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Patrick Longstreth

Kate German, Jazmine Faries and Chad Faries (from left) in "Iron Family."

To help mark World Down Syndrome Day (March 21), GiGi's Playhouse Madison, Arts for All Wisconsin and the Waisman Center are collaborating to host a virtual screening of Iron Family. A 2021 Wisconsin Film Festival Golden Badger Award winner, the documentary follows Jazmine Faries, a playwright with Down syndrome, as she and her family work together to produce Faries' sixth annual summer play in their hometown of Iron River, Michigan. The screening is free; register for a Zoom link at waisman.wisc.edu.

media release: ARTS for ALL Wisconsin (AFA) will host a free online screening of the documentary Iron Family on March 20 in partnership with GiGi’s Playhouse and Waisman Center to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day.

 The Golden Badger award-winning documentary Iron Family will be followed by a discussion with the filmmakers and stars of the film. The film examines the life of Jazmine Faries, a woman with Down syndrome obsessed with soap operas, Barbie dolls, and Matthew McConaughey. Filmmakers follow the creative process of writing, rehearsing, and performing Jazmine’s sixth annual stage play as family bonds are strengthened and put to the test. Along the way Jazmine struggles for independence, yearns for a romantic partner, and we see how a single spark of creativity can spread joy. “We are thrilled to be partnering with AFA and the Waisman Center to shine a spotlight on a film about a person who has Down Syndrome,” says Kelly Antonson, Site Director of GiGi's Playhouse Madison.

The film will be followed by a conversation with the filmmakers and stars, Antonson, and experts from the Waisman Center moderated by AFA Executive Director Christina Martin-Wright.

"The Iron River community comes together to support Jazmine's vision in Iron Family, and like-minded organizations in Madison have now come together to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day," says Martin-Wright. "To celebrate the inherent value and amazing contributions of individuals with Down syndrome we have joined forces with the Waisman Center, GiGi's Playhouse Madison, and the Wisconsin Film Festival to elevate this important day more than we could have alone."

register at www.waisman.wisc.edu/event/movie-iron-family

ABOUT Iron Family: Jazmine Faries, a 32-year old woman with Down syndrome, is obsessed with soap operas, Barbie dolls, and Matthew McConaughey. For the past 5 summers, her family has performed her original stageplays for a small audience in their town of Iron River in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. In this sixth season, we follow the creative process of writing, rehearsing, and performing the play. Family bonds between her brother, Chad, and her mother, Kate, are strengthened and put to the test by the mishaps and chaos of coordinating a production with limited resources. Along the way we see Jazmine’s personal struggle for independence, her yearning for a romantic partner, and how a single spark of creativity can spread joy throughout a community. https://ironfamilyfilm.com/

Watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPTtCuxSVQc

ABOUT ARTS for ALL Wisconsin: ARTS for ALL Wisconsin was founded in 1985 as Very Special Arts Wisconsin with the mission to expand the capabilities, confidence, and quality of life for children and adults with disabilities throughout Wisconsin by providing programs in the arts.  More information at artsforallwi.org

ABOUT GiGi’s Playhouse: GiGi’s Playhouse was created to change the way the world views a Down syndrome diagnosis and send a global message of acceptance for all. More than 56 Playhouses empower children and adults to achieve their “Best of All” and to pursue their dreams.

ABOUT Waisman Center: The Waisman Center is dedicated to advancing knowledge about human development, developmental disabilities, and neurodegenerative diseases through research, training for students and post-doctoral fellows, providers and the community, and services for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.