Interview with Unchosen's founder:

How did the festival come about?

It was born out of a service in May 2007, organised by my then minister, Stephen Newell and some of his youth group, about Stopthetraffik. They invited a nurse, Ruth, who was just about to go to Cambodia with an organisation called Daughters, who work with young girls aged between four and fourteen, who have been sold into the sex trade, primarily by their families. The mixture of poverty and human frailty simply broke my heart and I knew I had to do something.

And what is the something you really want to do?

I want to stop trafficking and to make the UK a very difficult place for traffickers to operate. At the moment, it is easy. They are working here without too much trouble, and the demand is rising. I also want people to have a clear idea of the issues around trafficking, and to stop mixing up immigration with trafficking. Trafficking is the second largest illegal crime in the UK, second only to the drugs trade.

Why use films?

Good films, based on thoroughly researched content, can present a clear message to a large audience in a powerful way. I went to the Dublin Film Festival in 2007, and that gave me the idea that film would be the ideal medium to tackle a tough subject, that none of us likes to face. Staying out of mainstream cinema venues has been a deliberate choice, as has trying not to charge for admission. We want to attract a complete cross section of society, and to make it as easy as possible for people to come and see a tough film, with discussion and Q & As.

Why did you pick the word 'Unchosen' for the festival?

It comes from the song Midnight rain, from the musical Cargo, written by Paul Field. Cargo focuses on ending human trafficking, and the song tells the story of Maria, tricked into leaving her home and family by the promise of a better life. Instead she meets with the worst of humanity's desires and rage.

What can people do to help stop trafficking?

Support the film festival – come along and learn, bring others, spread the word

Buy Fair trade goods. Fair trade means 'slave free'. In India, there are 45 million unemployed adults, and 42.5 million children in forced labour, working 16 hours a day for next to nothing, so we can have cheap chocolate and cheap clothes. Buying Fair trade products means these children can go to school while the adults go back to work and therefore reducing the risk of being trafficked.

What impact has the festival already had?

Apart from the numbers of people coming to the event and looking at the website, the festival is also mentioned in an academic book called Moving People, Moving Images: Cinema and Trafficking in the New Europe, by William Brown, Dian Lordanova and Leshu Torchin. The festival, this year, will be in more places – we are hoping to have festivals in Bath, Bristol, Keele Sussex and next year Leicester...

And on a personal level?

Last year I won a national award – Extraordinary woman of the Year for the voluntary sector. That was a very humbling experience

For further details of Unchosen: Telephone: 00 44 117 370 6417
Email:info@unchosen.org.uk