Sheldon Kennedy's life featured in New Jersey filmmaker's documentary

A documentary that focuses on the struggleshockey player Sheldon Kennedyfaced following years of sexual abuse by his former coachopens this weekend at theRendezvous With Madness Film Festival in Toronto.

DirectorJoshuaRofsays he grew up in New Jersey playing hockey. He remembers as a teenreading stories on Sheldon Kennedy and how he came forward about the sexual abuse he suffered from Swift Current Broncoshockey coach Graham James.

Kennedy played for the Broncos at the time of the assaults. Hewent on to play in the National Hockey League.

Jamesserved 3 1/2 years in federal prison after he pleaded guilty in 1997 to sex offences against Sheldon Kennedy and two others.

We need to take this out of the shadows because people are suffering.- JoshuaRof

Rof says Swift Currentlooks at theperiod of timewhen thecameras went away andKennedy wasleft to deal with thetrauma of the abuse.

Kennedy was unsure about doing the filmat first as his story hasbeen shared many times before.

But Rof says hetold Kennedy, "we're going to make it about recovery from sexual abuse trauma and give a voice to victims thatfrankly they've never had so in depth in a documentary."

The film also highlights the story oftwo collegestudents in Ontario who seek help from Kennedy afterdisclosingtheir ownsexual abuse.

Rofhopes people will talk about this type ofabuse more after seeing the documentary.

"We need to take this out of the shadows because people are suffering," saidRof.