FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: Barbara Fowler

Tel: (205) 907-4707
Email: barbara@fowlerdavis.com
Website: www.HiddenGemFilms.com

ALABAMA FILM ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING, HIDDEN GEM,

RECEIVES NUMEROUS AWARDS ACROSS THE U.S.

(BIRMINGHAM, AL) January 21, 2020

The short film, Hidden Gem, was inspired by actual events on human trafficking and filmed entirely in
Alabama with local talent and crew by Fowler Davis Entertainment and Red Sky Studios. January is Human
Trafficking Awareness Month and Hidden Gem Films has partnered with law enforcement, governmental
agencies, nonprofits, churches, businesses, healthcare organizations and other advocates across the U.S.
to spread awareness and education about the epidemic of human trafficking.

Barbara Fowler, one of the Producers of the film, has become a strong advocate in the anti-human
trafficking movement and is Co-Convener of the Community Engagement and Awareness Committee
with the Child Trafficking Solutions Project through the Children’s Policy Council of Jefferson County and
the TraffickingFree Zone initiative in partnership with the U.S. Insitute Against Human Trafficking.

Barbara explains that the TraffickingFree Zone program is a county-wide initiative focused on reducing
the demand – the number of buyers – for sex-trafficked victims. The TraffickingFree Zone program is
implemented in collaboration with community leaders, law enforcement, businesses, schools,
healthcare organizations, churches and the media. The focus of the program is on arresting and
prosecuting sex buyers instead of the victims who are being sold, educating people on sex trafficking and
implementing numerous other demand reduction techniques including technology and research
components. When these sectors are activated and working in unison for a one-year period, the
TraffickingFree Zone community can expect to see a significant decline in demand.

Barbara says “the power to be educated can transform how we think about human trafficking and move
us all to act against this horrific crime in humanity and give a voice to the victims and survivors, ultimately
creating a world free from sexual exploitation. The signs are all around us, but we need to be educated
and know what to look for and be aware of. Our desire is for people to watch our film, become more
educated, and leave changed feeling a call of action.”

Film Producer Jeff Davis, states “Hidden Gem depicts what could be a common intersection of any of us
with a victim of human trafficking and demonstrates that awareness of something being wrong can lead
to action which can possibly save a life. We too often devalue awareness as not DOING enough, but
awareness empowers us and encourages action, so we encourage anyone that if you SEE SOMETHING –
SAY SOMETHING!”

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Hidden Gem was first screened at the See It End It Film Festival in Los Angeles in March 2019. Patrick
Erlandson, Director of the See It End It Film Festival commented “Your film is a powerful statement that
at various places in our lives, we may intersect with someone that needs our help, and if we are willing
to make a phone call, take some small action, we can have a huge impact on that person's life, and
beyond. Hidden Gem is a priceless message in an age of live and let die.”

Since that time, Hidden Gem has been screened at many events and in numerous film festivals this past
year from Los Angeles, San Pedro, and La Jolla, CA, Bend, OR, Minneapolis, MN, Nashville, TN, Sidewalk in
Birmingham and all over the State of Alabama, Orlando, FL and most recently in Washington, D.C. at the
Flicks4Change Film Festival, “the festival that turns films into philanthropy.”

Andrew Steele, Acclaimed Actor and Director of the Flicks4Change Film Festival said that “Hidden Gem
was chosen as one of 16 films as an Official Selection out of 160 films worldwide. From the hundreds of
socially conscious film submissions, Hidden Gem, was voted by our audience in Washington D.C. the
‘Flick 4 Change’ for being the ‘Film Most Likely to Inspire Social Change.’ In the four years of running
Flicks4Change, I have yet to see a film make such a profound impact on an audience like Hidden Gem
did. The number of people who watch Hidden Gem will directly relate to the number of human
trafficking incidences reported and thus victims freed. Every man, woman and child should watch
Hidden Gem!”

Pat McCay, Chair of the Alabama Human Trafficking Task Force and End It Alabama says “Hidden Gem is
an effective tool that we will be using in our training that enables Alabama to continue raising
awareness about human trafficking across the state. I applaud this film and its producers for providing
an additional means for Alabama to continue our fight against these horrific crimes. We are honored
that Hidden Gem will be shown at the Alabama Human Trafficking Summit in Montgomery on January
30-31st at The Renaissance Montgomery Hotel.”

For more information about Hidden Gem Films, please visit https://www.hiddengemfilms.com.
If you would like to have a screening of Hidden Gem and educational training about human trafficking at
your organization, church or community event, please contact Barbara Fowler at
barbara@fowlerdavis.com.

If you need help or to report suspected human trafficking to Federal law enforcement, please call the
Dept. of Homeland Security Blue Campaign at 1-866-347-2423. To get help from the National Human
Trafficking Hotline, call 1-888-373-7888 or text HELP or INFO to BeFree (233733).

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Learn More:
Fowler Davis, LLC https://fowlerdavis.com
Red Sky Studios https://redskyfilmstudios.com
Child Trafficking Solutions Project https://www.facebook.com/pg/ChildTraffickingSolutionsProject
TraffickingFree Zone, U.S. Institute Against Human Trafficking https://usiaht.org/traffickingfreezone
Flicks4Change Film Festival https://www.flicks4change.org
End It Alabama https://www.enditalabama.org
See It End It Film Festival https://www.seeitendit.com
Blue Campaign: https://www.dhs.gov/blue-campaign
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