This was sent to me by a friend, and while I normally don't send emails like
this, this is something I think we can all get behind.

 ===========================================================================

Get Out the Vote for THUMBS DOWN TO PITY!

My 19-year-old son, Benjamin, loves movies! He hopes to become a film critic
("the next Roger Ebert"), so he was excited to learn about the "Film Your
Issue" contest---an opportunity for 18- to 26-year-olds to submit a 30- to
60-second film about their passions! He wrote, starred in, and directed
THUMBS DOWN TO PITY---a powerful and passionate short film on why he
believes the "pity portrayals" of people with disabilities in Hollywood
productions need to stop!

       
Out of 300 entries, Benjamin's film made it to the semi-finals! At the end
of May, the general public was invited to vote on the 35 semi-finalists, and
THUMBS DOWN TO PITY has remained in the top five. But a couple of other
contestants are doing a great job of getting out the vote for their entries,
and I hope you'll help us do the same for Benjamin's film!

As a person who cares about disability issues, I hope you'll visit the
voting site---www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12721177. If you agree Benjamin's message
is an important one, I hope you'll vote for THUMBS DOWN TO PITY. Your
support will mean a great deal to Benjamin, personally (top prizes include
trips to the United Nations and the Sundance Film Festival and other
goodies), and it will also send a strong grassroots message that confirms
the critical need for dignified, respectful, and realistic portrayals of
individuals with disabilities in movies and TV. The multitude of votes that
support THUMBS DOWN TO PITY will send a powerful and unified message for
change! Winners will be determined by the public voting, as well as the
votes of the Film Your Issue jury, which includes Walter Cronkite, George
Clooney, Senator Barack Obama, Brian Williams of NBC News, Anderson Cooper
of CNN, and other leaders from the fields of art, government, business, and
entertainment. 



It only takes a moment, and the last day to vote is Wednesday, June 7th!
Visit www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12721177. The films are in alphabetical order, so
THUMBS DOWN TO PITY is toward the bottom of the page on the right. You can
view any or all of the films (although this is difficult for some
Apple/Macintosh users, like me!). Voting takes two easy steps: first, click
on the button next to the picture of the film, then scroll to the bottom of
the page and click the "vote" button. Some folks have been able to vote more
than once---on different days, on different computers, and/or on different
Internet browsers. 

And will you help get the vote out for THUMBS DOWN TO PITY by sharing this
with others who may be interested in disability issues? You could forward
this entire newsletter or simply copy and paste this section into an
Email---and ask others to send it on, as well! Together, we're making a
difference, and this proud and grateful mother says, "Thank you, thank you,
thank you!" for your help!

P.S. Several people who have seen the film have asked how they could get a
copy to use in trainings and presentations---we're honored! And we will be
able to make this available as a DVD or VHS video format. Since this is
Benjamin's film, we're turning this project over to him, so you can write to
him with your request at [log in to unmask] This is not a profit-making
venture, so the charge for the DVD or video will be the cost of duplication
and shipping (which we haven't yet figured out, but it shouldn't be too
much). And Benjamin, and his parents, thank you for your interest and
willingness to share his message!

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