The Humane Society of the United States has announced that “Shadow Trade,” an undercover investigation into the trafficking of Thai street dogs, has won its seventh annual Animal Content in Entertainment documentary grant. Chosen from more than 60 entries from 20 countries, this feature length documentary follows the covert work of a British journalist who ventures deep into a dangerous underground world with the hope of advancing stricter laws and more protection for dogs in Southeast Asia.
Awarded The HSUS’ $20,000 ACE grant, “Shadow Trade,” directed by Richard Elson, was selected by a panel of judges from HBO Documentary Films, Sundance Channel, Participant Media, Documentary Channel, Cineflix Productions, Gravitas Ventures, and Green Planet Films.
“We are thrilled at the opportunities The Humane Society of the United States’ ACE grant has given the production. We consider ‘Shadow Trade’ to be a hugely significant element in the critical campaign to draw much needed worldwide attention to the illegal dog meat trade in Thailand and other Asian markets,” says Ella B. Todd, managing director of Environment Films, the UK production company behind the documentary.
“With its thriller-style filmmaking approach, ‘Shadow Trade’ exposes a very unpleasant truth about the fate of thousands of dogs, engaging audiences much like the Academy Award-winning documentary ‘The Cove,’ which tackled the disturbing issue of dolphin slaughter,” says Colin McCormack, manager of The HSUS’ ACE program.
The runner-up for the 2012 ACE grant is “Horsepower,” which takes an expansive look at the crucial role horses have played in the formation of America and the issues facing their welfare today.
The Humane Society of the United States ACE documentary grant is a component of the organization’s Hollywood Outreach program, designed to promote animal protection themed content in film and television. Past winners of the grant include “The Eyes of Thailand,” narrated by Ashley Judd, “One Lucky Elephant,” which aired on the OWN network, and the award-winning “The Elephant in the Living Room.”
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