Photo by: Daniel Sladek

Nominated for two prime-time Emmy Awards in 2009, “Prayers for Bobby” has done more than address gay rights.

“Prayers for Bobby,” co-produced by Daniel Sladek, Chris Taaffe, Stanley Brooks and David Permut, tells the story of Bobby Griffith and his struggle to find acceptance from his religious mother after coming out, ultimately leading to his suicide. “Prayers for Bobby” will be screened on campus tomorrow at 4 p.m. in Lindsay Auditorium in Sturm Hall.

Executive producer Sladek, who will be attending the film screening, undertook a 13-year process in order to bring “Prayers for Bobby” to the silver screen after discovering the novel, “Prayers for Bobby: A Mother’s Coming to Terms with the Suicide of Her Gay Son.”

A Denver native and openly gay man, Sladek grew up in a similar society that Bobby did, facing the same obstacles as a young gay man with no outlets.

“Making the film was incredibly real for me,” said Sladek. “Today if you’re a young gay person you have endless connectivity to the Internet, blogs and information regarding your sexuality. When I was growing up I had to figure out who I was, accept it, and deal with it on my own.”

According to Sladek, the film serves as a vehicle for discourse due to homosexuality being pervasive in every aspect of our lives.

“It’s rare to be able to be part of a film that actually matters and have an opportunity to produce a spectacular film that will impact others’ perceptions,” said Sladek.

“Prayers for Bobby” was released on Lifetime in 2009 and was recently released on DVD in December 2010. The film was nominated for the Emmy Awards, won the 2010 Golden Globe Award and the 2010 Screen Actors Guild Award for outstanding performance by a female actor in a television movie or miniseries (Sigourney Weaver).

The film screening will begin at 4 p.m. April 20 in Lindsay Auditorium and will be followed by a question-and-answer segment with Sladek.