Join us for a special screening and panel discussion
hosted by United Nations Association of New York
and Freedom United
UNMUTED: Child Brides
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Fraidy Reiss
Executive Director, Unchained at Last
Dena Hysell-Cornejo
Director, UNMUTED
Richard Lui, Moderator
Anchor, MSNBC
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Monday | 6 October 2025 | 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
FREE ADMISSION
NOTE: Although there is no charge for tickets, UNA-NYC is grateful for any donations contributed towards the costs of hosting this screening. Suggested donation: $10 UNA-NYC members and $15 non-members.
Dolby 88 Screening Room
1350 Avenue of the Americas (at West 55th Street)
Lobby Level
New York, NY 10019
7:00 - 7:10 p.m. | Welcome and Introductions (UNA-NYC, Freedom United, Without Exception Films)
7:10 - 7:40 p.m. | Film Screening
7:40 - 8:20 p.m. | Panel discussion + Q+A
8:20 - 8:30 p.m. | Closing remarks & audience calls to action
Screening begins promptly at 7:00 p.m. followed by the discussion
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Register for this event here
One in three women globally will experience gender based violence. UNMUTED: CHILD BRIDES follows the stories of girls impacted by child marriage in India and the United States of America whilst presenting the global movement fighting to end it through education, legal reform, and grassroots advocacy.
United Nations Association of New York, in partnership with Freedom United, is please to host this special screening of Child Brides, an episode from the three-part documentary series by Without Exception Films, "UNMUTED." This docuseries follows eight women from across the globe through their journeys of reclaiming their agency and rebuilding their lives against seemingly insurmountable odds. The Child Brides episode spotlights survivors of child marriage alongside grassroots advocates and organizations working to end the practice globally, from the U.S. to South Asia and East Africa.
UNMUTED is a 2024 Clinton Global Initiative selection and a Realscreen MIPTV Pick.
Following the screening, a panel discussion will connect the episode’s stories to ongoing advocacy, policy, and community-based efforts aimed at eliminating child marriage in the U.S. Our panel this evening includes American author, journalist, filmmaker and anchor for MSNBC and NBC News Richard Lui, the film’s director Dena Hysell-Cornejo, and the founder of nonprofit Unchained at Last, Fraidy Reiss.
Guest Panelists
Fraidy Reiss
Fraidy Reiss is a survivor turned activist and one of the nation’s foremost experts on forced and child marriage. She was forced at age 19 to marry a stranger, then trapped in an abusive forced marriage for 15 years. Fraidy rebuilt her life and founded Unchained At Last to combat forced marriage and child marriage in the United States through direct services and systems change. She has helped more than 1,200 survivors escape forced marriage and has helped write and pass legislation to ban child marriage in 16 U.S. states.
Dena Hysell-Cornejo
Dena Hysell-Cornejo is a writer/director who seamlessly explores humanity’s contradictions and foibles through her work in genre films and documentaries. UNMUTED, which premiered at Doc.London 2025, was selected as a Clinton Global Initiative Commitment to Action. Her feature films include the psychological thriller Sister with a Secret (The Cartel/Lifetime), and the animated series Oishii High School Battle, Shut Up! Cartoons’ flagship show. Dena’s storytelling is shaped by lived experience: she’s worked in refugee camps, filmed in post-conflict zones, and collaborated with first-time actors in unfamiliar languages. Her work has screened at festivals including Toronto, Seattle, and NYFF, and been distributed by Gravitas Ventures and Green Apple Films.
Moderator
Richard Lui
Richard Lui has accomplished many things in the business, political, and journalism spheres, most recently working for CNN and then transitioning to MSNBC. He is passionate about using media to bring awareness to the issues of human trafficking and slavery. He serves as an ambassador for Not For Sale, an anti-human trafficking group, and as a board advisor for Annie Cannons, which is an NGO that works to teach trafficking survivors to become coders. Richard is a Freedom United patron.