Photo credit: Neshan Naltchayan
On September 18th, Innocents at Risk brought together Government officials, members of the Diplomatic Corp, representatives of the corporate world, friends of the philanthropic world, non-profit organizations and the press to celebrate what is being done to help prevent child trafficking. The Benefit evening at The Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC recognized Award Winning Film Director Jeffrey Brown for his film SOLD which has served as an excellent awareness tool for all the organizations to end child trafficking. Hollywood on the Potomac recently spoke with Brown and his producing partner Jane Charles.
“I’m a filmmaker, a mother, a wife, a daughter, a good friend. When I read the book SOLD, the award-winning novel by Patricia McCormick almost 10 years ago and started researching human trafficking, I didn’t realize that this is the second highest grossing illegal crime (2nd only to drug trafficking) and that it is happening right here in the United States,” Charles told us. “Making this film was both the most difficult and the most worthwhile thing I have ever done in my life so far. I spent almost 10 years researching, making and distributing SOLD. Jeffrey Brown, the writer/director of SOLD and I traveled to India and Nepal several times before shooting the film and went back after to shoot some pick-ups and record needed audio. I fell in love with India and Nepal and our extended families in both countries that we met along the way, especially the survivors, the many girls we met at rescue facilities and shelters that we remember and carry with us every day. Making the film SOLD forever changed the trajectory of my life and career. What began as a feature film to create global awareness of human trafficking has turned into an ongoing advocacy and impact campaign.”
Jeffrey Brown
“What most people don’t realize is that human trafficking is a 150 billion dollar industry; that children are being bought and sold in every city in the world, in every country in the world,” she added. “This is a global issue. We have to join together and work to end this misery. Millions of children are sexually abused, beaten, held captive and sold every day. It’s hidden – the perpetrators would like us to believe that ‘it doesn’t happen here.’ Yet it does and we all have to act – governments, non-profits, business and citizens. We all have to unify and join together and hit this issue on every level possible. Stories have the power to ignite activism and to change the world.”
Deborah Sigmund
Innocents at Risk Founder Deborah Sigmund also recognized the Marriott Corporation for being a leader in the Corporate World by training their employees to report situations of possible exploitation and child trafficking. She talked about a situation she witnessed in a Tampa Florida Marriott Hotel during a Conference where she was speaking about Child Trafficking, an actual situation of human traffickers selling young girls for sex. The hotel staff reported the suspicious activity to police and the FBI. Deborah said that it was very appropriate to present Tony Capuano of Marriott International Corporation The Innocents at Risk Corporate Responsibly Award and thanked Tony for his leadership at Marriott to do something to save young lives!
Jeffrey Brown, Staci Capuano, Tony Capuano with Deborah Sigmund
Deborah thanked both recipients and said that this film was “a Gift” and a tremendous tool to use in schools, churches Embassies and communities to create Awareness! Deborah presented Jeffrey Brown with the Innocents at Risk “ Making a Difference” Award. Jeffrey thanked Deborah and said she was his “Heroine” and said it was amazing how much Innocents at Risk had accomplished in just 13 years. Jeffrey thanked everyone in the audience for supporting Innocents at Risk. NBC’s Barbara Harrison was the event MC.
