"I Thought It Was Forever" Weekly All Access Cast Rewind

http://www.indiegogo.com/I-Thought-It-Was-Forever?a=386630

Are you able to live and find your happiness, after an unpredictable relationship bombshell? What would you do if you found out your spouse was secretly gay or if the person you thought was gay, was secretly straight? Instantly, you may be like many people who contemplate murder/suicide, revenge, or some sort of calculated and intensely dramatic way to pay the person back for hurting you. 

That's exactly why "I Thought It Was Forever" is an important, universal and timely documentary. Through on-camera interviews, personal photos and candid commentary, the documentary examines exactly how seven people dealt with the unnerving question that seems to be rather easy to answer. The reactions and reality of every cast member will heighten awareness and spark conversations about same-sex marriage, attraction, et that are still taboo in many families.

Every week, leading up to May 16th, which is the deadline to raise completion funds for "I Thought It Was Forever," on this blog, you'll get a cast recap.  You can view the trailer and pledge a donation at http://www.indiegogo.com/I-Thought-It-Was-Forever?a=386630.

Randy & Sue
Photo Courtesy of Randy

"I woke up excited about our 21st wedding anniversary and all the titles I treasured, being a father, husband and friend, were erased," says Randy, after finding out Sue was having an affair with a woman. The couple met while Randy was serving in the Air Force in England, during the '70s. 

Randy
Photo Courtesy of Lawrence Dortch

Randy is on some level able to accept his life to the woman he wanted and believed was his true love just didn't work out as he dreamed. "God answers all prayers and sometimes the answer is no," he says. 

During her recent interview, Sue reflects on her life before coming out
Photo Courtesy of Jeff Ray

While Randy only recently accepted his reality, his ex-wife says she told Randy very early in the marriage exactly how she felt. "He wanted to have an open marriage and wanted me to just go away on the weekends and do what I wanted to do and come home and be with him but I told him about five years after we were married, it wasn't going to work," says Sue.

Photo Courtesy of Lawrence Dortch

Today, Sue is in a committed relationship with Jackie. Just like Sue, Jackie was in a traditional marriage for several years before she came out to her family and divorced her husband. "It's not like we get married to people and purposefully set out to hurt them," says Jackie.

Photo Courtesy of Jeff Ray

Be sure to log on next week to meet Marc & Lorraine. Years of silence, sadness and suppressing disappointment, gradually replaced their cookie-cutter happiness that began when the couple met in middle school. After a 16-year marriage, where at least nine years were overshadowed with financial burdens and emotional turbulence, both took a heartbreaking step away from their marriage and divorced. "I had a nearly fatal car accident and almost died and I remember thinking, if I'd died, Lorraine would have never known who she really married," says Marc.

Photo Courtesy of Marc

Please forward all of your comments to Maniko Barthelemy at NewsHeels@gmail.com. You can also follow the progress of "I Thought It Was Forever" on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Movie-I-Thought-It-Was-Forever. 

"I Thought It Was Forever" Weekly All Access Pass

http://www.indiegogo.com/I-Thought-It-Was-Forever?a=386630

From concept to creation and completion, the progress of a documentary like "I Thought It Was Forever" depends heavily on a well-experienced crew, a brave cast and donations from family members and friends. The film is like "Broke Back Mountain" meeting "Modern Family" and "Happily Divorced," only the people in "I Thought It Was Forever" are real, their stories candid and the outcome is unpredictable.

Throughout the online fundraising campaign to raise $15,000 in completion funds for the film, on this blog you will get a weekly in-depth look at a member of the cast and crew making the universal film possible. This week, Southern Belle Productions, LLC introduces you to cast member, Sue.

Sue’s Story

Photo Courtesy of Randy

A traditional family life with everything but a pet is exactly how Sue lived her life in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., married for more than two decades. Sue, although she had just about everything most women want, was hurting inside and void of ultimate happiness. She met Randy, the U.S. serviceman who fell in love with her madly, while Randy was stationed in England. “We met on a blind date. He was really nice and funny,” says Sue. After dating and later marrying in England, the couple began their American dream with their two children. “We went on a lot of vacations and had some wonderful times. I absolutely loved my children.”

