Present Age Ministries

The story

Present Age Ministries fights human trafficking. They work to prevent exploitation and walk alongside survivors as they rebuild their lives. It's difficult, often invisible work, and it relies on people understanding the problem well enough to act. This film was our gift to them, made to help tell that story.

We filmed in Charlotte, where Present Age is based. Trafficking is a subject that demands care, and we approached it with restraint in every decision, from how the issue was framed to what we chose to show. We never wanted to sensationalize. We wanted people to leave informed, moved, and ready to help.

The film is built on honest interviews with the staff who carry out Present Age's mission, paired with quiet, observational footage of the people and places that make their work possible. To show what trafficking can look like, we staged reenactment scenes with actors and wove them throughout the film. Each one took careful lighting and set design to feel real without becoming graphic. We relied on shadow, framing and small details to suggest what victims go through, trusting the audience to feel the weight without needing to see everything.

For a nonprofit, a single strong film can do a lot of work. It can open a fundraising event, anchor a website, introduce the mission to new partners, and give volunteers something to share. We edited with all of those uses in mind, keeping the story clear, the call to action simple, and the running time respectful of the viewer.

Round 7 exists because we believe visual media can break down walls between an organization and the people who need to hear from it. Gifting this film to Present Age Ministries was one small way to put that belief into practice. If you lead a nonprofit in Charlotte or Gastonia and your story needs to reach more people, we'd be honored to talk with you.

On set for Present Age Ministries.