TOI Press Kit

 monterey media inc. 1 TRADE OF INNOCENTS JUSTICE NEEDS A HERO A MONTEREY MEDIA PRESENTATION STARRING:
Dermot Mulroney as Alex Becker - My Best Friend’s Wedding, J. Edgar, Big Miracle, The
Grey, Jolene
Mira Sorvino as Claire Becker - Academy Award Winner (Mighty Aphrodite); 3 Time Golden
Globe Nominee; EMMY Nominee
John Billingsley as Malcolm Eddery - Out of Time, American Summer, High Crimes, White
Oleander
Trieu Tran as Duke -­‐ HBO series Newsroom, Hancock
Writer/Director: Christopher Bessette Producers: Bill & Laurie Bolthouse Producer: Jim Schmidt Executive Producer: Dave Ross Director of Photography: Philip Hurn Editor: Diane Brunjes Robb Production Designer: Mona Nahm Original Score: Timothy Hosman Casting by: Beverly Holloway, C.S.A Runtime: 91 Minutes ©2012 The Bicycle Peddler, LLC. MPAA: PG-­‐13 2012-­‐2013 Spotlight Initiative Film monterey media inc. 2 SYNOPSIS
In the back streets of a tourist town in present-­‐day Southeast Asia, we find a filthy cinder block room; a bed with soiled sheets; a little girl waits for the next man to use her. Alex, a human trafficking investigator plays the role of her next customer as he negotiates with the pimp for the use of the child. Claire, Alex’s wife, is caught up in the flow of her new life in Southeast Asia and her role as a volunteer in an aftercare shelter for rescued girls. She, and Alex both still are dealing with their grief of losing a child years earlier. As both of them struggle in their own way to overcome the pain of their past and realities of child exploitation where they now live and work, they find themselves being pulled together into the lives of local neighborhood girls, whose freedom and dignity are threatened. Parallel story lines intertwine and twists unfold against the backdrop of the dangerous human trafficking world, in a story of struggle, life, hope and redemption in the ”TRADE of INNOCENTS.” QUOTES
“I am very proud to be a part of this film; as actress and UNODC Goodwill Ambassador to combat human trafficking. Most people are unaware that this terrible trade of children for sexual exploitation flourishes both in the US and around the globe; "Trade of Innocents" will open their eyes and their hearts, and inspire them to become part of the solution.” -­‐ Mira Sorvino “Very rarely do you find a film, a thriller no less, with such heart beating at its core. In Christopher Bessette's unflinching look at modern day slavery, Mira Sorvino and Dermot Mulroney transport us to this dark world, but with a glimmer of hope. Trade of Innocents will break your heart.” -­‐ Nicki Richesin, The Huffington Post “This outstanding thriller with a very important message for the world, is the best I've seen in 2012!” -­‐ Amy R. Handler, Film Threat “Powerful and important new film” -­‐ ETonline “Trade of Innocents does an incredible job of being a powerful, tense drama. This is an important movie and not only worth seeing but also entertaining.” -­‐ Movieguide "Extremely powerful with a message vital for the world!" -­‐ Jeffrey Lyons/WCBS/LYONS DEN RADIO “Shocking, Heartbreaking, Unforgettable!” -­‐ Stuart Lee, WNYX-­‐TV
“Trade of Innocents is a rare gem. The film contains some really amazing performances from Dermot Mulroney, Mira Sorvino and John Billingsley. The film is action packed and very suspenseful. Do not miss out on this film, it is one of 2012′s hidden gem and award worthy performances. Be sure to check out this great movie.” -­‐ Media Mikes
FESTIVALS:
monterey media inc. 3 THE INSPIRATION
In 2007, Bill and Laurie Bolthouse found themselves and their three daughters, Meredith, age 10, Madison, 10, and Molly, 8, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Bill, a family physician, volunteered to go there for a Denver based non-­‐profit sending specialty surgical teams to Cambodia. During their stay, Laurie took their daughters to the beach for a vacation, and while there they hosted a dinner for an anti-­‐trafficking team and seven young girls who had recently been rescued from a brothel. The evening was momentous for the family as the Bolthouse girls came away from it deeply touched and angry that such an atrocity as sex slavery of children exists. Their bedtime prayer that night was "God, where are you and what are you going to do?" The answer to that prayer came a few months later when writer/director Christopher Bessette went to Phnom Penh to film this same organization for a Canadian TV show. His direct experiences and the things he learned led to the vision for the movie. In November 2009, through nothing less than a miraculous dream, the Bolthouse's and Mr. Bessette finally connected on the possibility of making a movie. Their shared goal was not only to making a compelling film on a difficult subject but also to raise awareness and move people to action. And so "Trade of Innocents" was born. ON LOCATION
