FWM: Tell us about your new film, “Angie: Lost Girls” and why it is so timely.
The film is about child trafficking, which is one of the fastest-growing activities in the US. In talking to people about the film, they have been shocked when I tell them it is set in America. The general perception seems to be that it is happening in other third world countries when in actuality, it is happening on our very door steps. California, for example, has one of the highest numbers of reported trafficking cases.
FWM: Share your background as an Independent Producer for Hollywood.
After college, I went to drama school for two years and started in the business as an actress. I found that training really helped me when I began producing to develop material with great roles for actors and continues to as a director in knowing how to work well with actors and get good performances. I fell into producing by accident; producers and directors that I worked as an actress would often give me their scripts to see what I thought. I would always take this request very seriously and came back to them with copious notes. I was so good at this that they ended up paying me to do this, leading to a paid job as a creative executive at a new production company. I loved the creativity of producing, and finding and developing new material. I realized that was something that I felt I could excel at. The thing I didn’t like about acting was the waiting and not having any control over whether I booked jobs or not. With producing, I was able to make things happen for myself. I have now produced 36 films and looking back, I think that success came from me having a strong literary background, the ability to recognize good writing and compelling story concepts, and training in acting. My family didn’t have a TV in the house until I was fifteen-years-old, encouraging me to read all the classics from a young age. I became a total book-worm and just loved stories.
We also went to the theatre and cinema about twice a week, and my mother made us go to a local drama group she ran every Saturday. My acting training really helps me understand what actors need in terms of good character arcs. Attaching name talent is key, too, in getting material greenlit; I believe that was a major contribution to my producing success. I was able to get companies willing to fund projects I developed based on the strength of the script; however, the deals were always subject to attaching a certain level of star name cast. Luckily, I was able to do that.
Now as a Director and working with Actors, I remember just how vulnerable and exposed I used to feel on sets. As a result, I make a point of assuring my actors feel safe and letting them know that they’ve hit all the needed beats after each take. If an adjustment is needed, I always use action verbs or remind them of where their character has just come from prior to the scene to help them get to the needed emotional place. I like to spend time with each actor before shooting to talk through the character beats and the emotional arc of the character. In a film like Angie: Lost Girls where the actors have to go to dark places, it is also important to help them to come out of that place when the scene is finished.
FWM: Your lead Actor, Dylan Sprayberry, is the cover of the launch of Formidable Men Magazine. Tell us about working with Dylan and his powerful role in the film.
From the moment I auditioned Dylan, I knew I had found my Mario. His reading was so soulful and real. He really understood the layers of the character. As the young recruiter for the traffickers, Mario is very conflicted. He does not enjoy what he is doing, but he has no choice. The backstory for the character was that he had also been trafficked; the traffickers threatened to hurt him and his mother to coerce him into doing their biddings. Dylan has enormous charisma, too, and I wanted to cast someone that would be attractive to a young teenage girl. The look on Dylan’s face when he watches Angie being led away by the trafficker like a lamb to slaughter is so powerful—it moves me every time I see it. He is not the bad guy in the film: he is just another victim who is forced to do bad things by the trafficking gang.
It was also important to me to cast someone who was passionate about the issue. Dylan is someone who really cares about social issues and making the world a better place. He has been enormously supportive in doing educational panels and speaking out about the issue. He has been to several of our Artists for Change events and is really engaged with what we are doing.
He is an incredible actor and a wonderful human being, I have no doubt that he will achieve great things.
FWM: What do you want people to take away from Angie: Lost Girls?
I hope this film will raise awareness on this issue and ignite a conversation on what needs to be done to stop this from happening as well as provide more education around this issue.
I am very passionate about this as I hate abuse to children: I volunteered at a shelter, allowing me to meet a number of 14-15 year old survivors and see the level of trauma they struggle with. It is very important to me to do all that I can to educate teenagers about techniques traffickers use to recruit and what the signs of someone being trafficked are. Education leads to prevention. Teenagers tend to confide in each other more than parents or authority figures when they make a new friend. I think it is crucial to encourage people to look out for each other, and if they see something that does not look right, report it. My hope is that this film will stay in people’s mind and encourage them to keep their eyes open for signs and use their voices to speak out for higher penalties for traffickers and buyers. I want there to be more support for NGO’s working with survivors and more education provided for teenagers and parents about this.
Trafficking is a billion dollar business that has become the second largest criminal activity in America. It’s also a huge problem globally. The younger the child, the more money they make. If a child or teenager is trafficked and lucky enough to be rescued, it can take years to recover from that trauma. The more that can be done in educating families and teenagers, the higher chance we have of keeping them safe. Education leads to prevention. If a child or a parent or someone working with teenagers can recognize the signs of someone being groomed by a trafficker and reports it, that person could be saved. When people see a film like this, there is a good chance that when they recognize something that reminds them of what they saw, they will take action and report it.
