DURHAM, N.H. –IOD Filmmaker Dan Habib’s recent film, INTELLIGENT LIVES, won the 2018 TASH Positive Images in the Media Award. Micah Fialka-Feldman, one of the stars of the film, accepted the award in person. Habib previously won this award for his first film Including Samuel.
“TASH has been a leader in inclusive education and disability rights for decades, so this award is a tremendous honor for everyone on our film team,” shares Habib. “More than anything, the award is a testament to the groundbreaking lives of our film stars, Micah, Naieer and Naomie. I was thrilled that Micah could be there to accept the award on behalf of all of us.”
The TASH Positive Images in the Media Award honors presentations in print, film, or other forms of media that promote positive images of people with disabilities in all aspects of community life. INTELLIGENT LIVES (which was also screened at the TASH film festival during the conference) shared the award this year with the film Deej.
INTELLIGENT LIVES stars three pioneering young American adults with intellectual disabilities – Micah, Naieer, and Naomie – who challenge perceptions of intelligence as they navigate high school, college, and the workforce. Academy Award-winning actor and narrator Chris Cooper contextualizes the lives of these central characters through the emotional personal story of his son Jesse, as the film unpacks the shameful and ongoing track record of intelligence testing in the U.S. For more information visit www.intelligentlives.org.
Dan Habib is the creator of the award-winning documentary films Including Samuel, Who Cares About Kelsey?, Mr. Connolly Has ALS, and many other films on disability-related topics. Habib is a filmmaker at the University of New Hampshire’s Institute on Disability. Habib received the Champion of Human and Civil Rights Award from the National Education Association, and the Justice for All Grassroots Award from the American Association of People with Disabilities. In 2014, Habib was appointed by President Barack Obama to the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities.
