Human trafficking documentary highlights problems in North Texas

by PegNews wire

Playground, a hard-hitting investigative look at the sex trade and human trafficking that includes portions filmed in Dallas and Irving, will be featured at a special screening and Q-and-A session with its filmmaker Libby Spears on Thursday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. at Studio Movie Grill at Royal Lane in Dallas.

The film, which was presented at the Tribeca Film Festival, was executive produced by local philanthropists Lauren and Gayle Embrey, along with George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Steven Soderbergh, Abby Disney, and Jeff Vespa.

Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery that affects both Americans and foreigners, but women and children are most at risk. Texas has become a hub for the international crime because of its interstate highways, bus stations, airports, shipping, a large amount of sexually oriented businesses, and its shared border with Mexico.

According to Texas-based advocacy group Children At Risk, it is estimated that one out of every three kids on the street is lured into sex trafficking within the first 48 hours away from home, indicating that at a minimum 2,000 youth, age 10-16, are at-risk of being trafficked from Dallas-Fort Worth each year.

Playground gracefully weaves together expert interviews with personal stories, focusing on the story of Michelle, an American girl lost to the underbelly of childhood sexual exploitation who has yet to resurface a decade later. For more information and scenes from the film, visit www.playgroundproject.com.

The screening is being presented by WomenInFilm.Dallas as a part of its Chick Flicks Film Series and by Dallas Women’s Foundation as a part of its efforts to raise awareness about issues impacting women and girls in North Texas. The screening is sponsored in part by the SMU Department of Cinema and Studio Movie Grill.

In addition to filmmaker Libby Spears, other speakers at the event will include: Lauren Embrey, local philanthropist and one of the executive producers of the film; Betsy Healy, co-founder of the Dallas-based Human Rights Initiative and program officer with the Harold Simmons Foundation; and Stephen Lee, Irving detective featured in the film.

Tickets are $8 at Studio Movie Grill. Discounted tickets ($5) are available for WomenInFilm.Dallas members and SMU students. For more information, contact Studio Movie Grill at (214) 361-2966.

Source: WomenInFilm.Dallas and Dallas Women's Foundation