Utah Sex Offender Releases His Third Independent Film…This Time on Forgiveness

Salt Lake City, Utah, February 5, 2015 (Newswire.com) - A free public screening of Metamora Films latest indie documentary film is being held at the Broadway Centre Cinemas in Salt Lake City, Utah on February 25, 2015 at 7:00pm.  Director and producer, Matt Duhamel, a registered sex offender convicted in 2007 for a computer offense, has been developing thought-provoking and transformative films since 2012.  “The Forgiveness Journey”, a seventy-three minute documentary on the difficult process of forgiveness, features Duhamel and his personal story about his estranged daughter, Maddie.  Duhamel and his wife, Heather, spent over a year and a half interviewing local and national authors, psychologists, religious leaders, and everyday people who have struggled through the process of forgiving.

Interviews include locals, author Wendy Ulrich; University of Utah Professor, Lauren V. Jarvis; Counseling Psychologist Dr. Patricia Henrie-Barrus; Portland, Oregon author Naseem Rakha, and many others.  “Becoming vulnerable especially on camera is very scary for me.  But if I can help others that may be in a similar situation, then it's worth it as a human being and a film director”, Duhamel states.  He admits his latest film has been a healing process and a healthy way to attempt to re-establish a relationship with his now, sixteen year old daughter, who he hasn’t seen for over eight years.  Though he admits the film may never be seen by his daughter, at least he feels he’s tried to reconcile.

"I can't hide behind my past. I have confronted it, learned from it, and now it's time to make a difference and move forward."

Matt Duhamel, Film Director/Producer

Duhamel says, “I can’t hide behind my past.  I have confronted it, learned from it, and now it’s time to make a difference and move forward.”  His film company’s mission statement reads: “Metamora Films is committed to creating educational and thought provoking films resulting in a more emotionally engaged society.   The organization’s film projects assist in expanding compassion and tolerance in order to better understand our differences and similarities.”  For more information on Metamora Films, visit: http://www.metamorafilms.org.

At the film release on February 25, a suggested donation of five dollars will be donated to the nonprofit organization, “The Forgiveness Project”, a U.K. based charity that uses storytelling to explore how ideas around forgiveness, reconciliation and conflict resolution can be used to impact positively on people’s lives, through the personal testimonies of both victims and perpetrators of crime and violence.  The film release will also feature local Utah speakers who support Duhamel’s new film and mission including:  HREC’s Carla Kelley, Dr. Forrest Crawford, Kimberly Giles, Lilli Martin, and emcee, Darroll Young.

Media Contact:
Matt Duhamel
[email protected]