[Nfbk] Press Release on Movies Depicting People With Disabilities

Thu Jul 26 17:02:14 UTC 2012

I thought I wood pass this this along to those who maybe intrested.
From: Kim.Charlson at perkins.org
Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2012 12:29:12 +0000
Subject: Press Release on Movies Depicting People With Disabilities

Many of you might want to put this on your calendar for viewing in October.

Kim

TCM to Examine Hollywood's Depiction of People with Disabilities in
The Projected Image: A History of Disability in Film in October
Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will dedicate the month of October to
exploring the ways people with disabilities have been portrayed in
film. On behalf of Inclusion in the Arts, Lawrence Carter-Long will
join TCM host Robert Osborne for The Projected Image: A History of
Disability in Film. The special month-long exploration will air
Tuesdays in October, beginning Oct. 2 at 8 p.m. (ET).

TCM makes today's announcement to coincide with the 22nd anniversary
of the signing of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) on July 26.
And in a first for TCM, all films will be presented with both closed
captioning and audio description (via secondary audio) for audience
members with auditory and visual disabilities.

The Projected Image: A History of Disability in Film features more
than 20 films ranging from the 1920s to the 1980s. Each night's
collection will explore particular aspects, themes, or types of
disability, such as blindness, deafness and psychiatric or
intellectual disabilities. In addition, one evening of programming
will focus on newly disabled veterans returning home from war.

TCM's exploration of disability in cinema includes many
Oscar(r)-winning and nominated films, such as An Affair to Remember
(1957), in which Deborah Kerr's romantic rendezvous with Cary Grant is
nearly derailed by a paralyzing accident; A Patch of Blue (1965), with
Elizabeth Hartman as a blind white girl who falls in love with a black
man, played by Sidney Poitier; Butterflies Are Free (1972), starring
Edward Albert as a blind man attempting to break free from his
over-protective mother; and Gaby: A True Story (1987), the powerful
tale of a girl with cerebral palsy trying to gain independence as an
artist; Johnny Belinda(1948), starring Jane Wyman as a "deaf-mute"
forced to defy expectations; The Miracle Worker (1962), starring Anne
Bancroft as Annie Sullivan and Patty Duke as Helen Keller; One Flew
Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), with Jack Nicholson as a patient in a
mental institution and Louise Fletcher as the infamous Nurse Ratched;
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), the post-War drama starring
Fredric March, Myrna Loy and real-life disabled veteran Harold
Russell; and Charly (1968), with Cliff Robertson as an intellectually
disabled man who questions the limits of science after being turned
into a genius.

The Projected Image: A History of Disability in Film also features
several lesser-known classics ripe for rediscovery, including the
atmospheric Val Lewton chiller Bedlam (1946), the intriguing
blind-detective mystery Eyes in the Night (1942); A Child is Waiting
(1963), with Burt Lancaster and Judy Garland; the British family drama
Mandy (1953); and a bravura performance by wheelchair user Susan
Peters in Sign of the Ram (1948). A complete schedule is included.

Each year since 2006, TCM has dedicated one month toward examining how
different cultural and ethnic groups have been portrayed in the
movies. Several of the programming events have centered on Race and
Hollywood, with explorations on how the movies have portrayed
African-Americans in 2005, Asians in 2008, Latinos in 2009, Native
Americans in 2010 and Arabs in 2011. TCM looked at Hollywood's
depiction of gay and lesbian characters, issues and themes in 2007.

"The Projected Image: A History of Disability in Film is a valuable
opportunity to take a deeper look at the movies we all know and love,
to see them from a different perspective and to learn what they have
to say about us as a society," said Osborne. "We are very proud to be
working with Inclusion in the Arts on this important exploration. And
we are especially glad to have Lawrence Carter-Long of the National
Council on Disability with us to provide fascinating, historical
background and thought-provoking insight on how cinematic portrayals
of disability have evolved over time."

"From returning veterans learning to renegotiate both the assumptions
and environments once taken for granted to the rise of independent
living, Hollywood depictions of disability have alternately echoed and
influenced life outside the movie theater," said Carter-Long, who
curated the series. "Twenty-two years after the passage of the ADA and
over a century since Thomas Edison filmed 'The Fake Beggar,' TCM and
Inclusion in the Arts provide an unprecedented overview of how
cinematic projections of isolation and inspiration have played out on
the silver screen - and in our lives. When screened together,
everything from The Miracle Worker to One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
reveals another layer where what you think you know is only the
beginning."

