New Film Project Launched By CBS "The Mentalist" Actor Tim Kang Praised By the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

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National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

Mar 05, 2012, 10:13 ET

Best Known for Playing California Investigator "Kimball Cho," Kang's Film Competition Will Address Real Life Crimes of Child Abduction and Sexually Abused Children

ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 5, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new film project launched in January by actor Tim Kang is being praised by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) for the awareness it will bring to the issues of abducted and sexually abused children. Kang is best known for his role in the CBS hit drama "The Mentalist" as the fan favorite character California law enforcement investigator "Kimball Cho."

Kang announced in January that his new film production company, One Shoot Films, had launched a short film competition. Story ideas for the competition will address the real life crimes of child abduction and sexually abused children. The competition is open to new and emerging writers and directors. The winning screenplay will be produced by One Shoot Films and submitted to U.S. and International film festivals.

An estimated 800,000 children are reported missing every year in the United States which equates to 2,000 missing children each day. It is also estimated that 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 10 boys will be the victims of sexual exploitation before they reach the age of 18.

"Every child deserves a safe childhood. The child victimization statistics are staggering. We are very enthusiastic to learn about the new project that Tim has launched which will help bring heightened awareness about the risks children face," said Ernie Allen, President & CEO of NCMEC.

Kang has served as a national spokesperson for NCMEC for the past two years, working with the organization to help educate parents about what they should be telling their children to keep them safe.

One Shoot Films is based in Los Angeles, Calif. The production company develops, produces and acquires independent film scripts and properties from the United States and around the world for distribution. One Shoot Films' primary focus is to get back to the basics of storytelling - to produce relevant, engaging and entertaining films that accurately reflect the world we live in today. Details about the film competition can be found at www.oneshootfilms.com.

About the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 1984. Designated by Congress to serve as the nation's clearinghouse, the organization has operated the toll-free 24-hour national missing children's hotline which has handled more than 3,472,740 calls. It has assisted law enforcement in the recovery of more than 169,840 children. The organization's CyberTipline has handled more than 1,374,020 reports of child sexual exploitation and its Child Victim Identification Program has reviewed and analyzed more than 65,455,790 child pornography images and videos. The organization works in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Justice's office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. To learn more about NCMEC, call its toll-free, 24-hour hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST or visit its web site at www.missingkids.com.

About Tim Kang
Tim Kang has established himself as a highly sought after and versatile actor in both film and television. He can currently be seen weekly on the hit CBS drama "The Mentalist" opposite Simon Baker where his character "Kimball Cho," the straight-arrow investigator has emerged as a fan favorite on the show. "The Mentalist" won a 2009 People's Choice Award for "Favorite New TV Drama," and was nominated for a 2009 Television Critics Association Award for "Outstanding New Program of the Year." Notably, Tim was also seen on the big screen in the Lionsgate action thriller Rambo opposite Sylvester Stallone and re-teamed with director Greg Pak for the title role in Mister Green, having first worked together in Greg's acclaimed first feature, Robot Stories. Before his starring role in "The Mentalist," Tim has had memorable performances in movies such as The Forgotten and Two Weeks Notice. He has also had strong recurring roles on television in NBC's popular drama, Third Watch, and CBS's military saga, The Unit.