HAPPY 2010!

I am so excited now that the New Year is here! This is THE year. I already have things moving and I will have the funding for the company, Abilities United Productions, and the film funding for “London Time” by April 1, 2010. There is a very good chance it will be done before April 1, but that is the deadline I am setting. April has always been a very good month for me despite April 1^st being the anniversary of my spinal cord injury in 1995. Like many others who have acquired their disAbility from an injury, it is also the date I survived and is a second birthday I celebrate each year. Not with a cake, candles, and presents, but I do celebrate life on that day! And this year it will be a huge celebration as I will be fully funded and preparing for pre-production on “London Time”!

 

2009 had its challenges, and as a brief update, I decided not to make a complete protest on James Cameron and “Avatar” but that was a business decision and certainly not a personal one! It was tough constantly being ignored by Cameron even after so many attempts I made on contact, to strike up a dialogue to work
together for a brighter future in American cinema and those of us with a disAbility, but I also felt personally and business wise that keeping our focus on what we do, providing an authentic, non-stereotypical representation of paraplegics and those with a  disAbility in general, rather than on how Hollywood is content with perpetual practices of discrimination, stereotypes, and a basic attitude that we should remain invisible. But I do continue to make those points for business purposes of showing what the environment is like and exactly how what I do will create a
permanent and historic “turning point” in American cinema by addressing, reaching, capturing an ignored target market segment that is very underserved but is a significant consumer market, how I will have crossover appeal to mainstream moviegoers by providing “entertainment” to both domestic and international
markets, to have a socially responsible, critically praiseworthy, and
commercially successful feature film(s) that authentically represents with great entertainment value for those with and without a disAbility!

And looking for the positives – “Avatar” is on pace to be the most successful box office movie in history and it does feature a character who is a paraplegic – a person with a disAbility! That is a step in the right direction and we will transform American cinema into an authentic roll in the right direction!

 

It is still essential for you and everyone you know to continue to speak up about authentic representation in non-stereotypical movies, such as “London Time” and the other film projects I have at Abilities United Productions. Make your comments, simple, brief, or long and complex at the “Authentic Representation in Hollywood” campaign page of my website; AbilitiesUnited.com/arh.html and sign up for the new
eNewsletter on that same page to stay updated on all things happening at Abilities United and the film production of “London Time”! Remember this is THE year! Encourage your family and friends. ALL voices are important in this issue and campaign. You are important in helping me prove to Hollywood players, makers and my investors that this is the roll in the right direction and many do support what I am doing with authentic voices, visions, performances and overall representation of those with a disAbility! So let’s get going this is an exciting new year! GO 2010!