New Web Series "Unsure/Positive" Deals with Stigma and "Coming Out" as HIV-Positive; Gets Recognition from Hollywood Caucus Foundation

Boston, MA, November 21, 2015 --(PR.com)-- "Unsure/Positive" tells the story of Kieran, a young man who has just learned that he is HIV-positive. The first season is about the stigma that plagues Kieran in light of his diagnosis. His personal journey towards self-acceptance is difficult to make when he cannot bring himself to tell anyone about his status.

The dramatic series offers moments of comedy, and manages to illustrate the irony of self-perception being both the principal conflict and the only evident solution for its main character, played by Kiley. The excellent cast is rounded out by spot-on performances from Amy DePaola as Kieran’s best friend Allie, cameos from Tommy Derrah (known for his years of work with the American Repertory Theatre), Maureen Keiller (Spotlight, Fever Pitch) and veteran improv actor and comedian Ken Breese (Inventory, Nerdist Stage).

"Most AIDS narratives in media traditionally tend to treat HIV positive people as the ‘other,’ and usually include the inevitable death of poz characters. My story is about what it is like to be given an HIV positive diagnosis, what it is like to deal with that information today," says Kiley. "In the early stages of pre-production, we sold t-shirts to promote the show. We got some emails suggesting that people would not want to wear anything that might imply they were positive. I was like, hello? Irony much?"

The producing team behind Unsure/Positive consists of Kiley, a Boston indie producer, Amy DePaola of Greenview Entertainment, and Rose Ellen McCaig of pretty strong girl productions. Their Kickstarter campaign raised $10,000 in August of 2014, with production beginning just days afterward. Unsure/Positive was produced in cooperation with the AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts, and a feature length version originally fulfilled the requirements of Kiley's M.F.A. in Media Art at Emerson College. On December 8th Kiley will attend the 33rd Annual Caucus Awards in Hollywood, where Unsure/Positive is nominated for the Golden Circle Award, which celebrates add supports underrepresented minority voices in the entertainment industry.