WASHINGTON, July 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- A pre-Whistleblower Summit & Film Festival publicity rollout began last night with an advanced screening of Gavin Hood's (Eye In The Sky) new film "Official Secrets" which opens on September 6th in D.C., at the National Press Club. Special guests included writer and director Gavin Hood and real-life inspirations, whistleblower Katharine Gun (portrayed by Keira Knightley) and journalist Martin Bright (portrayed by Matt Smith). "Official Secrets" screened to a full house with many notable whistleblowers such as Marcel Reid, Sheila White, Robert J. Maclean, Dr. Matthew Fogg and influencers like members of the National Press Club, Government Accountability Project, Project on Government Oversight and staffers from various representatives offices on the hill.
She risked everything to stop an unjust war. Her government called her a traitor. Based on world-shaking true events, Official Secrets tells the gripping story of Katharine Gun (Keira Knightley), a British intelligence specialist whose job involves routine handling of classified information. Michael McCray, whistleblower and summit co-host, described Official Secrets as "a modern day All The President's Men—only better." Daniel Ellsberg, the famed whistleblower behind the leak in 1971 of the Pentagon Papers (the subject of Steven Spielberg's 2017 drama The Post), remarked that Gun's actions signified "the most important and courageous leak I have ever seen. No one else – including myself – has ever done what Gun did: tell secret truths at personal risk, before an imminent war, in time, possibly, to avert it."
Over the last twelve years members from the Make It Safe Coalition have arranged an assembly of whistleblowers in Washington, DC each year for an annual conference originally known as Washington Whistleblower's Week. ACORN 8, a Washington, D.C. based organization will host its eighth annual event, the Whistleblower Summit & Film Festival on Capitol Hill on July 29 to August 1, 2019. The theme for the Whistleblower Summit this year is True North—Persevering in the Pursuit of Justice. The series of events will take place on Capitol Hill and other nearby locations
The Whistleblower Summit recognizes that cinema is a powerful medium for highlighting civil and human rights violations across the globe. It seeks to shine a light on stories of courage and perseverance in the face of injustice, and to encourage individuals to stand together to achieve human rights for all. Marcel Reid, summit co-host and Festival Director explained, "We are looking for films about whistleblowers, the First Amendment or that touch on one or several human rights issues that are connected to our areas of work, this includes freedom of expression, women's rights, discrimination, communal violence, human rights defenders. As well as films centered on other civil and human rights issues."
SOURCE Whistleblower Summit
