On Wednesday, October 3rd, 600 guests gathered at the Los Angeles Directors’ Guild Theatre for the World Premiere of “A Whisper to a Roar.”

The evening started at 6:00 pm, with guests watching the Presidential Debate on a big screen TV and in the main theatre while enjoying delicious cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.  When the Debate was over, the reception began, with plenty of time for photos and interviews before everyone headed into the main theatre where Emcee Mary Hart (who, along with her husband, Burt Sugarman, hosted the event) introduced the evening’s other hosts: Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villagaigosa (by video, as he had to be in Denver for the Debate!), Human Rights Foundation‘s Thor Halvorssen and the Museum of Tolerance‘s Rabbi Marvin Hier.

Opening Remarks were then made by Prince Moulay Hicham Ben Abdallah of Morocco, the film’s benefactor, and the documentary was screened.

The evening culminated with a lively Q&A moderated by Mary Hart.  The panel was made up of Prince Moulay Hicham, Writer/Producer Director Ben Moses, Stanford University’s Larry Diamond (whose lifework and writings inspired the film) and Ukrainian Parliament Member Andriy Shevchenko, who was featured in the film.

The entire film team is eternally grateful to the generosity of the evening’s hosts, without whom such a special evening would not have been possible.