Editor’s Note: One of the most talked about shorts at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, Baseball in the Time of Cholera (executive-produced by actress Olivia Wilde and Elon Musk), explores the still raging cholera epidemic in Haiti. The film received a Special Jury Mention in the TFF 2012 Best Documentary Short category. Baseball in the Time of Cholera follows two intersecting stories—one involving Joseph, a young baseball player who is deeply affected by the epidemic, and the other chronicling the efforts of a Haitian lawyer to win compensation for the victims.

Although the UN denies responsibility for introducing the disease, mounting evidence suggests otherwise, and Haitians are demanding answers and accountability. In his own way, Joseph and the crusading attorney embody the ongoing struggle for survival and justice in Haiti. Directors David Darg and Bryn Mooser have decided to release their film online for free in an effort to bring awareness to this epidemic. Below is their story.

It was important for us to premiere Baseball in the Time of Cholera at Tribeca because we really want to make the distinction that this is not a typical activism or fundraising piece. It is a call to action, but it’s a call driven through a powerful narrative with the story at the forefront.

We also really love the Tribeca audience, having experienced such a great reception in 2011 with our short film Sun City Picture House. With cholera raging in Haiti, we needed to get the film in front of an audience of activists and tastemakers, and Tribeca was the perfect venue. Despite being one of the greatest humanitarian and environmental scandals of our time, little was being reported on Haiti's cholera epidemic.

In March, as Tribeca approached, we were encouraged by two major developments. On March 5, our friends at Invisible Children released Kony 2012, and the ensuing viral campaign completely rewrote the rulebook. Two weeks before our Tribeca premiere, on March 31, The New York Times released a huge report on the cholera scandal, pointing the finger at the UN as the cause. Tribeca was the best possible launch pad for the film: we were able to screen to packed theaters and generate some excellent publicity.

Now, spurred on by the momentum we gained at Tribeca and inspired by the Kony campaign, we are releasing the film—free—for the world to see. A free release was the only option for this film. The message must be seen by as many people as possible, because the situation is urgent. Today more innocent Haitians died as the result of cholera, and we need to get this film ‘out there.’

Our hope, of course, is that the campaign goes viral on YouTube—and you can certainly be a part of that by watching the film and sharing it with as many people as you know.

How can you help? 

♦ Watch the movie!

♦ Visit the film's official website to learn more.

♦ Sign the petition to help fight cholera in Haiti.

♦ Request a screening of the film.

Follow @cholera and use the hashtag #UNDeny to spread the word on Twitter.

 Like Baseball in the Time of Cholera on Facebook.