An Open Secret (2014)

Director: Amy Berg
Writers: Amy Berg, Lorien Haynes
Stars: Evan Henzi, Michael Egan III, Mark Ryan

AN OPEN SECRET looks at the lives of children betrayed and abandoned by a system that essentially funnels them towards sexual predators without any oversight or regard for their safety. It documents not only these young peoples' experiences, but also how some have emerged stronger for their speaking out. It beg the questions of why children working in entertainment aren't afforded the same protections they are afforded at school, and argues for more effective treatment and stronger penalties for child sex offenders.

It's certainly an open secret that girls and women are sexually abused and exploited in the entertainment industry, but as this well-documented film points out, boys and young men are just as vulnerable to sexual predators–and the effect on their lives is just as devastating. We meet several victims who tell of their experiences at the hands of incredibly cruel, selfish men who used their positions of power within the industry to basically use them as sex slaves, then move on to victimize more boys with little or no consequences. Names are named, some of which you may recognize. As one of the film's participants points out, people who enjoy movies, TV and other entertainment featuring child performers need to start thinking critically about who these children are, what their lives are really like and how they're being treated by the industry they're working for.