FWM: What are the warning signs?
Signs to look out for include: possession of expensive items that they could not afford, secretive behavior, evidence of a new relationship with someone outside known group of friends, missing school, evidence of controlling or dominating relationships, any visible bruising, and suspicious tattoos or branding. Parents and those working with youth should keep their eyes open for these signs. Predators also approach our youth online, so monitoring internet activity for any strange or inappropriate messages can be a good idea. It is good for people to be aware of the telephone hotlines (1-888-539-2373 or 1-888-373-7888) to call if they suspect human trafficking activity.
We have to wake people up to the fact that child trafficking is happening all across America and develop an active education program on this issue. There are a number of groups doing good work out there, but they need more support in terms of funding and volunteers. We also need to come together as communities and keep an eye out for foster youth and youth whose parents are struggling and not able to be present for them. They are particularly vulnerable to being trafficked.
I certainly don’t have all the solutions, but my hope is that my film will be used to raise awareness and get more visibility to this problem. When large numbers of people come together and put their minds to finding solutions change can happen. A narrative film can be a powerful way to engage and get people interested in an issue as a call to action. I hope that this film can be a cog in the wheel to doing that.
Your cast is also featured in a powerful article in Formidable Men. Tell us about Men Against Trafficking and Artists for Change.
I met Patrick Erlandson who runs the organization Men Standing Against Trafficking at an anti-trafficking march a few years ago. We were filming the march and doing interviews with some of the participants. I interviewed him and was really impressed with his knowledge and perspectives on the issue, finding them to be very in line with mine. I also believe that is important for men to take a stand against trafficking and encourage other men in their circles, too. Women who have been trafficked have only known men to abuse and use them: seeing men take a different action and stand up for them is important. I invited Patrick to join the board of Artists for Change as I wanted to have someone actively working in the field on our board. He has come up with some wonderful initiatives which we have been proud to support. Such initiatives include the See It End It film, an arts trafficking awareness event, and Father Con. Father Con is a community event that was done in Downey with a variety of speakers talking about ways to protect your teenagers from traffickers as well as inspire the men in their communities to stand up and be fathers for the children that not have present fathers.
I am a great believer in mentorship. One of the wonderful things about making this film was seeing the number of men that came on board to support it and become passionate advocates on the issue.
I founded Artists for Change nonprofit as I felt there was a need for more collaboration between filmmakers and nonprofits. Film is such a powerful way to emotionally resonate with people. Look at the way the film Blood Diamond, for example, changed how people bought diamonds. As a result, a lot of diamond manufactures have changed their policies. There are so many issues going on in the world that people need to be made more aware of. Nonprofits can use films to illustrate issues that they are dealing with or showcase the type of work they are doing both for educational and fundraising purposes. We shot a promo in Mexico for a non profit G.I.F.T. and I put a crew together and directed a short film called Brown written and acted in by foster Youth for a wonderful non profit K.I. T.S. I spent a good amount of time with the youth rehearsing and getting to know them and am currently mentoring one of them. Additionally, we hold events to educate and encourage artists to use their voices for good and make social impact content. We also work with our nonprofits and help them create media to showcase the work they are doing. As artists—whether we are in music, art, film, or any other form—we all have powerful voices. It has become more important than ever to use them wisely.
FWM: What is next for you?
I love making social impact films as I believe they can help and at this point in my career want to contribute as best I can to society. I am currently developing Maya, a film about internet predators and the Stockholm syndrome/trauma bond aspect of trafficking and challenges faced breaking it. I am also developing a project highlighting the homelessness crisis. Something has to be done about the homeless—they need to be taken care of. Every time I drive around and see people living on the streets in inhumane conditions, it breaks my heart. It is in early stages as I am still figuring out the best way to tell the story, but it is happening!
I also have Amy and Angel, a feel-good family film that I want to make because I think it is good to also make films that provide people escapism and enjoyment. With all that is going on in the world right now, I think it is greatly needed.
FWM: Share your social media links.
Instagram – @juliaverdin
Twitter – @juliaverdin
Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/julia.verdin
www.artists4change.org
Trailer and more info on Angie: Lost Girls- https://www.artists4change.org/filmprojects/lost-girls-angie/
The film is avail on:
Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Angie-Lost-Girls-Jane-Widdop/dp/B08PDJ7CX3
iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/angie-lost-girls/id1542171467
