Arc of Northern Chesapeake to Host First Sprout Film Festival Sept. 29

From the Arc Northern Chesapeake Region:

[Aberdeen, MD] July 30, 2013 – On Sunday, September 29, The Arc Northern Chesapeake Region will host its first annual Sprout Film Festival at The Highlands School in Bel Air profiling real life stories of people with developmental disabilities. The festival will feature a series of short films that highlight, star and share different perspectives on people living with autism, Asperger’s syndrome and Down syndrome among other disabilities.

“The Arc Northern Chesapeake Region is continually seeking enjoyable and enlightening ways to help break down stereotypes and promote greater acceptance of differences and awareness of similarities,” says Julie Chmura, The Arc Northern Chesapeake Region development director. “The Sprout Film Festival is a creative and fun approach to showcasing entertaining, memorable and educational stories on individuals with intellectual disabilities.”

The Sprout Film Festival was founded in 2003 and enables agencies throughout the United States and Canada to design their own film festival and educate the public on people with intellectual disabilities. The Arc Northern Chesapeake Region’s Sprout Film Festival will offer eight to ten short films ranging from two-and-a-half to 25 minutes in length that portray accurate accounts of people with developmental disabilities. For instance, the Emmy® Award winning inspirational short film “Jacob’s Turn” features Jacob Titus, a four-year old diagnosed with Down syndrome, and shows how Jacob’s turn at bat and on the field was a thrill for him, but more importantly, an event that transformed the hearts of everyone in his town.

The Arc Northern Chesapeake Region will host two 90-minute showings of the Sprout Film Festival at 1:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Tickets to the Sprout Film Festival are $10 per person and can be purchased in advance by phone at 410.836.7177, ext. 350, online at www.arcncr.org or at the door. All proceeds will benefit The Arc Northern Chesapeake Region.

Sponsorships are welcome and still being accepted; please contact Julie Chmura at 410.836.7177, ext. 350 or jchmura@arcncr.org to become an event sponsor. For more information on The Arc Northern Chesapeake Region, visit www.arcncr.org or to learn more about the Sprout Film Festival, visit www.sprouttouringfilmfestival.org.