Ben’s Animals, a documentary focused on autism, art and advocacy, will make its national debut in New York City during International Autism Month.
Directed by award-winning filmmaker Evan Belloff, this heartwarming doc is scheduled to open on Saturday, April 4th at Culture Lab LIC in Queens.
Belloff co-wrote the film with longtime collaborator Noah Leon. The film follows Canadian autistic artist and environmental activist Ben LaChapelle, 23, and focuses on how he uses his connection to animals to become an influential voice for change.
‘Ben’s Animals’ explores how creativity, identity and art have the potential to bridge the gap between isolation and community.
The document also addresses the many challenges families face in navigating neurodiversity within often fractured and fragmented support systems.
“This is more than just a documentary about autism,” Belov said of the visually rich documentary.
“This is about how one young person sees the world, and how much we can all benefit by listening,” he added.
“Ben’s Animals” is told using a combination of hand-drawn animation, LaChapelle’s childhood archives, personal interviews, and storytelling in a unique cinema verité documentary style.
The film’s official press release describes it as “a poetic, moving and entertaining portrait of an outstanding young man.”
Culture Lab LIC’s doors open at 2:30pm and the 50-minute film begins at 3pm.
Following the U.S. premiere of Ben’s Animals, LaChapelle will join Beloff and Leon for a 30-minute Q&A session on stage.
A live drawing demonstration by LaChapelle will also be held at the pop-up exhibition and reception following the Q&A session.
