In this episode, Ben chats with return guest (see episode 11) Marc Smolowitz for timely updates on The G-Word film and movement, including the Gifted, Talented, and Neurodiverse Awareness Week programming. They go deep on the connection between identity and giftedness, and grapple with the term "gifted" itself. Does the term "neurodiverse" solve many of the image problems associated with "gifted"?
Marc Smolowitz is a multi-award-winning director, producer, and executive producer who has been significantly involved in 50+ independent films. The combined footprint of his works has touched 250+ film festivals & markets on 5 continents, yielding substantial worldwide sales to theatrical, television, and VOD outlets, notable box office receipts, and numerous awards and nominations. His credits include films that have screened at the world's top-tier festivals such as Sundance, Berlin, Venice, Tribeca, Chicago, Palm Springs, SF FILM, AFI Docs, IDFA, DOC NYC, CPH: DOX, Tokyo, Melbourne, Viennale, Jerusalem, among others. In 2009, Marc founded 13th Gen, a San Francisco-based boutique film and entertainment company (see: https://www.13thgenfilm.com/) that works with a dynamic range of independent film partners globally to oversee the financing, production, post-production, marketing, sales, and distribution efforts of a vibrant portfolio of films and filmmakers. The company has successfully advanced Marc's career-long focus on powerful social issue filmmaking across all genres. In 2016, he received one of the prestigious Gotham Media Fellowships to attend the Cannes Film Festival's Producers Network marking him as one of the USA's most influential independent film producers. In 2021, Marc is currently in post-production on THE G WORD -- a feature-length documentary that aims to be the most comprehensive film ever made on the topics of gifted, talented, and neurodiverse education across the United States. The film asks the urgent equity question -- In the 21st century, who gets to be Gifted in America and Why?, and is poised to premiere in 2022. Learn more at: https://www.thegwordfilm.com/