Photo Courtesy of Randy

As her love for her children intensified, Sue’s desire to be intimate and in the same room as Randy became an emotional and physical wedge, eventually leading to their divorce. “I told him five years into the marriage that I was gay but he wanted an open relationship,” says Sue.  Randy admits he tried everything possible to hold onto his marriage, even meeting with Sue’s lover at the couple’s home, but denies Sue ever told him about her secret. “I even considered an open marriage, until the day Sue came home, skipped down the stairs with a rose and straddled her lover in front of me and kissed her,” says Randy. Sue vehemently denies Randy’s account.  “I want him to move on with his life and finally be happy. If he’s holding out for me to come back, that ain’t gonna happen,” says Sue.

Trudi/Photo Courtesy of Jeff Ray

Randy and Sue have two adult children, Trudi and Marc, who were witnesses to the unraveling of their parent’s marriage, just as the two were in the middle of their teenage years. The whole family is featured in “I Thought It Was Forever.” 

Sue & Jackie (Photo Courtesy of Jeff Ray)

Jackie, Sue’s partner is also in the film. “I know what people think but we don’t get married to men just so we can divorce them later and hurt them,” says Jackie.

Do you believe Sue or Randy’s account? What would you do if you came home and your wife told you she didn’t love you the way you want or deserve to be loved because she’s in love with a woman?  Leave a comment on this site or e-mail Maniko Barthelemy directly at NewsHeels@gmail.com.   

Join us next week for a cast re-cap, in case you missed the previous editions of the weekly “I Thought It Was Forever” All Access Pass.

"I Thought It Was Forever" Weekly All Access Pass

by Alleathea Carter-Perkins and Tiffani Horne
http://www.indiegogo.com/I-Thought-It-Was-Forever?a=386630

From concept to creation and completion, the progress of a documentary like "I Thought It Was Forever" depends heavily on a well-experienced crew, brave cast and donations. The film is like "Broke Back Mountain" meets "Modern Family" and "Happily Divorced," only the people in "I Thought It Was Forever" are real, their stories candid and the outcome is unpredictable.


Throughout the online fundraising campaign to raise $15,000 in completion funds for the film, on this blog you will get a weekly in-depth look at a member of the cast and crew making the universal film possible. This week, Southern Belle Productions, LLC introduces you to Production Assistant, Tiffani Horne and cast member, Melissa.

Photo Courtesy of Jeff Ray

Melissa
When Melissa was a teenager, she met her now ex-husband when they were both working at a retail store. A friend introduced the San Antonio couple and they went out on several group dates before falling in love with each other. Several of the dates included the couple visiting gay bars in San Antonio. According to Melissa, the gay bars were the safest places to party in San Antonio at the time, because the city's nightlife was very dangerous.

After a five year courtship the two decided they could not live without each other. When her ex-husband's proposed, he made sure it was unforgettable, renting out an entire restaurant for the night.  Before the couple married Melissa's father gave her an unusual warning.  

Photo Courtesy of Melissa

"My father looked at me and said ‘‘he's going to leave you with lots of children to raise,” says Melissa.

Before the wedding and ignoring all the red flags, Melissa says, "I felt strange, almost like something wasn't right and I forgot to pack a lot of things for our honeymoon. Now that I look back on it, I see I felt strange because I knew something was wrong but I married him anyway."

Melissa ex-husband told her that he wanted to stay married to her but have sex with men. After 20 long years of marriage Melissa asked for a divorce.  The couple share custody of their two young daughters. Melissa does not know if she will ever re-marry.

Photo Courtesy of Lawrence Dortch

“What I like about I Thought It Was Forever” is it exposes an issue that affects millions of families and it needs to be addressed. ”, says production assistant, Tiffani Horne.

