Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, The Bob Woodruff Foundation and The Mission Continues Celebrate Partnership at the SXSW World Premiere of “MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE”

Film Was Produced By Legion M and Radiant Media Studios, Executive Producers Include Recent Super Bowl LVIII Champion Travis Kelce

Feature-Length Dark Comedy Drama Boasts An A-List Cast: Sonequa Martin-Green, Natalie Morales, Ed Harris, Morgan Freeman, Utkarsh Ambudkar and Gloria Reuben

AUSTIN, Texas — Today, Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund (“The Everytown Support Fund”), The Bob Woodruff Foundation, and The Mission Continues released the following statements ahead of tomorrow’s world premiere of the feature film “MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE” at the Paramount Theater for South by Southwest Film Festival. The coalition of groups partnered with the writer and director of “MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE,” Kyle Hausmann-Stokes, as part of a campaign created by Hausmann-Stokes and Impact Producer Chris Marvin to connect audiences to social impact opportunities relating to themes shown in the film and to Hausmann-Stokes’ own time in the Army. Hausmann-Stokes is a founding member of the Everytown Veterans Advisory Council.

The film was produced by Legion M and Radiant Media Studios, and includes in its ranks of Executive Producers recent Super Bowl LVIII champion Travis Kelce. 

“My goal with the film has always been selfish. To help my fellow veterans, really anyone who has endured a trauma or loss like I have, who might be drawn to seeing the film for one reason—it’s a proper Hollywood film, an A-list cast, levity and gravity—but come away with a deeper message. That help is out there; to heal is to talk about it, to live your best life is to honor those we’ve lost,” said Kyle Hausmann-Stokes, writer and director of “MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE” and founding member of the Everytown Veterans Advisory Council. “Every American knows a veteran, but not everyone gets to delve into their lives and experiences to understand who veterans really are.” 

“When veterans talk about guns and gun safety, the American people need to listen,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. “Everytown was honored to be an impact partner on ‘MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE,’ which highlights why any conversation about supporting veterans needs to include gun safety.”

“The Bob Woodruff Foundation is thrilled to be an impact partner on this groundbreaking film ‘MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE’,” said Anne Marie Dougherty, CEO of the Bob Woodruff Foundation. “This film is pivotal in highlighting the urgent mental health needs of our nation’s veterans and their loved ones.”

“At The Mission Continues, our veteran-led service projects are restoring the sense of purpose and connectedness that is so critical to veterans when they leave the military,” said Marine Corps veteran Mary Beth Bruggeman, CEO of The Mission Continues. “‘MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE’ is a cautionary tale, and one that inspires us to reach more veterans and ensure they can continue their mission of service here at home.”

“MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE” is a dark comedy drama that follows the journey of Merit (Sonequa Martin-Green), a U.S. Army Afghanistan veteran who is at odds with her estranged grandfather (Ed Harris) thanks to the presence of Zoe (Natalie Morales), her dead best friend from the Army. “MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE” is a continuation of “MERITxZOE,” a 2022 short film that is semi-autobiographical for Hausmann-Stokes. The Everytown Support Fund, The Bob Woodruff Foundation, and The Mission Continues were organizational impact partners on “MERITxZOE” as well.