Frank Gladstone, Head of Artist Development at DreamWorks, and Clifford Cohen, founder and president of AnimAction, have joined forces as members of UNICEF's International Animation Consortium for Child's Rights to create an animated PSA that addresses the Right to a Name and a Nationality. The PSA will be screened on June 4 at the Annecy Film Festival in Annecy, France. Also at the Festival, Mr. Cohen will speak about "How Animation Can Change People's Thinking."
The Right to a Name and a Nationality is an important issue to many children througout the world. In many countries, children who are not registered do not officially exist, making them vulnerable to numerous forms of exploitation, including slave labor, prostitution, and illegal adoption.
Frank Gladstone developed and directed the spot which was animated by inner city high school students from the Los Angeles Unified School District who were recruited by AnimAction. Clifford Cohen's AnimAction has been making PSA's with children throughout the world for the past ten years. Some of the spots have been distributed internationally by UNICEF and many have aired on television throughout the world.