March 6, 2009

Contact:
Jeremy Craig, 404-413-1357
University Relations

Film series explores the experience of disability

ATLANTA –Georgia State University’s Center for Leadership in Disability is presenting an upcoming film series as part of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month in March and Autism Awareness Month in April.

The first annual Experience of Disability in America film series presents engaging films on Wednesdays to promote awareness and appreciation of the diverse lives, stories and artistic expressions of people with different disabilities.

Discussions and other programs will follow each film. The free series, open to students, faculty and staff, as well as the community, starts March 11 and will be held at 7 p.m. at Cinefest, located in the Georgia State University Center.

“The selected films highlight disability issues and break down stereotypes about people who have them, said Jessica Howell, assistant director for the Center for Leadership in Disability. “Our goal is to entertain and inform while exploring the complexities of life that we all face, and we hope to offer new perspectives to the public while celebrating the contributions of people with disabilities in our communities.”

 “The broad range of movies gives students, faculty and members of the community, as well as advocates, a sense for what it might be like to be a person with a disability in America,” said Mary Ann Romski, director of the Center for Research on Atypical Development and Learning at Georgia State.

“Although legislation — such as the Americans With Disabilities Act, in addition to education laws — has improved the lives of persons with disabilities, there are still many challenges that must be faced every day,” Romski said.

The series includes award-winning films such as "My Left Foot" and "What’s Eating Gilbert Grape." The full schedule includes:

March 11: “Darius Goes West”
March 18: “Including Samuel”
March 25: “My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown”
April 8: “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape”
April 15: “Mozart and the Whale”
April 22: “Her Name is Sabine”
April 29: “Autism: The Musical”

Series cosponsors include Georgia State’s CRADL, the AADD, Inc., The Arc of Georgia, Counselors for Social Justice-Psychologists for Social Responsibility, Bridge Builders, Disability Initiatives Committee, the Georgia State Office of Disability Services, and the Georgia State Public Health Institute Student Association.

For a map to Cinefest, visit www.gsu.edu/map.html. For more information about the series, contact Howell at 404-413-1287 or jhowell@gsu.edu.