PHILADELPHIA, March 31, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Sexual Violence Resource Center will partner with Oscar-nominated filmmakers Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering and their film "The Hunting Ground" to increase awareness around preventing sexual violence on college campuses. The collaboration coincides with the start of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a national prevention campaign facilitated annually by NSVRC.
To kick off their partnership, NSVRC and "The Hunting Ground" — along with co-sponsors Women Organized Against Rape and the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape — will host a panel discussion after a debut showing of the film at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 3, at the Landmark Ritz Five Theatre, 214 Walnut St., Philadelphia. The panel discussion will feature the film's producer, Ziering, and state and local experts.
"The NSVRC is a stalwart advocate for survivors of campus sexual assault. We are honored to be partnering with them during Sexual Assault Awareness Month as we expand the film's release in theaters and on campuses throughout the country," Dick and Ziering said.
This year's Sexual Assault Awareness Month campaign is expected to be the most far-reaching since it was officially first observed in April 2001. "The Hunting Ground," a startling exposé of sexual assault on U.S. campuses, has received more than two thousand requests from colleges and universities to host screenings of the film.
"'The Hunting Ground' is a powerful documentary that underscores the widespread problem of campus sexual assault," NSVRC Director Karen Baker said. "We are at a tipping point, and are grateful that people continue to talk about this topic. We want audiences to realize that everyone plays an important role in changing this culture in which sexual violence thrives. This documentary sends the strong message that it takes all of us, working together in big and small ways, to prevent sexual violence."
Sexual Assault Awareness Month is observed every April. Free resources for parents, students, health care professionals, and members of the campus community are available at nsvrc.org/saam. For resources in Spanish, go to nsvrc.org/es/saam.
ABOUT NSVRC
The NSVRC, founded by the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape, celebrates its 15th anniversary this year. The center leads the U.S. in providing professional support to local and state anti-sexual violence organizations. NSVRC collaborates with partners nationwide to create research-based resources that focus on how to prevent and respond to sexual violence. The organization has the nation's largest library of resources on sexual violence and prevention. To learn more, go to nsvrc.org.
ABOUT THE HUNTING GROUND
From the Academy Award-nominated filmmaking team behind "The Invisible War" comes a startling exposé of sexual assault on U.S. campuses, institutional cover-ups and the brutal social toll on victims and their families. "The Hunting Ground" debuted in January at the Sundance Film Festival and is being released by RADiUS and CNN Films. For more about the film and a list of screening locations, go to thehuntinggroundfilm.com.
A photo accompanying this release is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=31799
