Film screening: Lights in Dark Rooms
October 21, 2026
1:00pm - 2:30pm
This is a hybrid event
In person: 626 Kaneff Tower, York University, Keele campus
Zoom: https://yorku.zoom.us/meeting/register/Ynmv9NhrR6GsI1W6dowjOg
Lights in Dark Rooms investigates the harrowing reality of fraud factories in Southeast Asia, where human trafficking and weaponized technology fuel a global humanitarian crisis.
When billions are stolen and hundreds of thousands are trafficked, the security of our digital world can no longer be solved from behind a screen. A crew of security researchers and investigators travels to the border of war-torn Myanmar and the urban centers of the Philippines to document the harrowing reality of industrialized scamming compounds. In these "dark rooms," victims are ensnared in modern slavery, lured by fake job promises only to be forced into executing relentless fraud schemes under the threat of torture. Lights in Dark Rooms exposes the intersection of human trafficking and modernized cybercrime, challenging the global technology sector and international community to confront an urgent humanitarian crisis.
Vito Giovannetti is the Co-Founder and COO of ChainPatrol, a real-time security platform protecting Web3 communities from digital threats and phishing attacks. A recognized tech entrepreneur and recipient of York University’s "30 Under 30" award, Giovannetti has extensive experience in brand protection and innovation-centric programming, previously serving as a Co-Leader for the Schulich Startups community. His professional background includes Director of Innovative Programming for the Windsor International Film Festival. As team lead for the investigative documentary Lights in Dark Rooms, Giovannetti led independent field research across Thailand and the Philippines to document the infrastructure of industrialized scam compounds. By gathering firsthand testimony and visual evidence, he highlights the "dual use" of technology in human trafficking. Giovannetti aims to use this project to mobilize the blockchain industry to architect solutions that dismantle the digital backbone of predatory networks.
Small Q, born Mwesezi Gideon, is a Ugandan recording artist, songwriter, and survivor-activist known for blending Afrobeat and traditional rhythms. Having survived two notorious scam compounds in Myanmar, including KK Park, he uses his platform to raise awareness about the brutal reality of "pig-butchering" operations. Small Q was trafficked under false promises of employment and forced to execute cryptocurrency scams during 20-hour workdays under the threat of physical punishment. While he was not involved in the production of the documentary Lights in Dark Rooms, he is a primary featured subject whose testimony provides critical human context to the scam industry's scale. Following his return to freedom, he released the EP Back from Burma to share his story of resilience. He is currently launching an NGO to support Ugandan survivors with recovery, awareness, and safe reintegration.
Global Alms Incorporated is an international non-profit dedicated to combating human trafficking, forced criminality, and sexual exploitation, particularly along the Thailand- Myanmar border. Under the leadership of CEO Mechelle B.J. Moore, a Transnational Crime Specialist, the organization operates a Counter Trafficking Unit (CTU) that has assisted over 1,500 potential victims fleeing scam compounds. Global Alms focuses on three strategic pillars (Protection, Preparation, and Purpose) to provide emergency response, vocational training, and community empowerment. While the organization played no part in making the documentary Lights in Dark Rooms, it is featured as a front-line "hero" organization to illustrate the urgent need for resources in victim recovery. As a primary beneficiary of the project's fundraising efforts, Global Alms continues to coordinate with international authorities to dismantle trafficking networks. Their work aligns with United Nations goals to eradicate modern slavery and restore dignity to vulnerable populations.
