What a star-studded lineup filmmaker Jenni Gold, a UCF graduate, assembled for her latest movie: Ben Affleck, Jamie Foxx, Gary Sinise, Jane Seymour, Marlee Matlin, Geena Davis, William H. Macy and others.
And their film has an uplifting message for everyone: Push forward to reach your dreams. Gold 麻豆精品 S檚 dream — to become a movie director — was not put aside just because she uses a wheelchair to overcome her muscular dystrophy.
Her new movie, 麻豆精品 S淐inemAbility, 麻豆精品 S� will be shown Sept. 16 and 18 at the Global Peace Film Festival in Winter Park and Orlando. The 100-minute documentary looks at how films and TV shows have portrayed disabilities through history, and some of the ways that media and popular culture have affected attitudes toward people who are different.
She said the film will be released in 2015 to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. 聽 麻豆精品 S淭he ADA changed access but it didn 麻豆精品 S檛 change perceptions, 麻豆精品 S� she said.
What she found in the eight years making the film, she said, is that too many stereotypical representations still persist in the industry 麻豆精品 S� but it is changing.
聽 麻豆精品 S淭he film is has had a lot of support from Hollywood, 麻豆精品 S� said Gold, who grew up in Miami, earned her Motion Picture Production and Radio and Television Broadcasting degrees in 1992 at UCF, and now lives in Los Angeles. 麻豆精品 S淭he film also celebrates the history of Hollywood to show where we 麻豆精品 S檝e been and where we could go to be better. 麻豆精品 S�
As CSI actor Robert David Hall, whose legs were amputated after an automobile accident, said in a trailer for the film: 麻豆精品 S淚f society got its ideas about people with disabilities from TV, they would think that basically we 麻豆精品 S檙e either pathetic or superpeople. 麻豆精品 S�
This documentary looks at the evolution of 麻豆精品 S渄isability 麻豆精品 S� in entertainment by going behind the scenes to interview filmmakers, studio executives, film historians and celebrities. The film includes clips from popular movies and TV programs such as 麻豆精品 S淔orrest Gump, 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S淓dward Scissorhands 麻豆精品 S� and 麻豆精品 S淕ame of Thrones 麻豆精品 S� to focus on the impact that entertainment and the media can have on society.
Gold, a member of the Directors Guild of America 麻豆精品 S� the only member who uses a wheelchair, she said 麻豆精品 S� had access to the actors and actresses, many whom have portrayed people with disabilities or who have disabilities.
麻豆精品 S淚 was persistent going after them, but when they heard about what we were doing, they were excited to participate, 麻豆精品 S� she said. 麻豆精品 S淎 lot of actors are interested in helping good causes. 麻豆精品 S�
The screenings for 麻豆精品 S淐inemAbility 麻豆精品 S� will be 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 16, at The Green at Rollins College, and 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18, at the Cobb Plaza Cinema in downtown Orlando. The Tuesday showing is free; tickets for Thursday are $8.
Gold also has co-written and is developing narrative feature films including a suspense thriller titled 麻豆精品 S淎drenaline, 麻豆精品 S� a romantic comedy titled 麻豆精品 S淢r. December, 麻豆精品 S� and family films such as 麻豆精品 S淟ucky 麻豆精品 S� and 麻豆精品 S淩yann Watters. 麻豆精品 S� She also last year directed a television pilot titled 麻豆精品 S�8-Bit Animal Playhouse 麻豆精品 S� starring Jason Mewes.
Working in the industry is 麻豆精品 S渁bout pushing forward and doing what you can. It 麻豆精品 S檚 about following your dreams, 麻豆精品 S� Gold said, adding: 麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檓 a Knight forever — and now my niece is a Knight.”
This is the 12th year of the Global Peace Film Festival, which will run Sept. 17-21 and feature 21 films.