Award-Winning Film Shines the Spotlight on an IJM Guatemala Case

The 24-minute film 'Aullido' or 'Howl,' recently won Best Short Film at the 2015 Justice Film Festival in Chicago, a festival featuring stories of the vulnerable and oppressed. The organization behind the film, CIY, partnered with IJM to tell the courageous story of 15-year-old Vincente who boldly decided to stand up against injustice.

KODE Action 12 News reported on the film's award, interviewing the director, MD Neely, on the making of 'Aullido.'

The IJM Guatemala office has focused on cases of sexual violence against children since its opening in 2005. Experts deemed Guatemala to be the 'most dangerous place for women in all of Latin America' and only 6 percent of reported cases of sexual violence eventually reaching a verdict. However, changes in Guatemala such as a stronger law and a new Sex Crimes unit show that there is hope, and cases like Vincente’s prove that justice is possible.

'The case of Vicente in Guatemala was not only a major victory for that city, but a testament to the hard work of so many men and women working tirelessly around the world through International Justice Mission to be a voice to the voiceless,' said Brad Twedt, IJM Guatemala Field Office Director, in a recent CIY Downloads post. 'Our partnership with CIY allows us to be able to craft excellent films such as "Aullido" with the intention of sharing stories with a larger audience in hopes of inspiring more people to do as Vicente did—to be brave and speak up against injustice.'