August 22, 2007 (Los Angeles) - As part of the September 21, 2007 nationwide film release of sex-trafficking drama, Trade, Roadside Attractions is proud to announce it will donate 5 per cent of the opening week box-office gross divided among each of the following organizations who are participating in the release of the film; United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), a global leader in the fight against illicit drugs, human trafficking and other international crime; Equality Now, an international human rights organization dedicated to ending all forms of violence and discrimination against women and girls; International Justice Mission (IJM), secures rescue and restoration for victims of slavery, trafficking, sexual exploitation and oppression, and prosecutes perpetrators of these crimes; and David Batstone's Not For Sale Campaign, a group of individuals, musicians, artists, people of faith, students, businesses and sports teams united to start the movement to stop slavery in our lifetime.
To celebrate the film's release, Roadside Attractions, in conjunction with the UNODC and Equality Now, are planning a benefit premiere at the United Nations in New York on September 19, 2007 at 7:00 pm that will include a buffet supper in the UN Delegates dining room. This will mark the first film premiere event ever to take place at the United Nations. The cast of Trade, along with director Marco Kreuzpaintner, producers Roland Emmerich and Rosilyn Heller, screenwriter Jose Rivera and supporters of the benefit: Candice Bergen, Phoebe Cates, Edwidge Danticat, Eve Ensler, Terry George, Sarah Jones, Bijou Phillips, Mark Ronson, Chloë Sevigny, Jessica Stam, Gloria Steinem, Marisa Tomei, Ivanka Trump, Kerry Washington, Sam Waterston, and Sigourney Weaver are all expected to attend. All proceeds will go to the UNODC and Equality Now.
Roadside is also partnering with the Not For Sale Campaign. David Batstone is traveling across the United States from August - November presenting a multimedia event to raise awareness and mobilize faith communities nationwide. Calling human trafficking the "moral battle of our time," Batstone hopes to ignite a movement through his presentation that educates through music, action-oriented content, news footage and commentary, as well as clips from the movie and information about Trade.
"We hope that our collaboration with the UNODC, Equality Now, IJM and David's outreach campaign in addition to various other political, women's and Latino groups on the release of Trade will bring necessary attention to the issue," said Co-President of Roadside Attractions Howard Cohen. " Trade sends a powerful message and we are proud this film will bring much needed focus to this international scourge," added Co-President Eric d'Arbeloff.
Trade follows the story of a 13-year-old Mexican girl (Paulina Gaitan) and a young Polish woman (Alicja Bachleda) as they are kidnapped by sex traffickers in Mexico and transported for sale in the United States. As they make their brutal journey north, the young girl's older brother (Cesar Ramos) and a Texas cop (Kevin Kline) set off on a desperate and dangerous rescue attempt. Trade is inspired by "The Girls Next Door," Peter Landesman's chilling NY Times Magazine expose on the U.S. sex trade industry.
Roadside Attractions is an independent film distribution company committed to championing films that entertain, delight, and enlighten audiences of all kinds. The company works with filmmakers to devise innovative marketing strategies that encourage audiences to see films that are not typical studio fare.
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