Sunday Edition: Catching up with Tony Stephens and Roy Samuelson and the AFB Film Possibilities
This week Anthony and crew welcome Tony Stephens and Roy Samuelson back to the show. We will find out what they have been up to and we will dive into all the information about the Helen Keller inspired AFB Film , Possibilities taking film festivals by storm. Tony will share with us how we can get free screening tickets in the Los Angeles area and other potential screening opportunities.
Tony Stephens is the director of Communications for the American Foundation for the Blind and a producer on AFB’s full-length documentary film Possibilities,” which is currently making its run through the festival circuit. With over three decades of experience crafting communications for grassroots and national nonprofits, he has worked extensively on campaigns that expand inclusion and opportunity for a diverse range of stakeholders. While at the American Council of the blind, Tony served five years on the Disability Advisory Committee for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and is an avid proponent for inclusive media. He holds an AB.J in Radio, television and Film and a M.A. in Mass Communications from the Grady College of Journalism at the University of Georgia. An avid sailor, he currently lives just off Baltimore Harbor, where he enjoys escaping on the water with his two sons and guide dog Nougat.
“Possibilities” is a full-length documentary film Chronicling the life of Helen Keller, who served as AFB’s chief ambassador for over 44 years. Her impact is told through the real life stories of contemporary voices who are blind, deaf blind, and low-vision. The film premiered in February 2024 at the historic TCI Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California, and it was a finalist at the 2024 Barcelona Independent Film Festival and received an award of Excellence from the 2024 Impact Doc Awards. It was also accepted into the Manchester Lift-Off Festival and will be part of the AV Film Festival in Napa Valley on April 28th. AFB will hold a special Los Angeles screening at the Tateuchi Center for Democracy the evening of April 18th at the Japanese American National Museum. Seats for this event are still available. To learn more about the film and upcoming screenings, visit: www.afb.org/possibilities
Since 2015, Roy has performed thousands of Audio Description (AD) projects for film and TV. From his role as an executive committee member of the Television Academy (home of the Emmys), to supporting SAG Awards inclusion of AD for screeners, he uses his decades of experience in entertainment media to jump start sustainable parity opportunities for AD professionals and audiences.
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