Move to Include hosts "Give Me Liberty" screening + discussion

Watch Give Me Liberty online and then join WXXI and The Golisano Foundation for a discussion about the film.

As part of its Move to Include initiative, WXXI and the Golisano Foundation present Give Me Liberty at the Virtual Little Theatre to watch at your leisure through Thursday, September 24 and then join us that evening (9/24) at 7:30 p.m. ET at the Little Theatre's Facebook page for a discussion with the film's writer Alice Lawton, supporting actress Lauren "Lolo" Spencer, and WXXI Executive Producer and Move to Include Project Leader Erin McCormick. WXXI News' Connections host Evan Dawson to moderate the discussion.

About the film, Give Me Liberty:
Medical transport driver Vic is late, but it’s not his fault. Roads are closed for a protest, and no one else can shuttle his Russian grandfather and émigré friends to a funeral. The new route uproots his scheduled clients, particularly Tracy (Lauren “Lolo” Spencer in a breakout performance), a vibrant young woman in a wheelchair. As the day goes from hectic to off-the-rails, their collective ride becomes a hilarious, compassionate, and intersectional portrait of American dreams.

Click here to go to the Virtual Little Theatre to access this film. 

Watch the trailer:

More about the September 24th discussion:
During the Facebook Live discussion, host Evan Dawson of WXXI News’ Connections will share the movie trailer and clips from the film and talk with the film's writer Alice Lawton, supporting actress Lauren "Lolo" Spencer, and WXXI Executive Producer and Move to Include Project Leader Erin McCormick about the film, inclusion, and the importance of representation of actors with disabilities. This event will take place on The Little Theatre's Facebook page on Thursday, September 24 at 7:30 p.m. EST.

About the panelists:

Alice Lawton is an award winning screenwriter and playwright, writer/producer. Her current film projects include: GIVE ME LIBERTY, writer/producer with Mikhanovsky; JIMMY SALVADOR, writer/producer (2018 Rainin Finalist); EMILIE, writer (2017 Sundance Sloan Finalist); THE MERCY SEAT, writer with director Alix Delaporte (2016 Official Selection Toronto Co-Production Market Workshop); and BRIGHTON FOUR, assoc. producer (post-production). Among Austen’s theatrical projects are: BOLSHOI (upcoming) with Simon Shuster (Time Magazine) and Jeff Calhoun (NEWSIES) and the critically acclaimed hit adaptation of Orwell’s ANIMAL FARM (Steppenwolf Theatre; Chicago Tribune four star notable production). Austen has received residencies from Film Independent and the Royal Court (London), Goodman and Steppenwolf Theatres, among others, and her work has been honored with the Richard Vague Film Prize, Terrence McNally Award - Premiere Five, Women at the Door Award, Joseph Jefferson Award Nominee for Best New Work, Blue Ink Award Finalist, and on Kilroy's "The List”. Austen studied law and Creative Writing at Harvard University. A former international lawyer, Austen represented Vaclav Havel’s Czech Republic. She founded Give Me Liberty Productions with Mikhanovsky in 2015.

Lauren “Lolo” Spencer is a disability lifestyle influencer, actress, model, public speaker and content creator with her own YouTube channel called Sitting Pretty. Sitting Pretty is a series she created to showcase her life as a woman who uses a wheelchair. Her vlogs discuss a range of topics from disability fashion tutorials and everyday challenges dealing with society, to dating and her new diagnosis journey. She has been featured in popular media outlets like HuffPost, Buzzfeed, All Def Digital and more, and has modeled in multiple campaigns for Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive. She’s given speeches and been a panelist at the YouTube Accessibility Summit, Los Angeles Abilities Expo and VidCon, the largest YouTube conference. Her ultimate goal is to give the world an honest perspective of life as a person with a disability and dispel myths and stereotypes of how disability lifestyle is perceived and experienced, all while showing fellow people with disabilities that they too can live a fearless and free life.

Erin McCormick is Executive Producer, at WXXI Public Media, where she is responsible for the creative production and distribution of WXXI television and digital-first programs across all platforms including on-air and online. She oversees the producers, writers, and editors and manage all aspects of the creative process, production and evaluation. She is also the project leader on WXXI’s national Move to Include initiative, a multimedia project, developed in conjunction with the Golisano Foundation that combines content production, curation, and engagement to encourage dialogue about disability issues. 

More about Move to Include:
This special screening and discussion is part of Move to Include, a partnership between WXXI and the Golisano Foundation designed to promote inclusion for people with intellectual and physical disabilities. This Move to Include model expands nationally this year to five additional communities with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people. To learn more about the national efforts, visit movetoinclude.us.