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Let the CONFETTI 1000 Community Screenings Movement Commence!
Plus, Introducing New CONFETTI Ambassadors
On October 28, we kicked off the Confetti 1000 Community Screenings Movement with a wonderful red carpet premiere at the AMC Lincoln Square.
The fabulous audience was made up of supporters of CONFETTI and it's powerful message, including hosts of upcoming community screenings, celebrity guests as well as Senator James Skoufis and politician Andrew Yang.
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Andrew Yang, pictured with CONFETTI director, Ann Hu, and producer, Josh Green, moderated the post-screening Q&A, stimulating a highly dynamic discussion around the themes of the film.
Speaking on the red carpet, he said: "A highly disproprotionate number of entrepreneurs are dyslexic, and it's because they interact with the world differently and in some cases school was hard for them and so they found other ways to acheive."
We greatly appreciate Andrew Yang's support for the CONFETTI Movement!
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Senator James Skoufis, pictured above with the CONFETTI team announced his new Bill to the packed house at the CONFETTI premiere.
Senator Skoufis described the impact that the newly proposed S7418 will have on the future of children, saying:
"Identifying dyslexia early makes all the difference in the world to making sure that child maximizes their learning and their education, and that's what were looking for in New York City."
We are thrilled that the Confetti Movement is already having real-world impact, and that community leaders and legislators like Andrew Yang and Senator James Skoufis are facilitating real change to support and uplift those with dyslexia and other learning differences.
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Also in attendance at the star-studded event was the Academy and Golden Globe nominated Amy Irving, who plays Helen in the film, as well as Tashiana Washington, Eric West and Orange is the New Black star Lori Tan Chinn.
We were particularly moved by actress Jamie Alexander (pictured below) sharing her own personal experience with dyslexia on the red carpet, who said:
"I'm here tonight because I actually have dyslexia. It was a real struggle as a kid, it still happens, it still affects me.
Back then, they didn't even tell the kid they had dyslexia, and so for most of my life I didn't have a name or a context for how I was feeling, or processing, or memorizing things.
I knew something was wrong, but I thought it was something with my eyes, which I know now was not the case at all, and so I suffered as a kid.
When I heard about this film I wanted to come out and lend my support because this is a subject that is very dear to me."
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We are so grateful to Jamie for lending her support and for sharing her heartfelt story. Similarly, CONFETTI was inspired by the personal story of director Ann Hu and her daughter, Michelle (pictured above).
It is through spreading these powerful stories like CONFETTI that we can build awareness about how deeply dyslexia affects people, and unite our communities and institutions to overcome these barriers and create inclusive education systems.
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The success of our red-carpet premiere has garnered even more buzz around CONFETTI and the 1000 Community Screenings Movement!
Check out these great articles about the film and its powerful impact below:
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Honoring our CONFETTI Ambassadors
In the last few weeks, many new hosts are eager to harness the power of CONFETTI by holding a screening for their community, school or workplace.
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Reverend Mike Chan of Chinese Christian Herald Crusades (pictured above far-left, with Ann Hu and other members of CCHC) hosted the first of our 1000 Community screenings.
The event was such a such a success that Mike is now encouraging chapters of CCHC all over the country to host screenings for immigrant families in their communities!
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Meet our CONFETTI Ambassadors!
Find out why they chose to host a screening of CONFETTI and the incredible impact it is having on their local community.
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The Gateway School, New York City
Gateway is an independent school that develops bright children who learn differently into skilled, strategic learners and confident self-advocates. Located on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, Gateway accepts students ages 5 to 13. By providing a supportive and engaging learning experience, our program ultimately empowers each student to produce academic work reflective of his or her intellectual potential.
On November 10, The Gateway School hosted a virtual live Q&A with Ann Hu, former parent and director of the film CONFETTI, a story inspired by her daughter’s time at Gateway. The community was able to screen the film in advance and had a wonderful time discussing the movie with Ann and our Head of School, Laurie Gruhn. In Ann’s own words, “This film is really about creativity and celebrating people who are different.” A recording of this memorable evening can be viewed at this link.
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Center for All Abilities
Founded in 2015, Center for All Abilities (CAA) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that seeks to minimize the service gap for neurodiverse individuals, especially those among the Chinese immigrant community, by acting as a resource through providing learning resources, creative arts therapy, and community programs for children, youth, parents, and a supportive atmosphere for the entire family. CAA envisions a world where those of all abilities - including people of neurologically diverse backgrounds - can integrate fully in society.
Joanna Tan, Associate Executive Director of CAA says:
"It was an honor for CAA to host a community screening of the film CONFETTI in partnership with Chatham Square NYPL in October. CONFETTI tells a compelling story that is near and dear to the hearts and experiences of our community. From living with special needs, to immigration, and the vast challenges of navigating education systems and different cultures, we are grateful for this film which not only shares the story of one child and her mother, but also speaks for many of us!"
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The Asian Network at Yale
A virtual screening of CONFETTI and director Q&A for the Yale University community was a wonderful opportunity for Asian Network at Yale (ANY), along with our co-sponsors DiversAbility at Yale (DAY), Yale Information Technology Services – Climate, Culture, and Inclusion Task Force (CCI), and Yale Working Women’s Network (WWN), to come together.
Frances Osugi, co-chair Asian Network at Yale (pictured above) says:
"There were so many dimensions to Ann’s storytelling that appealed to us, as neurodiverse people and supporters, as API/AAPI, as immigrants, and as parents and caregivers. Offering an asynchronous virtual screening was key in providing the most flexibility and accessibility – from working parents to those unable to join in-person events."
"Our screening was held the last week of October and drew over 100 participants! During the Q&a, Ann shared the personal experiences which inspired Confetti, and described the subtle details of her creative process for many scenes of the film. Enjoying the film together and the many discussions it sparked was a meaningful experience for us to share."
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We are so excited that so many people are joining the CONFETTI conversation, including some famous faces and powerful voices! The impact that the film is having in encouraging more people to share personal experiences and bring awareness to the reality of dyslexia and learning differences is at the core of why the Confetti Movement is so important.
Join the Movement!
Don't miss out – become part of the 1000 Community Screenings Movement and sign up to host a screening of CONFETTI today! Every day, the film is reaching more and more people, spreading messages of support and hope for those with learning differences and bringing people together in solidarity.
Why not bring the power of CONFETTI to your community by hosting a screening!
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We wish all members of our community and their families a very healthy and happy Thanksgiving!
We feel especially grateful to have your support,
The CONFETTI Team
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