Bangkok, Thailand DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
TRADE OF INNOCENTS: The title speaks of the incident every character in our story finds themselves in. It is the ‘event’ that propels everyone with a truth that, once you know it, you can never go back. Human trafficking, international investigations and the sex trade colliding between cultures and our married protagonists (Dermot Mulroney/Mira Sorvino) struggling with their own guilt of a devastating tragedy in their past. South East Asia: crowds of people, cinder block walls of the brothels, locked doors, locked hearts hiding true intentions under the surface. Surveillance cameras, police raids, motorcycle chases, taking down the ‘bad-­‐guys’ all in the milieu of tender delicate wounded souls, each looking for a way to escape. At this crossroads we find a melding of fantasy with fact, working together to reveal the deeper shocking truth. Immersing the audience with our characters in these situations drives the audience to understand this is more than just a good story well told. Once they realize the stark truth under the surface of this Hollywood thriller: they are more than entertained; they are compelled to become engaged and make a difference. monterey media inc. 4 CAST BIOS
All Photos are ©2010 Bicycle Peddler LLC. Courtesy monterey media inc. Dermot Mulroney (as Alex Becker) Dermot Mulroney grew up in Alexandria, Virginia, and went to Maury Elementary School. He played the cello in school and city youth orchestras and acted in children’s community theater. He made his high school stage debut in an awful play called “Are Teachers Human?” at George Washington Middle School. He graduated from T.C. Williams High School in 1981. His dad was a lawyer. He grew up with three brothers – Sean, Conor and Kieran Mulroney (now also an actor) – and a sister named Moira. Dermot’s filmography is vast, starting with a break-­‐-­‐out role in ‘Young Guns’, followed by a string of memorable roles in films like ‘My Best Friend’s Wedding’, ‘Where The Money Is’ with the late Paul Newman, ‘About Schmidt’ with Jack Nicholson, ‘The Wedding Date’, ‘Must Love Dogs’, ‘Inhale,’ ‘J.Edgar’ directed by Clint Eastwood, and ‘The Grey’, with Liam Neesen. .Along with his remarkable starring role in ‘Trade Of Innocents’, he made his directing debut with ‘Love, Wedding, Marriage’. Mira Sorvino (as Claire Becker) Mira Sorvino was born in Tenafly, an affluent northern New Jersey suburb, in 1967. She is the daughter of veteran character actor Paul Sorvino, who discouraged her from becoming an actor, as he knew how the industry often chews up young stars. The young Sorvino was intelligent, an avid reader and an exceptional scholar. She attended Harvard, majoring in Chinese, graduating magna cum laude in 1989, largely on the strength of her thesis, a Hoopes Prize-­‐winning thesis on racial conflict in China, written and researched during the year spent in Beijing, which helped her fluency in Mandarin Chinese. Mira has a remarkable filmography, with memorable and compelling roles in films such as the cult classic ‘Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion’, ‘At First Sight’ co-­‐starring with Val Kilmer, ‘Gods and Generals’, ‘The Final Cut’ with Robin Williams and Jim Caviezel, ‘Reservation Road’, and ‘Like Dandelion Dust’ with Barry Pepper. In 1996 she won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in Woody Allen’s ‘Mighty Aphrodite’, and in February 2009 Ms. Sorvino was named as Goodwill Ambassador to combat human trafficking for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). monterey media inc. 5 CAST BIOS (CONT.)
