WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES, April 2, 2015 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Runaways, a new film by DK Filmworks, tells the story of abused and neglected teenage lovers, Kellee and James. Both Kellee and James summon forth the courage to escape their nightmarish lives in which violence is a constant presence. Recent headlines and graphic news footage have shown audiences that domestic violence is a vicious reality leaving its mark on all communities, despite race, income level, or social status. Most people who suffer from the blight of domestic abuse lack an advocate to tell their story. For those people, The Runaways is that advocate. Just as films seek an audience, this subject matter calls for a listening ear. The Runaways is a film destined to start the conversation about domestic abuse through examining lives of its characters. James comes from a group home, Kellee lives in an abusive household and yet the tragedies of their lives do not destroy them. Instead, the triumph of their love is ultimately what saves them. The focal point of the narrative film is that even in desperate and hopeless situations, hope can rise above despair.

The crusade to bring authenticity and diversity to film has inspired Kendall Givens-Little and Dewey Ortiz, Jr., the founders and owners of DK Filmworks, to embark on a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign with a goal of raising $5000 by May 11. The filmmakers plan to make a real impact by teaming up with community partners, organizers, and educators who are committed to stopping domestic violence. Outreach to the people who help victims and abusers can turn the tide from violence in the home to compassion in the community.

“When one in four women is a victim of domestic abuse,” explains Ortiz, “it’s not something to sweep under the rug.” Givens-Little echoes that sentiment. His concern is that domestic violence has become part of the norm, making the public numb. The goal of the film is to ”get past the numbness and bring back the pain” so that the crisis has to be faced. People can be proactive or reactive, the filmmakers say, but they “can’t pretend it doesn’t exist.” Givens-Little explains, “We want to go past the screen and reach inside the viewer’s heart.”

Producer Tia Goodson, a former teacher, knows the stories of the characters because she had to deal with similar situation in the classroom. This experience has made the film very real to her. She wants to see the conversation about domestic abuse open up so that young people especially understand, “this isn’t love.” It’s important for the film to offer hope through its characters. “These victims,” Ortiz reveals, “fight back.”

The rewards that the filmmakers are offering include a thank-you credit in the film; a special, one-of-a-kind personal postcard designed as a train ticket with The Runaways title and the names of the characters James and Kellee listed as passengers; movie posters; video screening of the film; signed storyboard stills; pre-release movie DVDs; producer credits; t-shirts; and a day on the set.

Help support the film, and do something important. Your donation can be a conversation starter and sometimes just starting the conversation is half the battle

About DK Filmworks LLC
Kendall Givens-Little and Dewey Ortiz, Jr., the founders and owners of DK Filmworks, are on a cinematic crusade to challenge the typecasting that is rife in Hollywood when black males show up on screen. All too often, the men are limited to playing the crooked cop, the drug dealer or the crack addict or the jock; these stereotypes depict a fabricated demographic that fails to recognize the humanity of African-Americans, who live and work and love just as the members of any other race. The issues that the characters Kellee and James face in The Runaways are not caused by their race; it’s an experience that the entire human race recognizes as a familiar one. Telling the story of The Runaways, DK Filmworks’ latest project, is very important to them because it exposes the tragedy of domestic abuse, a crisis that affects everyone.

Dewey A. Ortiz Jr.
DK Filmworks LLC
www.dkfilmworks.com
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