3 Needles

3 Needles is a 2005 dramatic film directed by Thom Fitzgerald. The title, 3 Needles, refers to the three main characters who make a deal with the devil in order to survive a global epidemic. Shawn Ashmore stars as a Canadian porn star hiding the fact he is HIV positive. Stockard Channing is his mother who learns the truth. The second individual is a blood buyer in China Lucy Liu who fails to take adequate precautions with the blood. Finally, in Africa, Olympia Dukakis, Chloe Sevigny, and Sandra Oh are Catholic nuns caring for their HIV-infected patients.

3 Needles debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival, before showing at countless festivals in London, Stockholm, Karlovy Vary, Seattle, and Pusan. It made its commercial release in the United States at the New York City Museum of Modern Art on December 1, 2006 (World AIDS Day). Leading up to its U.S. premier, it was heavily promoted by the United Nations Global Media AIDS Initiative. The film won prizes for cinematography and direction at the Atlantic Film Festival. Director Thom Fitzgerald was nominated for a Canadian Director's Guild Award for Best Direction of a Feature Film; additionally, Variety praised its "exceptional performances".