John Billingsley (as Malcolm Eddery) John Billingsley was born in Media, PA, and lived for a time in Huntsville, Alabama and Slidell, Louisiana. Without a doubt, John Billingsley is one of the premiere character actors in film and TV today, and certainly one of the hardest working. Audiences have been both delighted and horrified by his depictions on such TV shows as: “NCIS,” “Me and Lee,” “World According to Barnes,” “Suspect,” “Ghost Whisperer,” “Standoff,” “The Practice,” “Profiler,” “Pretender,” “Marshall Law,” “Nash Bridges,” “The X-­‐Files,” “Time of Your Life,” “Judging Amy”. In l999, Stephen Spielberg cast him as Prof. Miles Ballard in “The Others.” Additional guest starring work includes “The West Wing,” “Six Feet Under,” “Gideon’s Crossing,” “Star Gate,” “The Huntress”, “24”, “Grey’s Anatomy”, “Angel”, “Eli Stone” and various “CSI”s,Dr. Phlox in “Star Trek: Enterprise.” Billingsley also has appeared on “Nip/Tuck,” “Cold Case,” “The Closer” and, in a recurring role, played the evil Vice-­‐
President's hapless (and toothless) brother on “Prison Break.” Films along the way include ‘Out of Time’ opposite Denzel Washington, ‘American Summer,’ ‘High Crimes,’ ‘The Glass House,’ ‘White Oleander,’ ‘Born to be Wild,’ ‘I Love You To Death,’ ‘A Cinderella Story,’ ‘12 Dogs of Christmas,’ and ‘2012’, where he survived the destruction of the world. Trieu Tran (as Duke) Trieu Tran is a remarkably talented actor with a fast-­‐rising career. Trieu earned his Bachelor in Performing Arts from American University. He has appeared in numerous theatrical productions through the years. Notably, the role of Alan Strang in Equus (LADCC Nomination) with George Takei, the title role in Oedipus The King, The Legacy Codes (Dean Goodman Award) with TheatreWorks. Other favorites include: Rashomon, As You Like It, Henry IV, Part One (Hotspur), and title role in Richard III. He is also a frequent participant at the Ojai Playwrights Conference. Film: ‘Desperation,’ ‘Barry Munday,’ ‘How High,’ ‘Hancock,’ ‘Tropic Thunder’ and the soon to be released drama ‘Trade of Innocents.’ Trieu is recurring on the new Aaron Sorkin series “The Newsroom” for HBO. Trieu's one-­‐man show “Uncle Ho to Uncle Sam” which he wrote and will star in, will have its world premiere at Seattle ACT this fall. monterey media inc. 6 PRODUCTION TEAM
Bill & Laurie Bolthouse (Producers) Bill and Laurie Bolthouse have been passionately pursuing health care and justice issues for the past few years in such diverse places as Macedonia, Uzbekistan, Zimbabwe and India. This recent foray into film is their attempt to leverage their impact in championing the cause of victims of child sex trafficking. The story of “Trade of Innocents”, set in the seedy brothels of Cambodia, is close to their hearts as Bill and Laurie’s paths have intertwined with a few of these precious girls rescued from sex slavery and the brave men and Photo credit: Elizabeth Osberg women who labor tirelessly to help them. It is their joy to work with such a tremendous cast and crew on this film project and to have their three teenage daughters; Meredith, Madison and Molly actively participate with them on the set in Bangkok, Thailand. They reside in Littleton and Breckenridge, Colorado. Jim Schmidt (Producer) Jim’s involvement with movie making goes back three decades as an award-­‐winning actor, but it is behind the camera, as Producer, that Jim seems to have found his real niche. At his brothers’ prodding, Jim put on the hat of Associate Producer for his first feature, THE CLIMB (Ned Vaughn, Jason George, Dabney Coleman, Clifton Davis), produced by Dean River Productions. Immediately following this, having fallen in love with producing, Jim wrote and produced the documentary, MOUNTAIN OF FIRE: The Search For The True Mount Sinai, the remarkable true story of two adventurers who set out to find the true Biblical Mt. Sinai within the forbidden desert of Saudi Arabia. Jim co-­‐produced again on BOBBY JONES: STROKE OF GENIUS, based on the life of legendary amateur golfer Bobby Jones (Jim Caviezel as Bobby Jones, Claire Forlani, Jeremy Northam, Malcolm McDowell and Aidan Quinn). Jim currently has four films in active development, but he feels a deep sense of humility and gratitude for the privilege to produce TRADE OF INNOCENTS. Dave Ross (Executive Producer) Dave Ross helped create Dean River Productions, Inc. in 1998 as an independent production services company to produce high quality “family friendly” feature films, made-­‐for-­‐television movies, and animated specials with inspirational and value driven themes to reach audiences of all ages. Since its inception, Ross has help lead Dean River to complete eight feature films and made for television movies: A Vow to Cherish, which aired domestically on television in 1999; Something to Sing About, which aired nationally in June of 2000; Road to Redemption, which was released theatrically in May 2001 and aired nationally in June of 2001; The Climb, which aired nationally in June 2002; Bobby Jones – Stroke Of Genius, which was released theatrically in early 2004 and monterey media inc. 7 PRODUCTION TEAM (CONT.)
