Blake Berris to attend DC Film Festival

 

Days of our Lives actor, Blake Berris will be in DC at the DCIFF (DC Independent Film Festival) this weekend for the premiere of his movie Meth Head.

 

 

 

 

METH HEAD Makes World Premiere at DC Independent Film Festival

Movie portrays a young man’s downward spiral into methamphetamine addiction

 

WASHINGTON, DC – METH HEAD, the first feature film to offer an honest and compelling portrayal of methamphetamine addiction premiers at the DC Independent Film Festival on Thursday, March 7^th.  The film, written and directed by Hollywood writer-director Jane Clark, depicts a young man, in love and with a promising career ahead of him, whose world spirals wildly out of control due to addiction to methamphetamine--a drug that has ravaged millions of American lives.

 

METH HEAD is inspired by the real-life experiences of Jane Clark and producer-actor John W. McLaughlin--who also plays a character in the movie.  “Most movies, documentaries, and news programs only illustrate meth addicts who are poor and uneducated—or celebrities,” says Clark.  “But methamphetamine is an equal opportunity destroyer. The addicts I knew and know are from good families, had careers, lovers, owned homes, and lived middle class lives. And that is a story that has gone untold until now.”

 

Abuse of methamphetamine, a potent and highly addictive psychostimulant, can lead to devastating medical, psychological, and social consequences and continues to be a very serious problem in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Adverse health effects include memory loss, aggression, psychotic behavior and other serious mental health issues, heart damage, malnutrition, and dental problems. Methamphetamine abuse also contributes to increased transmission of infectious diseases, especially hepatitis and HIV, and has been linked to increases in crime, unemployment, child neglect or abuse, as well as other social ills. Recent federal government surveys report that 12.6 million Americans have used methamphetamine, a drug considered more addictive than heroin that costs the U.S. an estimated $16.2 billion to $48.3 billion annually.*

 

“I don’t see METH HEAD as simply a drug film.  I see it as a film about family – the one that we are born into, the ones that we create – and how they impact the addiction and how the addiction impacts them. In simple terms, it’s about the human beings,” says Clark, who has previously screened several short films at the DC Independent Film Festival, including “Carrie’s Choice” and “Beyond Words”.  “These are the fathers, sons, mothers, lovers, friends, aunts, neighbors that we all know. They are just like us, filled with dreams, desires, fears and insecurities. The only difference is the chemical changes that impact their behavior and their choices because of the drug.”