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Shattered Dreams: Sex Trafficking in America

Shattered Dreams is an Emmy award-winning documentary that examines the pervasive, dark underworld of sex trafficking in America. Heart wrenching personal stories from survivors of the illicit sex trade and leading experts reveal how vastly misunderstood and disregarded this important human rights issue has been.

As hundreds of thousands of victims’ lives are destroyed by this multi-billion-dollar industry, the complex challenge of targeting the cause of this deeply embedded problem is exposed. Will increased awareness finally drive real solutions to save lives or will we continue to let this underground industry thrive in America?

  • Bill Wisneski
    Director
    Threatened, Breaking Point, Joshua Tree, Shadow Of Drought
  • Mona Urban
    Producer
    Threatened, Breaking Point, Joshua Tree, Shadow Of Drought
  • Ashley Olson
    Writer
    Joshua Tree
  • Mona Urban
    Writer
    Shadow Of Drought, Threatened
  • Bill Wisneski
    Writer
    Threatened, Breaking Point, Joshua Tree, Shadow Of Drought
  • Chad Richmond
    Editor
    Shadow Of Drought
  • Bill Wisneski
    Cinematography
    Threatened, Breaking Point, Joshua Tree, Shadow Of Drought
  • Mona Urban
    Cinematography
    Threatened, Breaking Point, Shadow Of Drought
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    55 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    February 1, 2019
  • Production Budget:
    100,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Arri Amira, Blackmagic URSA
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Winner of four Pacific Southwest Emmy Awards (2019)
    San Diego
    United States
  • Manhattan Film Festival (2019)
    New York, New York
    April 27, 2019
    World Premiere
  • Las Vegas Int. Film Competition (2019)

    United States
    Best Feature Documentary
  • Accolade Global Film Competition (2019)

    Award Of Excellence
  • Montana International Film Festival (2019)
  • Albuquerque Film & Music Experience (2019)
  • New Hope Film Festival (2019)
    New Hope, PA
    United States
  • Independent Shorts Awards (2019)

    Platinum Award: Best Documentary
  • Hollywood International Independent Documentary Awards 🏆

    United States
    Award Of Excellence
  • IndieFEST (2019)

    Award of Excellence Documentary Feature
  • Docs Without Borders Film Festival (2019)

    Outstanding Excellence Award
  • Olympus Film Festival (2019)

    Best Documentary Feature Film
  • Seattle TransMedia Int. Film Festival (2019)
  • Oceanside Int. Film Festival (2019)
  • Independent Talents International Film Festival (2019)
    Bloomington, IN.
    Best Film
  • 52 Weeks Film Festival (2019)

    Best US Documentary
Director Biography - Bill Wisneski

Bill Wisneski is an award-winning documentary director, producer, writer, and cinematographer. He has received twenty-one Pacific Southwest Emmy Awards and dozens of other national accolades for his compelling documentaries. His films have been shown at more than fifty film festivals throughout the country and aired on numerous PBS stations in the Western United States.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

We are excited to share this important documentary with you about a topic that has never adequately been addressed in a film before. This film explores the deeply rooted psychological issues that victims of sex trafficking face on a daily basis at the hands of pimps and buyers. Through first-hand, heartbreaking testimony of abuse from three survivors of the illicit sex trade, the incredibly complex nature of this form of modern-day slavery is revealed. Investigative interviews with leading experts from across the country provide further insight on what drives the industry, exposing shocking revelations about the society we live in and the misconceptions many of us harbor that allow sex trafficking to thrive. Despite the overwhelming suffering experienced by survivors, the documentary highlights how there can be hope for a better life after being trafficked. Our ultimate goal with this film is to bring much needed attention and understanding about this devastating issue plaguing our country.