Washington, D.C., October 18, 2016 — On Sunday, October 23, 2016 (2:00PM – 4:30PM), the award-winning documentary film Blood Lions will have its Chicago premiere at The Music Box Theatre (3733 N. Southport Ave.) followed by a special post-film live discussion with the movie’s director, Bruce Young, and international wildlife expert Adam M. Roberts, CEO of Born Free USA. The stunning and provocative Blood Lions exposes the brutal truth behind canned lion trophy hunting.[teaserbreak]
According to Roberts, “Blood Lions is the most in-depth and significant look inside the insidious world of South African canned hunts. It shows how nefarious these operators are and visually depicts the massive cruelty of canned lion hunting in grotesque detail. Born Free USA stands behind this brilliant documentary and I am looking forward to an insightful discussion in Chicago with the director, Bruce Young, and the audience.”
Roberts will discuss:
- Global threats to lions, and canned hunting of lions in South Africa specifically.
- The negotiations and outcomes on lions at the recently-concluded meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
- Plans over the next three years to shut down the captive breeding industry for lions, reduce the number of lions hunted, and reduce the amount of lion parts and products in international trade.
The film Blood Lions follows Ian Michler, a South African environmental journalist and safari operator, and Rick Swazey, an American hunter, on their journey to the heart of darkness that lies within the predator breeding and canned hunting industries. It is a story that blows the lid off the claims made by these operators in attempting to justify what they do in the name of conservation. The film shows, in intimate detail, how lucrative it is to breed lions, and how the authorities and most professional hunting and tourism bodies have become complicit in allowing the industries to flourish.
To purchase tickets ($12) for the screening and the live discussion, go to www.musicboxtheatre.com/films/blood-lions. For more information about the film, visit www.bloodlions.org.
Born Free USA is a global leader in animal welfare and wildlife conservation. Through litigation, legislation, and public education, Born Free USA leads vital campaigns against animals in entertainment, exotic ‘pets,’ trapping and fur, and the destructive international wildlife trade. Born Free USA brings to America the message of ‘compassionate conservation’: the vision of the UK-based Born Free Foundation, established in 1984 by Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna, stars of the iconic film Born Free, along with their son, Will Travers. Born Free’s mission is to end suffering of wild animals in captivity, conserve threatened and endangered species, and encourage compassionate conservation globally. More at www.bornfreeusa.org, www.twitter.com/bornfreeusa, and www.facebook.com/bornfreeusa.
Media contact: Rodi Rosensweig, publicrelations@bornfreeusa.org, (203) 270-8929