aired nationally on the Showtime Network in the summer of 2005; The Ultimate Gift released theatrically in March 2007 Alleged a feature film released in 2010; and Trade of Innocents a feature film slated for release 2012. In addition, Ross has produced seven animated children’s television specials: the The Legend of the Candy Cane – a Christmas classic, and a six-­‐part animated series entitled Hermie and Wormie. The company has also produced one historical documentary entitled Mountain Of Fire: The Discovery Of The Real Mt. Sinai. Christopher Bessette (Writer/Director) Christopher Bessette is a multi-­‐award winning motion picture writer/director. Bessette has led an international career; while producing a program for Family Channel, Bessette worked with producers in 13 nations. Ultimately his film work has taken him to the Amazon and the jungles of Central America, Russia, South East Asia, throughout Europe, across Canada and most of the United States; allowing Bessette to acquire the sensitivity and experience with various cultures, actors, and crews, honing his storytelling gift and his ability to deliver impacting films. These skills exemplified themselves in a great challenge: write and direct an epic tale that spans 50 years of an Amazonian tribe. The resulting movie features 300 tribal people with 86 speaking parts, most of whom had never seen a moving image before, into a multi-­‐award winning feature film. Of the recognition “The Enemy God” received, THE BEST DIRECTOR AWARD at the 2008 ARPA International Film Festival in Hollywood went to Bessette. Dr. Zaven Khatchturian, ARPA Film Curator commented “What I soon discovered that what was made was cinematic invention indeed. It was something I had not seen before, second it was done so skillfully ... one of the most amazing films I have ever experienced.” Christopher Bessette’s next film promises to do even more. The amazing story which brought Bessette to South East Asia and witness first hand the incidents going on with international investigations, human trafficking and the sex trade found themselves in his most recent movie TRADE OF INNOCENTS starring Dermot Mulroney, Academy Award Winner Mira Sorvino, John Billingsley and Trieu Tran. Bessette says, “Working internationally has definitely given me an edge to relating to and discovering nuance of human communication. I love working with actors to find truth in the scenes and respect my crew for their talents and contribution. I believe each story, like the flow of life; has a rhythm all its own. Once you capture the rhythm, it resonates as truth with the audience and they are moved.” Beside multiple television and film credits, Bessette has also directed many successful theatrical 100-­‐plus cast member musicals. His films and television work have won numerous awards internationally and played in festivals and on screens around the world. monterey media inc. 8 TRADE OF INNOCENTS FILM STILLS
JUSTICE NEEDS A HERO right click on image to save to desktop
All Images ©2012 Bicycle Peddler LLC. Courtesy monterey media inc.
TRADE OF INNOCENTS John Billingsley as Malcolm Eddery TRADE OF INNOCENTS TRADE OF INNOCENTS monterey media inc. 9 FILM STILLS (CONT.)
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TRADE OF INNOCENTS Dermot Mulroney as Alex Becker TRADE OF INNOCENTS Mira Sorvino as Claire Becker TRADE OF INNOCENTS Dermot Mulroney as Alex Becker (center) monterey media inc. 10 FILM STILLS (CONT.)
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TRADE OF INNOCENTS Trieu Tran as Duke (left) TRADE OF INNOCENTS Mira Sorvino as Claire Becker TRADE OF INNOCENTS John Billingsley as Malcolm Eddery monterey media inc. 11 FILM STILLS (CONT.)
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TRADE OF INNOCENTS TRADE OF INNOCENTS Dermot Mulroney as Alex Becker TRADE OF INNOCENTS monterey media inc. 12 FILM STILLS (CONT.)
