Join special guests, sports broadcaster, vocalist and speaker, Alex Hale of “I’m Possible Dream” and Ron Sandison, author of “A Parents Guide to Autism,” for the Michigan premier of “Normal People Scare Me Too.” The sequel to the award-winning documentary, produced by Joey Travolta, will be presented by Oakland Community College (OCC) on Thursday, July 7, at 6:30 p.m. at OCC’s Auburn Hills Campus. The event is free and open to the public.
"We are excited to be one of the first colleges in the country to premier the sequel documentary to "Normal People Scare Me." With a growing population who identify with autism in some way, it is important to us to provide opportunities like this to break down barriers, dispel myths and encourage inclusion and acceptance," says Jessica Lizardi, OCC Student Engagement coordinator.
In 2006, the award-winning documentary, "Normal People Scare Me: A Film about Autism," was produced by Joey Travolta, older brother of actor John Travolta. The documentary initially began as a 10-minute short film co-directed by an autistic teenager named Taylor Cross, and his mother Keri Bowers.
"As a metaphor it's not about autism, it's really about the human condition of struggle. People continue to struggle every day with stress, depression, ADHD and numerous other conditions but they don't reach out for help," says Bowers. "We can each acknowledge our strengths, know our weaknesses and choose to be in a different position by opening our eyes and taking action, and that's what we did with this film."
Join them a decade later to view the sequel documentary, "Normal People Scare Me Too" with former and new cast members and family discussing attitudes and first-person perspectives/experiences in autism today.
This film was created with a crew comprised of 75% autistics from Inclusion Films, with music, art and animation created and performed by 65% autistic musicians/composers/artists.
For additional information e-mail: studentlife@oaklandcc.edu. To reserve tickets please visit: https://normalpeoplescaremetoo.eventbrite.com
About OCC
With multi campus system throughout Oakland County, Oakland Community College offers degrees and certificates in approximately 100 career fields as well as university transfer degrees in business, science and liberal arts. The College provides academic and developmental experiences that allow each student to reach their full potential and enhance the diverse communities they serve. More than 45,000 students annually attend OCC and more than a million students have enrolled in the College since it opened in 1965. To learn more about OCC, visit oaklandcc.edu.
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Media Contact: Bridget Kavanaugh | Marketing & Communications | (248) 341-2020 | bmkavana@oaklandcc.edu