“Heroin(e),” the story of three women battling the opioid epidemic in West Virginia, has won an Emmy Award for outstanding short documentary. Directed by Elaine McMillion Sheldon and produced by Kerrin Sheldon, the film follows efforts to break the devastating cycle of drug abuse in Huntington, a city with an overdose rate 10 times the national average.
The Netflix original documentary was co-produced by The Center for Investigative Reporting and Requisite Media. It was part of CIR’s Glassbreaker Films initiative, funded by the Helen Gurley Brown Foundation, which supported women in documentary filmmaking and investigative journalism. The film was nominated for an Academy Award earlier this year.
In her acceptance speech, McMillion Sheldon thanked CIR for supporting in-depth reporting and recognized the women featured in the film.
“This is for the unsung heroes like them across the country,” said McMillion Sheldon. “Our first responders and those in longterm recovery, and those who are still suffering from substance use disorder.”
Heroin(e) was nominated alongside entries from PBS FRONTLINE, NBC and The New York Times, as well as a second Netflix submission, “Long Shot.”
“Heroin(e)” is available globally on Netflix.
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