Wow!  It’s been a busy couple of weeks since we screened our documentary film, Untouchable: Children of God here in Boston.  The screening was AWESOME – 114 people attended in spite of the freezing cold weather and crazy traffic!  There were tons of great questions after the film, and I wanted to respond to one here publicly.  The big question of the night was – How can we help?!  That really is the whole point of the film – not only to raise general awareness, but to stir people to action!  So, this is the best question ever!!!  I’ve got a bunch of thoughts on how to answer it, and this is my by-no-means-exhaustive list of responses:

Spread the word about Untouchable!   We need your help to get our film out into your communities!  We’ve got screenings planned all over the country, with more being organized every day.  You can be a HUGE help simply by spreading the word in a few really easy ways.

• Share your thoughts & passion about the film, with a link to our Website &/or our Screenings Page on Facebook/Twitter/Google+ and every social media site you can imagine!
• Invite your friends to screenings in their area!  View a complete list of screenings here, and you can see some of the FB events listed here.  Invite your friends through Facebook, email them the links and encourage them to attend, share the screenings in your area on your wall and ask you friends to join you.
• Reach Out to local community groups and non-profits and encourage them to support, attend, and share about the film.  Groups that might be great to reach out t0 – local Nepali & Indian ex-pat communities and meetups, anti-trafficking organizations, human rights organizations, local churches and religious groups, etc.

Got any more ideas?  Leave a comment below!  Get creative!

Plan a Screening of the film!   There are some really easy ways for you to plan and host a screening of the film in your own neighborhood.

• At Home Screening  –  Buy a copy of the DVD at one of our screenings (online options coming soon), or rent the film on Vimeo (available May 1, 2015) – then invite a couple of friends or your small group over to watch the film and talk about it!
• Community Venue Screening  –  Partner with a local church, non-profit or community organization that has a space & screen large enough to view the film.  Screenings can be set up through Tugg.   The venue/organizer needs to pay in advance for the rights to show it to a group (cost varies by size of the space) – but then they can charge a ticket price if they need to recoup the cost.  Organizers can connect with local anti-trafficking non-profits and even use it as a fundraiser.  There is no threshold for this type of screening – so the screening can proceed no matter how many people attend.
• Theater Screening  –  Anyone can host a screening in a local theater almost anywhere in the US through our partner,  Tugg Inc.  Any individual, community organization, church, or non-profit can use this option – and Tugg partners with theaters all over the country so it can be done in nearly any US city.  The Organizer/Promoter gets a small percentage of the profits for promoting the film – which is a bit of work.  Theater Screenings can be held on weekdays, and must meet a threshold of tickets sold within a week of the event in order for the screening to proceed.  Non-profits can also use the site to take donations when people buy their tickets, and use it as a fundraiser.  This is a great option for any anti-trafficking group that wants to host a screening to raise awareness about the subject in general, and about their organization too.

With either the Community Venue or Theater Screening options, Code Red Films and Krista Photography with help where we can to promote your screening, and can possibly provide resources like DVDs for sale, and having one of the crew attend for Q&A, depending upon location & scheduling.  With either option we recommend creating a facebook event and inviting everyone you know in the area, posting on facebook often and early, emailing people directly to invite them and encouraging others to do the same.  We’ve also created a Press Kit to help you set it up.

GIVE   Giving of your time, talents & resources is always helpful as Code Red and all anti-trafficking efforts rely on the generosity of their supporters.  There are a few ways to get involved with the film, in Nepal & India, and even in your local area…

• Support Code Red Films  –  Code Red Films is a registered 501c3 Nonprofit Organization, and all projects are funded by generous donations of supporters from all over the world. Supporting projects like Untouchable involves not just the costs of producing the film, but promoting & marketing the film (which takes just as long, I’m learning).  Code Red Films also directly supports Asha Nepal, one of the organizations highlighted in our film (more info below).  Financial contributions can me made HERE.  Code Red is also looking for Volunteers, Interns, Board Members, Editors, PR/Marketing professionals, etc. – contact Grant Knisely to explore opportunities!  Don’t forget to like Code Red Films on Facebook and Twitter, as well as the Untouchable: Children of God page, and stay up to date about the latest news & events!
• Support NGOs in Nepal & India  –  There are a number of great organizations we worked with in Nepal and India while we film the documentary, and a bunch that we learned about during the process, or that I’ve supported on my own over the years.  This is not an exhaustive list, but a few that I think are especially awesome!  You should like them on Facebook to stay informed at the very least!
  • Out of Ashes
  • Asha Nepal
  • Catalyst
  • Courage Homes
  • Bombay Teen Challenge
  • Justice Ventures
  • Tiny Hands International
  • Not For Sale
  • International Justice Mission
  • Buy Products Made by Survivors of Trafficking
    • Punjammies
    • Exodus Cry
    • Relevee 
• Support LOCAL Organizations  –  Our film highlights the issue of trafficking in Nepal & India, but the truth is that girls, women and boys are trafficked EVERYWHERE – even in your hometown.  There are lots of great organizations fighting for freedom in your neck of the woods.  You can use these resources to find them.
  • A21 Campaign
  • Love146
  • Polaris Project
  • Find local organizations through the Global Modern Slavery Directory, HumanTrafficking.org or End Slavery Now
  • Stop the Traffick
  • Truckers Against Trafficking
  • Freedom Network
  • Thorn
  • Boston-area Organizations
    • Amirah House
    • The GIFT Program (Roxbury Youthworks)
    • Not For Sale Massachusetts
    • MA Coalition to End Human Trafficking

As you can see, there are SO many ways to get involved and make a difference!!  Use your unique talents to make a difference, use your voice and your reach!  If we all work together to fight this great injustice, there’s no reason we can’t succeed!