The Frog Prince

I wanted to spread the word about this amazing documentary about some most amazing people. I have a personal connection because my friends' son, Ray-Man, plays the Frog Prince.  He is a true inspiration.  I wish for Maya all the wonderful things that Ray-Man is accomplishing.  ALL the actors in this production were wonderful.   They were treated with respect and courtesy, talked to as any actor should be spoken to, and the end result is glorious!  

"This documentary follows a young theatre troupe as they work tirelessly to put together a play under extraordinary circumstances. All twenty members of the cast face intellectual and developmental disabilities. They must work through their personal struggles, hopes and fears under the creative and therapeutic direction of a charismatic mentor and trained theatre director at The Centre for the Arts in Human Development at Concordia University. Let the drama begin."

CBC Montreal presents: The Frog Princes

http://www.cbc.ca/montreal/features/cbcmontrealpresents/the-frog-princes/

monica and david

so excited to see this documentary.  there are a few screenings of it this summer one of them at the National Down Syndrome Congress Convention in florida.   so if you are going there check it out and let me know what you think.  i hear it will also be shown on hbo in october.  i can't wait!

check out the trailer at,  http://www.monicaanddavid.com/
they are also on facebook and twitter.  spread the word.  =)


synopsis:
MONICA & DAVID explores the marriage of two adults with Down syndrome and the family who strives to support their needs.  Monica and David are blissfully in love and want what other adults have—an independent life.  Full of humor, romance and everyday family drama, the film uses intimate fly-on-the wall footage to reveal the complexity of their story.  While Monica and David are capable beyond expectations, their parents, aware of mainstream rejection of adults with intellectual disabilities, have trouble letting go.

31 for 21, Day 11: making the invisible visible

i found this really cool site, just by chance, that features films/videos about people that have developmental disabilities. some are documentary type films, others are music videos from musicians, and they even have full feature films. i love the idea that there are filmmakers trying to discuss and bring awareness to the public through this venue. to me there is nothing stronger than an image and even better a moving image.

the NYC non-profit organization has been having film festivals since 2003. and they even sponsor a touring film festival so it is accessible to any city. if you are into the arts this is one way to bring awareness to your community.

on the site you can watch previews of the video and sometimes the full video is available. i think there is some real cutting edge work here. for instance the feature film Mr. Blue Sky, explores an unconventional love story and the documentary Ups of Downs, stars a rebel and artist who happens to have down syndrome. there are so many more videos that seem amazing. i can't wait to see more of them.

sprout film festivals / making the invisible visible

check out their past film schedules. it's awesome.