In connection with the opening of LION in theatres on November 25th, 2016, See-Saw Films, The Weinstein Company, and The Charity Network launched #LionHeart, a social impact campaign to help provide much-needed financial support for non-profit organizations serving vulnerable children on the ground in India. See-Saw Films’ picture, LION (directed by Garth Davis and distributed by the Weinstein Company), tells the true story of five-year-old Saroo Brierley, who gets lost on a train which takes him thousands of miles across India, away from home and family. Saroo’s story is one of hundreds of thousands. As there are over 11 million children living on the streets of India, with more than 80,000 going missing each year, the #LionHeart campaign is a tremendous opportunity to raise awareness about these problems and to inspire action on a global scale. See-Saw Films and The Weinstein Company will utilize the Charity Network’s digital consumer platform Chideo to generate awareness and help fund donations to select non-profits in India.
In support of the #LionHeart campaign, Dev Patel released the following video as a call to action to both raise awareness about the crisis in India, and raise funds for the non-profits that are addressing the challenges head-on.
“Unfortunately, stories like Saroo’s are all too common. Over 80,000 children go missing each year and there are over 11 million children living on the streets in India alone,” said Dev Patel. “There are organizations on the ground doing amazing work to help kids like Saroo. And the best way we can help is by giving them the financial support they so desperately need.”
The non-profit organizations that #LionHeart will support include:
Magic Bus – Magic Bus educates at risk children on best practices for prevention and equips them with education and the life-skills necessary to move out of poverty.
Railway Children – Fights for vulnerable children who live alone at risk on the streets and railway stations, where they suffer abuse and exploitation.
LION producers and See-Saw’s joint managing directors Iain Canning and Emile Sherman commented, “We are extremely proud to have brought Saroo’s story to life for audiences around the world. However, we don’t want the journey to end there. We are passionate about harnessing the power of this film to bring about real impact in the lives of those Indian children who, like young Saroo, need assistance. We hope LION and the #LionHeart campaign will raise awareness about the plight of these lost children in India and around the globe and will inspire people to take action with us to help alleviate some of these very urgent problems.”
LION is a remarkable story about the importance of family and the ties that bind, and how modern technology allows us to connect with places and one another in ways past generations could only dream of. The film received rave reception out of its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. To donate, visit the film’s official website, LionMovie.com. Audiences from around the world can easily donate to each organization with one click. Additionally, #LionHeart will also include a robust social media campaign.
