Date: 5 April 2018
Event: Women with Autism in Film – Please Stand By, part of the annual UN observance of World Autism Awareness Day
Location: United Nations Headquarters, New York
Speakers:
Lara Alamdeddine, Producer
Domonique Brown, Actor
Dakota Fanning, Lead actress
Michael Golamco, Writer
Elaine Hall, Autism coach (moderator)
Ben Lewin, Director
Brittanie Sanders, Actress
Synopsis:
In the feature film Please Stand By, Dakota Fanning portrays Wendy, a young woman with autism. Ms. Fanning – along with the director, writer and producer of the film – participated in a panel discussion about the portrayal of women with autism in film [insert link to video], as part of the 2018 annual observance of World Autism Awareness Day on the theme of Empowering Women and Girls with Autism.
In Please Stand By, Wendy longs to leave her group home and return to life with her sister's family and new baby. She is sure that in order to reunite with her family all she needs to do is convince them of her newfound competence and abilities. As a lover of all things Star Trek, Wendy writes in her free time; so, when she hears about a Star Trek screenplay competition, she seizes the opportunity to submit her 500-page script and prove her worth. The only problem: if she doesn't hand it in in person she will miss the deadline! Wendy sneaks out of her group home and travels hundreds of miles outside her protected boundaries and refuses to let anything stop her from achieving her goals.
CCOI's Role:
CCOI arranged the participation of Ms. Fanning and those associated with the film in the event and coordinated arrangements with Magnolia Pictures and 2929 Productions.
Related UN Issues:
The Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Sustainable Development Goal #5 – Gender Equality
News Coverage:
[UN WebTV] Dakota Fanning wants to break down autism stereotypes
[UN News] UN celebrates voice and visibility of women and girls with autism