Pauley Perrette Joins "An Act of Love" as an Executive Producer

An Act of Love follows the story of Rev. Frank Schaefer, who was stripped of his credentials as a minister in the United Methodist Church in December of 2013. He was convicted in a church trial for officiating the wedding of his son to another man. Schaefer’s story attracted international media attention. He appeared on The View, CNN, MSNBC, CBS Evening News, and countless regional news outlets. With the spotlight on him, Schaefer went from being a small-town minister to an outspoken LGBT activist with a national platform.

Pauley Perrette is one of the top Q-rated actors in television and film, currently on her eleventh season playing Abby on the #1 TV show, NCIS. Pauley is also a producer,director, and proud member of the United Methodist Church. She has lent a strong and persistent voice as a straight ally for the LGBT community and has worked tirelessly for local, federal and international LGBT equality. Following the plight of LGBT equality issues, Perrette says, “The story of Rev. Frank is one that I think needs to be told…To anyone in the LGBT community, the most important thing is that no one convinces them they don’t have a right to God and a right to God’s love.”

When film director Scott Sheppard heard Schaefer’s story, he immediately reached out to him about making a documentary. Sheppard (himself the son of a Methodist minister) says, “When I heard Pastor Frank’s story, I connected with it in such a deep way that I knew I had to make a film about it.” Sheppard is joined by producer Kate S. Logan, who recently won the Audience Award for best feature documentary at the 2014 Slamdance Film Festival, for her film Kidnapped For Christ, which follows the harrowing story of American teenagers sent to a so-called reform camp in the Dominican Republic.

Mike C. Manning is also an Executive Producer on the film. Mike said, “While working with Kate on Kidnapped for Christ I found her to be someone with a talent for finding stories that need to be told, stories that will help people.” Mike was most recently seen as a lead on Disney Channel’s Cloud 9.

With social media becoming an increasingly popular tool for generating awareness, interest, and funds for independent films, An Act of Love is utilizing Twitter/Facebook (AnActOfLoveFilm), YouTube, and Rev. Schaefer’s frequent public appearances to build momentum for the project.

Donations are being collected on Kickstarter.