Jennifer Huang of Oakland, California, was working on her first short film for Treeclimber Media, “This Adventure Called California,” about a labor trafficking survivor.

In the initial version of the 2021 film, she named a trafficker, thinking it was safe to do so because he had been convicted. However, by the end of filming, his sentence had been vacated and he was released.

“I was uncertain if this opened me up to claims of defamation,” said Huang, who produced the film entirely on a $500 stipend from Re-Present Media’s Re-Take Oakland mentorship program for filmmakers of color. “I simply lacked any additional funding.”

Fortunately, she accessed pro bono legal help through ProJourn, and attorneys at DWT and Microsoft noted additional legal questions that needed to be addressed.

“The legal team made me aware of issues and questions that I hadn’t even considered,” she said.

“This all allowed me to release the film with confidence. I’ve had a successful premiere and even won a jury award.”

“So I’m very, very grateful for the help.”