Eye-Opening Documentary Miss HIV Accepted Into 2011 Red Ribbon International Film Festival in Ghana

Online, November 3, 2011 (Newswire.com) - The award-winning feature length film has been selected for screening at the 2011 Red Ribbon International Film Festival (RRIFF) to be held November 25-27 in Koforidua, Ghana. RRIFF is being hailed as the only festival of its kind devoted exclusively to HIV/AIDS stigmatization and discrimination. Festival organizers are hopeful that Miss HIV, and other selected films, will spark a global quest for solid solutions to the critical issues surrounding AIDS, a virus that is now the leading killer in the world of people under 60.

Miss HIV confronts the international collision of HIV/AIDS policies. It exposes the heated rhetoric, high stakes, and heavy toll of the battle over AIDS education and prevention. The film also explores innovative strategies to counteract the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS - one of the greatest obstacles in battling this worldwide pandemic. With high-speed intensity, the documentary showcases women in Botswana participating in a stigma-free beauty pageant, Ugandan college students fighting the stigma of abstinence, and gay-rights advocates at the International AIDS conference in Toronto combating stigmatization. Unapologetic and courageous, yet consistently inspiring, Miss HIV shines a spotlight on ideological agendas that often complicate an already complex global crisis.

EthnoGraphic Media president Bill Oeschsler says, "At EGM, we do not flinch when it comes to presenting raw subject matter or raising difficult questions. Can the stigma of HIV/AIDS be overcome? Why are we losing the war against a preventable disease? Finding answers to these weighty questions is an integral part of our journey, but we leave much of the search for understanding in the hands of those who engage in our films."

Written and directed by Jim Hanon and produced by Mart Green, Miss HIV targets a savvy audience who is passionate about doing whatever it takes to ensure healing and freedom for a better tomorrow. To learn more about the film, visit www.misshiv.com. For further details about the festival, visit redribboninternationalfestival.org.

EthnoGraphic Media (EGM) is an educational non-profit (501c3) organization that explores critical issues of our time. As a community of artists and filmmakers, EGM uses media to tell true stories of hope and compassion in the midst of suffering and strife. EGM believes that gaining a deeper understanding of the human condition inspires positive action. Projects include Little Town of Bethlehem, The Grandfathers, Miss HIV, End of the Spear and Beyond the Gates of Splendor.