Award-winning Sex-trafficking Film Screens at NYIIFVF in LA on Sept. 16

Fragments of Daniela, a film about the sex trafficking of young Eastern European women will premiere as part of the much-anticipated LA edition of the New York International Independent Film & Video Festival (NYIIFVF). The 80-minute feature film directed by Sasha Knezev will screen at the prime time slot of 8pm on Saturday September 16 at the Fairfax Laemmle, and has already scooped the award for Best Dramatic Feature at the NYIIFVF’s East coast event earlier this year.

New York (PRWEB) September 13, 2006 -- Fragments of Daniela, a film about the sex trafficking of young Eastern European women will premiere as part of the much-anticipated LA edition of the New York International Independent Film & Video Festival (NYIIFVF). The 80-minute feature film directed by Sasha Knezev will screen at the prime time slot of 8pm on Saturday September 16 at the Fairfax Laemmle, and has already scooped the award for Best Dramatic Feature at the NYIIFVF’s East coast event earlier this year.

Fragments of Daniela hailed by Showbusiness Weekly as an “intense and bold drama” deals with the sex trafficking of underage Eastern European girls and stars talented newcomer Ramona Popa and features Cazzy Golomb (Cult, That 70’s Show). The ring is uncovered by Sam, an idealistic New York Reporter while on assignment in Los Angeles to cover the International Games. There he falls in love with Daniela, a young Romanian woman exposed to the horrors of life as a prostitute. Daniela and Sam's world unite. A love story with infuriating passion as Daniela exposes the criminal underworld of sex-trafficking of Eastern European girls. The film has a stellar score composed by Krazy D and Mellow Man Ace” including the hit track “Daniela.”

Fittingly, the inspiration for the film came from the director watching a BBC sex-trafficking documentary. “I realized that it was a serious endemic. I conducted my own research in Croatia and Athens and found that people were aware of the sex-trafficking trade. I was told that several girls off the Adriatic Coast and Croatia had “vanished,” never to be heard from again. When I was in Athens, a man who sounded Eastern-European approached me and claimed that he had young girls “of all kinds” in a nearby hotel bar. Shocked, I notified a police officer who did not seem to be at all concerned. I observed the trafficking first hand. Daniela is a real person that I met in a hotel bar -- her statements are authentic. She could not believe that I did not intend to sleep with her. I told her I was a filmmaker and just wanted to expose her story through a filmic narrative. I constructed a love story to draw us into her soul, and to sympathize with her individually while at the same time bringing attention to the plight of the other girls. Fragments of Daniela is my attempt to bring awareness to America. A country as economically powerful as the United States should spend some of its resources to end to this horrific crime I look forward to showcasing my film to an LA audience.”

NYIIFVF’s Executive Director Stuart Alson commented, “New York audiences loved Fragments of Daniela and it was also well-received at this year’s Cannes market. The film tackles an important subject matter that deserves exposure and was well written, cast and shot. Mr. Knezev is a passionate and talented filmmaker and the characters are deeply compelling.”

More than 200 films are scheduled to unspool from September 14th -21st at the Fairfax Laemmle. Tickets are priced at $12 and can be purchased by logging onto www.nyfilmvideo.com and clicking on the schedule/TKTS link. Tickets will also be available at the Laemmle Fairfax Box Office from September 15th onwards. Press and distributors can obtain a complimentary pass to the premiere and after-party by faxing a request on company letterhead to (702) 361-6309 (Attn. Nicole Holland). Your name will then be placed on the VIP guest list at Box Office.

Screening Details for Fragments of Daniela

Directed by Sasha Knezev

Location: Fairfax Laemmle

Address: 7907 Beverly Blvd.

Date: Saturday Sep. 16 at 8pm (Screen 3)

Duration: 80 minutes

Genre: Drama

Full rights available

For interviews, screener copies, trailers, media kits and high rez images, please contact Renata Lorenc at (917) 690-1275. For additional information about Sasha Knezev and Fragments of Daniela, please visit www.pulchritudepictures.com or call (310) 951-0188.

About Sasha Knezev: Sasha Knezev the son of Serbian immigrants and spends his time between Los Angeles and Novi Sad, Serbia. He studied film at the highly prestigious School of Cinema Television at USC. Sasha wrote, produced and directed his first-feature length film entitled Welcome to San Pedro. Immediately after its premiere at the San Pedro Brewing Company in November of 2003, Sasha took a trip to Belgrade and was successful in displaying his film to a Nationally Televised audience on B92 TV in February of 2004. B92 received England’s BBC Outstanding Journalism Award in 1999 for its acclaimed programming. Knezev was interviewed on National Television prior to his film’s screening; providing a platform to convey his opinions about the war and a political ideology that highlights peace and non-violence.

After his return from Europe, Knezev completed his second film; a 15-minute short film entitled The Bacchae, based on the play by the ancient Greek playwright Euripides, about a clan of mysterious women who worshipped Dionysus. The film afforded the opportunity to work with Goran Bregovic, a highly influential figure on Knezev. Sasha has also made a series of Safety Videos for British Petroleum and continues to be contracted with them for various projects. Sasha founded Pulchritude Pictures in 2003 and continues his collaboration with Editor Ralph Lowe, Artistic Designer Mirza Todorovich and Associate Producers Lawrence Milos and James Brown (NOT HOT TUB). Fragments of Daniela is his second feature-length film and will hopefully play extensively on the film festival circuit.

About NYIIFVF: The New York International Independent Film and Video Festival, was founded in 1993 by entertainment impresario Stuart Alson, and is recognized as the largest competitive independent film event in the world. Passionate about exposing films and documentaries of emerging filmmakers from all over the globe, the festival is a unique platform for emerging and established filmmakers to network and screen their work in the hope of getting a distribution deal. Past festivals have included the work of Cameron Diaz, Eva Herzigova, Guy Pearce, George Clooney, Jennifer Aniston, Rod Steiger, Willem Dafoe and Vin Diesel. Indie guru Abel Ferrara famously quoted in MovieMaker, "This festival is the real deal: Everybody else just talks about doing it, these guys just do it!

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