“Let Freedom Ring” takes on a new meaning this July Fourth when Angel Studios debuts the new film, “Sound of Freedom,” which sold nearly 500,000 tickets even ahead of its July 4 premiere. It is appearing in Sarasota cinemas now.
Sound of Freedom is an American action film that features the incredible true story of a former government agent turned vigilante who embarks on a dangerous mission to rescue hundreds of children from sex traffickers. Directed and co-written by Alejandro Monteverde, the movie stars Jim Caviezel, Mira Sorvino, and Bill Camp. The film is based on the true story of Tim Ballard, who founded Operation Underground Railroad (OUR), a non-profit organization that rescues children from sex trafficking. Ballard was a former Homeland Security agent who was deeply troubled by the number of children being trafficked into the United States. He founded OUR in 2013, and the organization has since rescued over 1,000 children.
The film premiered at the 2022 Coronado Island Film Festival, and was released on July 4, 2023, by Angel Studios.
Sarasota-based Selah Freedom, one of the country’s largest non-profit, anti-sex trafficking organizations, applauds Angel Studios for the timing of Sound of Freedom, as July Fourth is a significant time of year to redefine the meaning of Freedom for all human beings, not just those living in America. Florida is the # 3 state for human trafficking and Selah has been a model for anti-sex trafficking efforts for twelve years.
Selah Freedom brings those “in the life to freedom” by providing the necessary wrap-around services through five life-saving programs: Awareness, Prevention, Outreach, Residential and Consulting.
- Child sex trafficking has been reported in all 50 states. Florida ranks # 3 nationally
- Sex Trafficking is a $99 billion dollar industry.
- Human trafficking is the 2nd largest crime worldwide.
- 2 million children are sold each year through sex trafficking.
- Women and girls account for 94% of victims in commercial sex industry; men and boys account for 6%.
Selah Freedom is proud to report that in 2019, 94 survivors were served in our Residential programs; Their outreach program included 1,519 survivors served, and 647 officers trained;122,572 were educated through their Advocacy & Awareness program and 15,286 youth and interveners were served through their Prevention services.
In 2022, Prevention held over 300 training events in Sarasota County and many other counties in SW Florida, while educating and empowering nearly 6,000 youths and adults in 2022 (for a total of 27,347+ over the years).
Selah’s Outreach program is very active on the streets and in the jails through sex trade support groups and case management. In addition, outreach partners with local law enforcement to be the first point of contact for those identified as sex trafficking victims or at a high risk of being recruited into sex trafficking. Selah is has also partnered with the FBI, the United States Attorney’s Office, multiple Human Trafficking Task Forces, and more to continue bringing life-saving solutions. In addition, the Outreach program has developed a treatment court called Turn Your Life Around (TYLA), with the goal of rehabilitation and not punishment. Graduation from this program results in charges administratively dismissed and the termination of probation.
“Sound of Freedom” movie will undoubtedly raise significant awareness of the epidemic of human trafficking,” says Stacey Efaw, Executive Director, Selah Freedom. “Sound of Freedom is more than just an impactful movie. In fact, Selah Freedom hopes it will be a powerful catalyst for change both abroad and here in America where we find sex trafficking in every zip code.”
Angel Studios is a streaming platform that was founded in 2019 by Neal Harmon and Eduardo Verástegui. The company’s mission is to “produce and distribute content that inspires and uplifts people.”
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Selah Freedom is a non-profit organization that fights sex trafficking and exploitation and brings those “in the life to freedom by providing the necessary wrap-around services. We do so through five life-saving programs: Awareness, Prevention, Outreach, Residential and Consulting.