Marvels of Media Kicks Off with Awards Ceremony on March 30, 2023! 
 
At Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI), Marvels of Media is an initiative dedicated to celebrating and honoring media-makers on the autism spectrum of all ages with a media awards ceremony, film festival, and exhibition.  
 
Organized by Miranda Lee and Tiffany Joy Butler, the second annual Marvels of Media expands the Museum's accessibility efforts for autistic visitors through the creation of a sensory-friendly space and sensory kits, which are available throughout the exhibit. Marvels of Media strives to increase opportunities for and representation of autistic media-makers and all aspiring autistic media-makers. This year, former awardee Carrie Hawks curated the Marvels of Media Exhibition, and former awardee Jackson Tucker-Meyer will host the Awards Ceremony.

This year, the Museum will honor 20 media works in 12 award categories: Animation, Documentary Feature, Documentary Short, Social Media Video, Experimental Film, Limited Series, Performance in a Series, Series, Video Game, Children’s Short, Student Narrative Short, and Student Animated Short. The final judges who helped to select the 2023 Marvels of Media Awardees include author Louis Chesney, President and CEO of The Florida Holocaust Museum Carl Goodman, actor Sue Ann Pien, President of the Jim Henson Foundation Cheryl Henson, and MoMI’s Director of Education Leonardo Santana-Zubieta. 

Marvels of Media Festival Schedule 

All events take place at Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35 Ave, in Astoria, New York. Events are free and you can reserve a ticket by emailing [email protected].

Marvels of Media Awards Ceremony & Exhibition Opening 
THURSDAY, MARCH 30 | 6:30–9:00 p.m. | Redstone Theater 
This commemorative event features a 6:30 p.m. reception, 7:00 p.m. exhibition opening, and 8:00 p.m. awards ceremony, hosted by 2022 Marvels of Media Awardee, Filmmaker, and Playwright Jackson Tucker-Meyer.  

Screening: Marvels of Media Films 
SATURDAY, APRIL 8 | 3:00–5:30 p.m. | Bartos Screening Room
MoMI presents short films and excerpts of feature films and television series created by autistic media-makers who were honored at the 2023 Marvels of Media Awards. This program includes heartwarming films and videos, as well as thoughtful films tackling ableism, grief, mental health, and human connection. This screening is followed by a Q&A discussion moderated by Marvels of Media organizer Miranda Lee. The list of works will be posted once the 2023 Awardees are announced. 

Virtual Event: Director’s Roundtable 
MONDAY, APRIL 10 |  8:00–9:00 p.m. EST | Virtual 
MoMI will host a virtual panel discussion about all stages of the creative process including writing, directing, producing, and acting in films and videos. The conversation will be moderated by 2022 Marvels of Media Awardees Jason Weissbrod of Spectrum Laboratory and Jackson Tucker-Meyer, and will feature fellow award-winning autistic media-makers. Audience members are encouraged to share their questions prior and during the event. 

Live Event: Puppetry Workshop with Z Briggs
Learn how to create and perform puppets with Z Briggs, Foundation Manager of the Jim Henson Foundation and professional puppeteer, in a workshop aimed for autistic children (ages 7-11) and their families. Date and time to be determined. 

Screening: ReelAbilities x Marvels of Media Showcase 
SATURDAY, APRIL 29 | 1:30–3:30 p.m. | Bartos Screening Room 
Marvels of Media partners with ReelAbilities Film Festival to present some of ReelAbilities 2023 selections related to the topic of autism, including Coming Out Autistic, Steven Fraser’s beautifully animated short that explores the parallel experiences, feelings, and reactions of telling the world that you are both autistic and identify as LGBTQ+, and Being Michelle, a documentary about an incarcerated deaf woman with autism who meets a blind prison life coach who helps her in the path towards healing. After the screening, there will be a Q&A discussion moderated by Assistant Curator of Public Programs Tiffany Joy Butler. 

Presented with support from Sapan Studio and Consolidated Edison. 

 

Special thanks to this year’s Steering Committee of artists, spokespeople on the autism spectrum, and experts in the field who help to guide and produce this program:  

Miranda Lee, arts administrator, consultant, and educator  
Brian Canha, parent advocate  
Justin Canha media artist  
Lindsey Biel, occupational therapist and author  
Maylin Pavletic, writer/comedian 
Jackson Mark Tucker-Meyer, filmmaker and playwright  
Yaara Kedem, film event producer, programmer, and accessibility consultant  
Jason Weissbrod, co-founder of Spectrum Laboratory  
Jessye Herrell, manager of curricula and instruction at The Knowledge House  
Halenur Komsul, work-based learning coordinator at Tech Kids Unlimited 
Pat Schissel, New York Director of Asperger/Autism Network (AANE)  
Paola Quintero, JD, MAAEd, visual storyteller and educator 
David Siegel, Executive Director of Exceptional Minds 
Rosa Martínez, President and Founder of Strokes of Genius, Inc. 

This year, the Museum has established the Marvels of Media Advisory Council featuring industry leaders including media executive William J. Abbott; executive producer Rich Battista; neurodiversity advocate Wendy Belzberg; President of Landmark College Peter Eden; media executive David Epstein; actor and director Tony Goldwyn; producer Brian Grazer; media entrepreneur John Hendricks; President of the Jim Henson Foundation Cheryl Henson; Executive Director of New York State Council on the Arts Mara Manus; media executive Judy McGrath; CEO of CableLabs Phil McKinney; actor Sue Ann Pien; media executive Josh Sapan; journalist Paula Zahn; media entrepreneur Strauss Zelnick; and director Tony Spiridakis.  

 

Special thanks to our partners: 

Exceptional Minds

Spectrum Laboratory

TechKids Unlimited

Strokes of Genius