FreeChina_FreeSpeechAwards_PRESSRELEASE_051012English
Inaugural Free Speech Film Festival Grand Prize Nominee
“Free China: The Courage to Believe”
An Award-winning Film by Michael Perlman of “Tibet: Beyond Fear”
Best selling author and former Chinese Communist Party member featured in film to attend
Free Speech Awards Ceremony May 16th at the Benjamin Franklin Hall, Philadelphia
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: (NEW YORK, NY – May 10th, 2012) After winning the top award in the “International Political and Cultural Documentaries” category at the Awareness Film Festival in West Hollywood over the weekend, the film “Free China: The Courage to Believe”, will be one of 6 official selection films highlighted at American Insight’s inaugural Free Speech Awards Ceremony on Wednesday May 16th at the Benjamin Franklin Hall in Philadelphia.
Founded by Margaret Chew Barringer, American Insight, has been dedicated to promoting Free Speech and The Spoken Word since 1983 and is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization. The inaugural Free Speech Film Festival is American Insight’s latest program and is the culmination of 6 years of research into the historical origins of Free Speech. The Festival is a “goodwill, grassroots, sustainable program that unites celebrity judges, students, scholars, educators and the general public in conversations about the past, present and future of Free Speech.” Topics submitted include censorship, resistance, inequality, courage, change, and hope. Award winning films will be distributed free of charge to high schools globally.
The Free Speech Awards Ceremony will be moderated by local celebrity presenters and include: CNN,BBC and PBS commentator on politics and international affairs, Anne-Marie Slaughter; Executive Director of ALCU-PA, Reggie Shuford; former CNN Bureau Chief and veteran producer of broadcast news, Karen Curry; and Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, C.K.Williams.
Free Speech Festival Moderators for the evening are: Vernon Odom: ACB’s Action News reporter since 1976; Bob Craig: WRTI Host of Big Band Jazz + Voices of Jazz. Tickets are only available through the website: http://www.freespeechfilmfestival.org
Also attending the Awards Ceremony will be Ms Jennifer Zeng, best selling author who is the main subject of the award-winning film “Free China: The Courage to Believe.” The film examines widespread human rights violations inChina through the remarkable stories of Ms Zeng, a mother and former Chinese Communist Party member and Dr. Charles Lee, a Chinese American businessman, who along with hundreds of thousands of peaceful citizens are tortured and subjected to slave labor for their spiritual beliefs in the persecuted Falun Gong meditation practice. The director of the film Michael Perlman, producer Kean Wong and Dr. Charles Lee will also be at the Awards Ceremony.
A reception for Donors, Filmmakers and Celebrity Presenters begins at 5 PM(tickets are available for this event also.) The Award Ceremony begins with Celebrity presentations at 7 PMfollowed by a full screening of the final award-winning film (to be announced that night.)
Inaugural 2012 Free Speech Awards Ceremony
American Philosophical Society
Benjamin Franklin Hall
427 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA
Wednesday, May 16th (7pm)
5pm Gourmet Reception for Award-winning Filmmakers and Celebrity Presenters including Karen Curry, Reggie Shuford, Annie-Marie Slaughter, C.K. Williams, Vernon Odom, and Bob Craig. (Reception tickets include seating at the Awards Ceremony)
7pm Festival Awards Ceremony Presentations and Screening of one final Award-winning film (announced that night) prior to the 2012 Free Speech Award presentation (concluding around 9:30pm)
Online Reservations Only : www.FreeSpeechFilmFestival.org
More About the Film: “Free China – The Courage to Believe”
This timely documentary film provides new information that connects China’s widespread human rights violations with systemic unfair trade practices and state-sanctioned organ harvesting for profit.
The film documents specificUS companies that profit from enabling the Chinese leadership to suppress dissidents and sheds light on the recent lawsuit filed by the Human Rights Law Foundation against Cisco System for allegedly implementing an elaborate surveillance apparatus that has led to the detention and torture of many Chinese prisoners of conscience. The film also explores how Internet technologies are aiding human rights activists inChina and around the world by allowing uncensored information into closed societies. In addition, the film highlights how a re-emergence of traditional Chinese culture and spirituality are helping bring about a newChina.
The film is a co-production between World2Be Productions and NTD, a non-for profit, predominantly Chinese and English language TV broadcaster headquartered inNew York with correspondents in over 70 cities worldwide.
Interviewees in the film include:
Dr. Charles Lee, Chinese American Businessman
Jennifer Zeng, Former Chinese Communist Party Member, best selling author of “Witnessing History: One Chinese Woman’s Fight for Freedom”. (Now an Australian citizen)
Hon. David Kilgour, Former Canadian Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific)
Rep. Chris Smith, US Congressman, Senior Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee (Chairman of itsAfrica, Global Health and Human Rights Subcommittee)
Ethan Gutmann, Author of “Losing The New China” and Contributor for The Asian Wall Street Journal
For more information, please visit: www.FreeChinaMovie.com (under media tab for latest newsclips and awards)
Press Contacts for “Free China – The Courage to Believe”:
Michael Perlman (Director)
World2Be Productions
Tel: +1 (212) 709-8056
Kean Wong (Producer)
NTD Television
Tel: +1 (347)-681-3987