‘Hope Village’ seeks sponsors, distributors

A documentary from Sunwise Media, formed by two long-time cable TV executives, has won a gold award as one of the top films in the Spotlight Awards.

The film, Hope Village: The Story of a Hope Dealer, tells the story of a drug treatment program run by Lucy Hall. Her Hope Mary Hall Freedom House has helped more than 10,000 women and children to break the cycle of homelessness and addiction since 1996.

Ri-Karlo Handy and Elverage Allen, who worked at Bounce TV before forming Sunwise are pivoting the business towards creating films that do good.

“Our mission is to create entertainment that inspires and compels social and cultural change by combining the power of a good well-told story with opportunities for real world impact and awareness around the most pressing issues we face today. In the case of Hope Village, it is the subject of addiction and the opioid epidemic,” said Allen.

Sunwise has entered Hope Village into several film festivals, including the upcoming Silicon Valley Film Festival and the Alliance of Women Filmmakers.

Allen, head of ad sales for Sunwise, said they hope the exposure the film gets will attract sponsors and distributors.

Companies looking for socially responsible projects could sponsor screenings of the film, or help distribute it print companion, A Guide to Rehab. An app to help deal with cravings is also available.