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TRADE OF INNOCENTS Mira Sorvino as Claire Becker TRADE OF INNOCENTS Dermot Mulroney as Alex Becker TRADE OF INNOCENTS Dermot Mulroney as Alex Becker and Mira Sorvino as Claire Becker monterey media inc. 13 TRADE OF INNOCENTS JUSTICE NEEDS A HERO
BEHIND THE SCENES
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monterey media inc. 14 ABOUT THE COMPANY
monterey media inc., incorporated in 1979, is a privately owned entertainment company. monterey media is actively
engaged in all areas of domestic media distribution including theatrical, film festivals and other distinctive venues,
television, digital delivery and home entertainment and all emerging markets.
The Company is known for creating unique and distinctive release strategies tailored to each project. By way of
example, in 2005, the Company established a joint venture for the creation of a special theatrical event in conjunction
with AMC Theatres to launch the motion picture Indigo: A one day, 603 North America venue showing grossed over
$1,190,000 box office. Recently, monterey media films have been nominated for a Golden Globe Award, Independent
Spirit Award, and NAACP Image Award. Many of our films have premiered at Sundance, Toronto, Tribeca, and SXSW
Film Festivals.
Summer 2011 saw monterey media films on over 100 screens with the acclaimed Monte Hellman Road to Nowhere
hailed as “A Certifiable Masterpiece” by Film Comment with it’s premiere at the Film Society of Lincoln Center; Small
Town Murder Songs which premiered at TIFF; and the New York Times Critics’ Pick Harvest. Upcoming, among others,
is Famke Janssen’s directorial debut Bringing Up Bobby starring Milla Jovovich, Bill Pullman and Marcia Cross, and Guy
Maddin's acclaimed Keyhole, premiering at TIFF, Berlin and SXSW starring Jason Patric, Isabella Rossellini and Udo
Kier.
In 2010, the Company completed a 50 city release including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Dallas for the
acclaimed Trucker starring Michelle Monaghan, Nathan Fillion and Benjamin Bratt (chosen by Roger Ebert as one of the
ten best independent films of 2009). For Endgame, from the 2009 Sundance Film Festival starring Academy Award
winner William Hurt, monterey created a theatrical release in 30 cities (even after a PBS airing) garnering a Best Actor
Golden Globe nomination for co-star Chiwetel Ejifor. The action/adventure/romance The Red Baron starring Joseph
Fiennes and Lena Headey launched in Los Angeles at Mann’s Chinese on as well as Phoenix, Detroit, San Diego,
Portland, Pittsburgh, Toronto, Jacksonville, Louisville and others, while Lovely, Still starring Academy Award Winners
Martin Landau and Ellen Burstyn opened 45 cities including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Phoenix, Detroit,
Philadelphia, Ft. Lauderdale, Denver and San Diego.
The philosophy of doing good while doing well is practically a mantra at monterey media, and in addition to its ritual
support of charitable organizations the company has developed a program entitled A Weekend of Unity & Peace. Last
year’s feature film was Turk Pipkin’s One Peace at a Time, with music by Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan and Jack Johnson.
www.unityandpeace.org
monterey is known for its creatively coordinated marketing strategies incorporating promotional alliances with such
strategic partners as Wal-Mart, Fisher Price, Pepsi Cola, American Express, Amnesty International USA, Make-A-Wish
Foundation of America, Children’s Cancer Research Fund, Patagonia, Body Glove, KIDS FIRST!, Days Inns, Habitat for
Humanity, Greenpeace, the International Motorcycle Shows and Healthy World Healthy Child and Air Pacific.
monterey video & Emerging Technologies
The monterey video division is the 2nd oldest independent video manufacturer and distributor in the United States and
incorporates distribution to all digital markets. monterey is well known for its broad marketing and its direct
relationships with key retail, mail-order and internet sites, schools and libraries, and specialty markets.
The versatile monterey video library encompasses unique feature films and documentaries with the Company having
been awarded numerous Multi-Platinum RIAA and ITA sales Awards; prestigious Independent films starring such
distinguished actors as Susan Sarandon, John Ritter, Tommy Lee Jones, William Hurt, Forest Whitaker, David
Strathairn, Brian Dennehy, Robin Williams, Danny Glover, among many others; celebrated sports programming
including Bruce Brown Films On Any Sunday and The Endless Summer; the most prestigious educational yet
entertaining library of films adapted from literature’s renowned authors combined with acclaimed performances from
many of Hollywood’s greatest actors; and note-worthy children’s programming. In addition, monterey has the honor of
being the first video market licensee of the American monterey media inc. 15