KAVI
Did you know that slavery still exists?
I was shocked to learn that 27 million people* around the world are enslaved today. As I began to research and understand the extent of modern slavery, I knew that I had to make a movie about it. People had to know. This injustice and cruelty had to stop.
“Kavi” is my USC thesis film. It’s a 19-minute fictional film about a young boy who wants to escape from the brick kiln where he is forced to work as a modern-day salve. “Kavi” will be the first fictional film of its kind to expose the reality of ‘bonded labor,’ a form of modern slavery.
My goal is to reach at least 50,000 people with “Kavi” in the first year. The purpose is to motivate action through awareness. To such an end, I will collaborate with anti-slavery organizations that will link viewers to actual steps they can take to help end slavery. Additionally, this short film is the springboard to a feature length version for theatrical distribution.
You can help by watching Kavi, spreading the word that slavery still exists, and putting this issue on people’s radars through Facebook, Twitter, or any other means you have to communicate. Then take action by supporting and connecting with anti-slavery organizations (some listed in the “End Slavery” section), write your elected representatives asking them to make the end of slavery a priority, and examine the supply chains of the companies and corporations you support with your daily purchases.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions.
Gregg Helvey
email: Helvey@KaviTheMovie.com
Awards & Recognition – 2009
• Student Academy Award ®, Gold Medal for best short narrative.
• Qualified for 2010 Academy Awards®
• Crystal Heart Award, Heartland Film Festival (best short overall TBD, Oct 17th)
• Best of Fest, Palm Springs Int’l Shorts Fest
• Triumph of the Spirit Award, Angelus Student Film Festival
• Grand Jury Prize + Best Short Film, USA Film Festival (Academy Award® Qualifier)
• Grand Jury Prize, International Short Film Festival of Drama, Greece
• Best Director Award + Best Short Film, HATCH Fest, Montana
• Audience Award, Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles
• Audience Award, South Asian International Film Festival
• Best Short Film, Indian Film Festival of Houston
• Best Short Fiction Film, Olympia International Film Festival For Children and Young People
Festivals – 2009 – in chronological order
April: Nashville Film Festival
April: Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Audience Award)
May: USA Film Festival (Academy Award Qualified®; Grand Jury Prize + Best Short Film)
June: 36th Annual Student Academy Awards® (Gold Medal – best short narrative)
June: Palm Springs International Shorts Fest (Best of Fest)
August: Rhode Island International Film Festival
September: Temecula Valley International Film Festival
September: Angelus Student Film Fest (Triumph of the Spirit Award)
September : Boston Film Festival
September: Int’l Festival of Shorts; Drama, Greece (Grand Jury Prize)
September: Indian Film Festival of Houston, Texas (Best Short)
September: Sidewalk Moving Pictures Festival, Alabama
September: Napa Sonoma Wine Country Festival
September: HatchFest, Montana (Best Director + Most Outstanding Film)
September: Raindance, London
October: Florida South Asian Film Festival
October: BendFilm Festival
October: Middle East Int’l Film Festival
October: Heartland Film Festival, Indiana (Crystal Heart Award)
October: Tallgrass Film Festival
November: Virginia Film Festival
November: South Asian International Film Festival
December: Olympia Film Festival, Greece
April 2010: BeFilm Underground Film Festival, NYC