Born Into Brothels House Party Oct. 2nd

On Friday, Oct. 2, 2009, the Kids with Cameras Foundation will celebrate Mahatma Gandhi's 140th birthday and the United Nations' declared International Day of Non-Violence with a historic worldwide screening event of the Academy Award-winning film Born into Brothels. We are asking our fans and supporters to help make a difference in the lives of more children in Calcutta like those featured in the film - just by having a house party. By hosting a movie night in your house, community center, school, house of worship or other local venue, you will join our supporters on four continents already registered to host a "House Party for Hope." All proceeds raised on October 2, 2009 will help us to build the film's legacy project called "Hope House" - a home that will provide mentorship, counseling, and a private day school education for 100 daughters of prostitutes living in Sonagachi - the largest red light district in Calcutta. Hope House will be the source of necessary support and opportunity to provide a different future for these vulnerable young girls who have been or will be another statistic of human trafficking.

Here's how to host a movie night:

1. Log on to http://www.kids-with-cameras.org/home/

2. Sign up on our home page to be a host of a "House Party for Hope" as part of our worldwide screening event of Born into Brothels on October 2, 2009.

3. Donate $20 to KWC to receive a copy of the film and our special companion DVD to introduce your guests to the plans and vision for Hope House.

4. Using our online event management system, invite your friends to your party and encourage them to donate to Hope House either when they register or at your event. KWC has suggested a guideline of $30 per person, $50 per couple, or $20 for students but your guests are welcome to contribute any amount of their choosing.

5. If you can't host a party, check back on the KWC website to find a party in your area to attend. If there is not one nearby, consider making a donation to Kids with Cameras or buying one of the prints, books, or copies of the Born Into Brothels DVD available here.

Born into Brothels by Ross Kauffman and Zana Briski won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature in 2005. A tribute to the resiliency of childhood and the restorative power of art, Born into Brothelsportrays several unforgettable children who live in Calcutta's largest red-light district, where their mothers work as prostitutes. Zana Briski, a New York-based photographer, gives each of the children a camera and teaches them to look at the world with new eyes. As Ross Kauffman, said

"It was a dream of ours as we made the film to have a place for these children to learn and grow. The dream is close to becoming a reality. There is no better way for anyone that watches the film and falls in love with these kids, just as we did, to make a difference in their future."

Here's the Born into Brothels trailer. Now you have a chance to make a difference in their future as well, just by hosting a little hope.