Tiffani Horne is an IT Business Analyst who works as a consultant in the federal sector by day, by night she's a striving movie producer/writer/director. She recently worked as the First Assistant Director and Associate Producer on a short film entitled Fair Play, produced by Rosehaven Productions.  

Tiffani is writing a feature length script with the working title of How Long?  The film is a story about four single, talented and trendsetting women, and their journey to find and embrace their American dream of a husband, children and satisfying careers. The women are from diverse family backgrounds and have interesting careers.

We welcome all of your comments about "I Thought It Was Forever" and would love to hear your stories about love, forgiveness, shock and satisfaction. Please e-mail Maniko Barthelemy directly at NewsHeels@gmail.com

"I Thought It Was Forever" Fundraising Campaign Update

Every week on this blog, Southern Belle Productions will publicly thank everyone who donates to the completion funds campaign for "I Thought It Was Forever." The film is a combination of "Broke Back Mountain,"Waiting to Exhale," and TV Land's "Happily Divorced," only the cast is real and you'll likely identify with at least one person's story. Please view and share the link to the trailer for "I Thought It Was Forever" at http://www.indiegogo.com/I-Thought-It-Was-Forever?a=386630. 

Just like big budget studio-financed films, financial support is critical for a documentary to move from creation to completion. We salute all of our donors and welcome more donations and comments. We're also on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Movie-I-Thought-It-Was-Forever/266635793379198.


We have 36 days left to raise the remainder of the $15,000 needed to complete 'I Thought It Was Forever." Thanks to a combination of checks and online donations made in the last seven days by Tanya Evans, Karen Nelson, Curtis Crutchfield, Denise Douglas, Natalie Bell and Rotanda Brown, we've raised $2,320. We welcome more comments and contributions. 

"I Thought It Was Forever" Weekly All Access Pass

by Alleathea Carter-Perkins and Tiffani Horne
http://www.indiegogo.com/I-Thought-It-Was-Forever?a=386630.

From concept to creation and completion, the progress of a documentary like "I Thought It Was Forever" depends heavily on a well-experienced crew, brave cast and donations. The film is like "Broke Back Mountain" meets "Modern Family" and "Happily Divorced," only the people in "I Thought It Was Forever" are real, their stories candid and the outcome is unpredictable.


Throughout the online fundraising campaign to raise $15,000 in completion funds for the film, on this blog you will get a weekly in-depth look at a member of the cast and crew making the universal film possible. This week, Southern Belle Productions, LLC introduces you to Associate Producer, Alleathea Carter-Perkins and cast member, Trudi.

Alleathea Carter-Perkins is an accomplished television production professional with over seven years of experience. She recently completed a Promotional Video for an historic church in Baltimore, MD called “St. Paul Community Baptist Church: Spreading the Good News of the Gospel”. The video highlights the many ministries and efforts the church does every year as a promotional tool for those interested and for new members as well.

Photo Courtesy of Lawrence Dortch

Alleathea is also a Post Production Coordinator for Planet Green and Discovery Fit & Health, two premiere networks from the Discovery Communications network family. Over the past 7 years, she has enjoyed creating documentary and non-fiction television and is excited about her current projects such as “I Thought It Was Forever” and future projects.

"I Thought It Was Forever" Completion Funds Update

Every week on this blog, Southern Belle Productions will publicly thank everyone who donates to the completion funds campaign for "I Thought It Was Forever." Please share the link to the trailer for "I Thought It Was Forever" at http://www.indiegogo.com/I-Thought-It-Was-Forever?a=386630. 

Thanks to  Kendrah Mathews and Kevin Parkinson, we've surpassed the 10% fundraising goal with a little more than 40 days left to raise $15,000 to complete "I Thought It Was Forever."You can see a complete outline of how the money will be allocated and expenses tracked on the fundraising page. Just like big budget studio-financed films, financial support is critical for a documentary to move from creation to completion. 

Southern Belle Productions salutes all of our donors and welcome more donations and comments. We're also on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Movie-I-Thought-It-Was-Forever/266635793379198.