law, with the full rights of equal citizenship. We need all Australians to have their voices heard, and this can be done by speaking to their local politicians and let them know why marriage equality is important to them. This is why this documentary and its important narrative will resonate with communities across Australia. The Freedom to Marry has the potential to affect real change and bolster our grassroots movement.”