DANVILLE, KY - Centre College will host filmmaker Brent Scarpo on Wednesday, March 15, for film excerpts and discussion on "The Journey to a Hate-Free Millennium." The program will begin at 8 p.m. in Newlin Hall in the Norton Center for the Arts. It is open to the public at no cost. Scarpo and fellow filmmaker Martin Bedogne were so troubled by the recent wave of national hate crimes, including the killings of Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, that they decided to produce a documentary on the topic. Their professional skills and commitment won the support of Shepard's family, who agreed to speak on film about the tragic outcomes of hate crimes. The documentary also includes perspectives from Byrd's family and relatives of the students who died at Columbine High School. For his program at Centre, Scarpo will show excerpts from the film. He also will set forth his conviction that hate crimes are not about racism or homophobia, they are about hate. ""It's not a gay thing, it's not a black thing, it's not an Asian thing," says Scarpo. "It's a hate thing and hate is nondiscriminatory. A lack of love and self-respect is the underlying hate behind these crimes." Scarpo's goal is to begin productive discussion about hate in this country, and to help people understand how hate affects their lives and our society. Scarpo has worked in Hollywood for 15 years as an actor and casting director. He has appeared on stage and in television and film projects, and he has cast such films as Air Force One, That Thing You Do and The Shawshank Redemption. - end -
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