October 2005: Alina Motoc Joins Bucharest: Hired as Co-editor, we welcome Alina Motoc who helps Bucharest with translations from Romanian to English and English to Romanian. 

September 2005: Andrea Birkner Joins Bucharest Express Team: Hired in the PR & Marketing sector Andrea Birkner enriches team having work experience in an international range. We welcome her and look forward to continue to educate the young women and their parents to the horrors of trafficking in Eastern Europe and throughout the world.

June, 2005: The US State Department releases the annual Trafficking in Persons Report

Click here to view the report

May 2005: Bucharest Express Is The Opening Night Feature Film at the Tupelo Film Festival: Due to its success at the Tivoli, Flint and Appalachian Film Festival Bucharest Express was staged at the exhilarating opening event as feature film. The audience's award and feedback was overwhelming.

July 2004: Betty Hoffman Joins Bucharest Express Team: Hired as a member of the public relations team, Betty Hoffman joins the Bucharest Express team with a diverse background in program development, fundraising and teaching. We welcome Betty and look forward to the progress ahead in Eastern Europe!

June 2004: Bucharest Express Wins Best Feature Film at the Tivoli Film Festival: Another Win for Bucharest Express as the film takes home the Best Feature Film award at the Tivoli Film Festival, held in Annandale, New York in late June. 

www.tivolifilmfest.org

A New Edit of Bucharest Express is Released in January, 2004 – An updated, re-edited version of Bucharest Express is completed and the film is ready for a fresh release. Chuck Portz worked with Valkan Studios to re-edit the film, creating a more suspenseful and powerful motion picture. Vera Marianciuc is the lead actor in this new edit as the reporter exposing the government corruption. This new version will be showing at film festivals across the nation this year. Be sure to check the website regularly for festival dates.

Bucharest Express Wins Best Feature at the Flint Film Festival – The Festival held in Flint, Michigan announced on June 6th that Bucharest Express won the prize for Best Feature. Director, Chuck Portz happily accepted the Award at the festival in Flint.

 www.flintfilmfestival.com

Bucharest Express Wins Best Film at the Appalachian Film Festival – The Appalachian Film Festival held in Huntington, West Virginia awarded Bucharest Express with Best Film on June 5th . A cash prize and award was accepted by Director, Chuck Portz.

 www.appyfilmfest.com

June, 2004: the US State Department releases the annual Trafficking in Persons Report.

Click here to view the report

May 12 , 2004: Young girls fall victim to human traffic Moldova. Click here to view the report

April 2004: Global Mission Film Series, Cambridge (MA):  Special Guest Lisa Thompson, the Salvation Army National Consultant, honored Bucharest Express and its intent to bringing awareness to Human Trafficking in Eastern Europe.

 "The Salvation Army's Response to Human Trafficking"  

June, 2003: the US State Department releases the annual Trafficking in Persons Report.

Click here to view the report

June, 2002: the US State Department releases the annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report.

The TIP report groups all participating countries into three tiers based on their efforts to combat the trafficking of persons.

Click here to view the report>>

Click here to read Colin Powell's comments on the report>>

Click here to read Sen. Ely-Raphel's comments on the report>>

May 2002: BX as feature film during Anti-Trafficking Conference in Vatican City: Blessings to the makers of Bucharest Express by Pope Johannes Paul II during the Anti-Trafficking Conference " 21st Century Slavery-The Human Dimension to Trafficking in Human Beings" where Bucharest Express is successfully shown as feature film.

2002: Screenings at Harvard University (MA), Yale University (CT), Colombia University (NY)

August 2001: Zhanna Beisembaeva-Funaro Joins Bucharest Express: Ms. Beisembaeva-Funaro enriches the Bucharest Express Team as Consultant. She has worked for renowned institutes in Kazakstan and the US. Currently she is obtaining her Masters Degree in Environmental Studies at Yale Universtity, New Haven. We welcome Zhanna and are looking forward to making headway in the battle against sexual slavery.

July 2, 2001: The following is a copy of one of the early press releases that went out to promote interest and coverage regarding Bucharest Express.