ABOUT THE FILM

LOGLINE

The untold story of the controversy surrounding the making of William Friedkin’s 1980 thriller Cruising, the fierce protests around its production, and the real life murders that inspired the film.

LONG SYNOPSIS

MINESHAFT: THE CRUISING MURDERS peels back the layers of controversy surrounding the making of the 1980 thriller Cruising. Directed by William Friedkin, Cruising triggered fierce protests from the LGBTQ+ community for its portrayal of a serial killer targeting gay men in New York’s leather bars. Friedkin drew inspiration from the brutal murder of Variety reporter Addison Verrill, blurring the boundaries between cinematic fiction and real-life tragedy.

Emmy^®-winning director Jeffrey Schwarz (Vito, I Am Divine, Tab Hunter Confidential) brings his signature storytelling flair to this gripping chapter of queer history where true crime, moviemaking, and LGBTQ+ resistance collide.

Director Jeffrey Schwarz

Producers Jeffrey Schwarz, John Boccardo

Executive Producers Ron Nyswaner, Robbie Rogers, Alan Eichler, Gerald Herman

Co-Producer Aimée Flaherty

Associate Producers Adam Baran, Jeff Nelson, Tenielle Oldham

Editor Jeffrey Schwarz

Cinematographers Brian Wengrofsky, Jesse Dana

Music Makeup and Vanity Set

Key Interviewees Dan Savage, Michael Musto, Randy Jurgensen, Don Scardino, Robert Geary, Pamela Verrill Walker, Andy Humm, Charles Kaiser, Dennis Dermody, Frank Henenlotter, James Polchin, Jim Hubbard, Matt Foreman, Richard Berkowitz, Richard Goldstein

FESTIVALS
2026: Tribeca (World Premiere)

AVAILABLE TERRITORIES
The World

EXHIBITION FORMATS
DCP, Digital Download