About Lawrence Carter-Long
Widely recognized for his expertise in the arts, access and media,
Lawrence Carter-Long is a sought-after media spokesperson on a wide
variety of subjects, ranging from medical ethics to media
representation of disability. His numerous media appearances have
included The New York Times, NBC's Today Show, CNN, NPR and the BBC,
among others. He was a co-host and producer on The Largest Minority
Radio Show on WBAI-FM from 2006-2011.

While recognized for his media work, Carter-Long is perhaps best known
as the founder and curator of the disTHIS! Film Series, presented in
partnership with New York University's Center for the Study of
Disability from 2006 until 2010. The groundbreaking monthly film
series brought new audiences and attention to cinematic representation
of disability by showcasing edgy, provocative and unconventional
portrayals across the disability spectrum with the promise of "No
handkerchief necessary; no heroism required." He was a member of the
steering committee of the ReelAbilities: Disabilities Film Festival
from 2007-2010 and selected the Emerging Disabled Filmmaker
Apprenticeships for the American Film Institute/Silverdocs and VSA
Arts from 2009-2011.

For his advocacy, Carter-Long was awarded the Frieda Zames Advocacy
Award by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2009 and the Paul G.
Hearne Leadership Award from the American Association of People with
Disabilities in 2010. In May 2011, Carter-Long moved to Washington,
D.C. to work as the public affairs specialist for the National Council
on Disability, an independent federal agency that recommends federal
disability policy to the President, Congress and other federal
agencies.

Connect with Lawrence Carter-Long
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LawrenceCarterLong
Twitter: http://twitter.com/LCarterLong
National Council on Disability: http://www.ncd.gov

About Inclusion in the Arts
Inclusion in the Arts advocates for full inclusion of artists of color
and performers with disabilities at all levels of production in film,
television, and theatre.   Our principal aim is to achieve full
inclusion in American arts and entertainment, such that what we see on
our screens and stages truly reflects the society in which we live;
where each artist is considered on his/her merits as an individual;
where the stories being told are drawn from authentic and diverse
experiences; and where our individual humanity can be celebrated.

Connect with Inclusion in the Arts
Website: http://inclusioninthearts.org
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/InclusionInTheArts

About Turner Classic Movies (TCM)
Turner Classic Movies is a Peabody Award-winning network that presents
great films, uncut and commercial-free, from the largest film
libraries in the world. Currently seen in more than 85 million homes,
TCM features the insights of veteran primetime host Robert Osborne and
weekend daytime host Ben Mankiewicz, plus interviews with a wide range
of special guests. As the foremost authority in classic films, TCM
offers critically acclaimed original documentaries and specials, along
with regular programming events that include The Essentials, hosted by
Robert Osborne and Drew Barrymore, and the month-long 31 Days of
Oscar(r) in February and Summer Under the Stars in August. TCM also
stages special events and screenings, such as the TCM Classic Film
Festival in Hollywood and the TCM Classic Cruise; produces a wide
range of media about classic film, including books and DVDs; and hosts
a wealth of materials at its website, http://www.tcm.com. TCM is part
of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and
programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media
environments on television and other platforms for consumers around
the world.

Connect with TCM
Website: http://www.tcm.com
Pressroom: http://news.turner.com/tcm
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tcmtv
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tcm | http://www.twitter.com/tcmpr

Samantha Graham<mailto:samantha.graham at turner.com>
212-275-6821
New York

Heather Sautter<mailto:heather.sautter at turner.com>
(404) 885-0746
Atlanta

Inclusion in the Arts
Sindy Gordon
New York
212/730-4750
sgordon at inclusioninthearts.org<javascript:location.href='mailto:'+String.fromCharCode(115,103,111,114,100,111,110,64,105,110,99,108,117,115,105,111,110,105,110,116,104,101,97,114,116,115,46,111,114,103)+'?'>

Joey Couch
phone 606-216-8033.
email ki4vjd at gmail.com
twitter.
 http://www.twitter.com/ki4vjd
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 http://www.facebook.com/ki4vjd