We are moving stories

“Every great hero or heroine works to overcome challenges, to emerge stronger. Renee has worked hard, despite her disability, to become a successful artist in her own right. Hers is a universally relevant story of forging identity, overcoming adversity and searching for belonging.”

“Early on we had a discussion about whether we were going to hire a blind or visually-impaired actor to play the lead role of María. We sat down and realized that we could barely name a single film with a visually-impaired actor in the lead role. We agreed that this was necessary to ensure our film would be careful and thoughtful in terms of representation. And that sparked other discussions with our friends at the Braille Institute of Los Angeles and with our lead actor about how to make our set safe, accommodating, and responsible.”

““The eyes are the windows to the soul” often describes the connection one feels when looking into another’s eyes. However, like windows, the eyes work both ways. They are not only valuable in seeing into another person’s soul, but they are also vital in how we view the world around us. When you lose this aspect of your life, you lose your identity. This is the harsh reality for Joanaly who is burdened by unfair, and unnecessary, cataract blindness. We wanted to bring one story of the 18 million, who suffer from cataract blindness, to light.”

“The more people who hear stories like Jacob’s, the more minds can be opened and hearts can be changed. Jacob’s story of achievement is universal and everyone can learn from him.”

“Most of us, at some time in our lives, have felt awkward, unsure, or out of place in a social situation. For Hux, social situations are debilitating. But like a true hero, Hux works hard to push beyond her boundaries, to grow and move forward. In the end, Hux is brought face to face with all that she has been striving toward, and who of us hasn’t wondered how we might fare, should we be forced to face ultimate crisis?”

“This film is important for families, teenagers, and children to watch because it highlights how a simple act of kindness can change the world. Autism has a wide spectrum and this short film shows that we all belong here, no matter who you are.”

“The Limits of My world was an outlet for me to explore my experience as a sibling to a severely autistic brother. Growing up with Brian was never easy, but making this film allowed me to explore our relationship and learn more about who Brian is as a person beneath his disability. It’s important to humanize the disabled to audiences, so that more people begin to understand what it’s like to have autism.”

“It is also a very personal film. The character of Stevie is inspired by my cousin Saul who has used music to help overcome many of the difficulties that life has thrown at him. Saul plays drums as part of British rock band The AutistiX (an excellent 6-piece where the majority of the members have learning difficulties). These guys challenge our ideas of what being ‘different’ means and to me, seeing them perform represents music in its purest form. So making a film that taps into this is something that I was really excited by.”

“I made this film to show the daily life of a severely autistic child. In France, for several years now, a rare form of autism has been the subject of media attention: “the ASPERGERS”, and the French are unaware of this neurobiological disorder, while the number of autistic people in the world today is increasing. I want to show through this film that there are several Autism Spectrum Disorders.

And unfortunately in France there is no structure adapted for these children or adults, it is almost impossible to find trained professionals to take care of our autistic children, for most of the mothers, we leave our jobs to take care of our autistic child, we have to find the money to train ourselves, and take care of our children ourselves.”

“The character, the girl with the curly hair, is based on me. In order to develop this film, I spoke to a few teachers and children of the age of the character in the film to get some ideas on what she might be feeling and thinking (I don’t really have much memory of being that age!).”

“I made the web series because at the time of diagnosis for our family, there wasn’t anything episodic where there were autistic kids in it like my boys. When we were first diagnosed 13 years ago, there was nothing to go by in the media. We didn’t know how to raise them, what schools to send them to, and whether we would live our daily lives as planned. I did it to show families that there is a place you can come to and watch the joys and struggles within a loving home and not feel so alienated.

Raising children on the spectrum is hard, and that you weren’t alone. Since I started, shows like Atypical and The Good Doctor have come up, but still not using actual actors with Autism like Surprisingly does. ”

“The Ocean has a form of healing and comfort to so many autistic children. If government-funded programs continue to go away why not use the benefits from the Ocean, a resource God given and granted, not controlled by man. Controlled by the universe, and the constant motion of the earth. It’s absolutely universally connected.”

“I was looking for a swim program for my own children when I found Mike and Maria McQuay at the Perth Amboy, NJ YMCA and discovered the Jersey Hammerheads, their swim team. The team was in formation at the time and it was shaping up to be a team comprised of diverse children and teens on the autism spectrum. It took all of two minutes for me to realize it was a story that needed to be told.”

“Asperger’s Syndrome is something that I had since a very young age, which is where one may struggle with social interaction, communication and sensory issues. The condition has brought challenges in my life, but it has also given me advantages with my work too.”

“Equality is a big part of this film, how all the players with differing intellectual disabilities are all equal when they enter the football field.”

“Many audience members might have only preconceived notions about the intellectually disabled. I think this film dispels a lot of stereotypes. The women of Santa Ana shouldn’t be pitied for their plight. Their lives are fuller than many might think. They struggle, they experience joy, they face frustrations, they form strong social bonds, and, just like in any community, they can thrive when they are accepted.”

“The universal theme of basic human rights to live a life with choice, freedom and opportunities. Everyone wants to make decisions about how they live their lives, and people with disabilities are no different. People living with disabilities have been hidden from the world for too long. There is a revolution taking place around how to treat people with disabilities, how to hear and see them, and how to support them to let them live their life the way they want to. The themes are around freedom, respect, love and dignity.”

“I fell in love with this unproduced radio play that my friend wrote. I read it on the subway and for some reason this dark interrogation drama really moved me. It felt like a dreamlike descent into one man’s own madness. But it took me a long time to understand that it was me who was supposed to produce and direct it. This was my first film and so I had to work up the courage to take it on. And I’m happy I did!”