MTV premieres hometown hero’s screening and panel discussion at FIU

WHAT: Florida International University will host the South Florida premiere of Pedro, a movie based on the remarkable life of The Real World’s Pedro Zamora. In 1994, Zamora, a Miami native, captured the hearts of millions as the first-ever openly gay, HIV-positive main character on television, appearing on MTV’s The Real World: San Francisco. Zamora’s time in the house on Lombard Street brought a face to the AIDS crisis. His death at age 22, following the final episode of The Real World provoked a worldwide outpouring of grief. President Bill Clinton has long credited Zamora with personalizing and humanizing the epidemic, and he will introduce Pedro when it makes its world television premiere April 1^st at 8 p.m. Pedro enjoys deep ties with FIU: one of the film’s stars, Karolin Luna, is an FIU alumna and Zamora’s niece is a student at the university.

WHO: Panelists for the discussion will touch on the movie’s impact, as well as how much has changed since Zamora first talked about living with HIV more than 15 years ago. The panelists include Dr. Jesus Sanchez, FIU faculty member and expert on HIV/ AIDS; Yuri Velasquez, a student living with HIV; Mily Zamora, Pedro Zamora’s sister; Karolin Luna, a cast member and FIU alumna; Alex Loynaz, a cast member; and Rene (‘Residente’) Perez of the Grammy & Latin Grammy winning duo Calle 13.

WHEN: The film screening will take place from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. followed by a panel discussion from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, March 13, 2009. The event is free and open to the public.

WHERE: FIU’s University Park campus Graham Center, room 140 at 11200 S.W. 8 St., Miami, FL 33199.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information and to view the movie trailer, please visit www.pedro.mtv.com.

Media contact: Jean Paul Renaud at 305-348-2716.

-FIU- 

About FIU:
Florida International University was founded in 1965 and is Miami’s only public research university. With a student body of more than 38,000, FIU graduates more Hispanics than any other university in the country. Its 17 colleges and schools offer more than 200 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs in fields such as engineering, international relations and law. FIU has been classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a “High Research Activity University.” In 2006 FIU was authorized to establish a medical school, which will welcome its first class in 2009. FIU’s College of Law recently received accreditation in the fastest time allowed by the American Bar Association.