Bio : Left Behind
ABOUT LEFT BEHIND
Did you know that 1 out of 5 people have dyslexia? How about that 47-50% of incarcerated people have dyslexia? Left Behind gives eye-opening insight into the ways that the public school system ignores the needs of students with learning disabilities and, in doing so, contributes to the school-to-prison pipeline. No matter how much a person may stand by the power and importance of public schools, there’s just no disputing that the current public education system is not built to help students with learning disabilities to succeed or thrive, and just about every single dyslexia-centered school in the country is privately-owned. Anna Toomey’s gripping documentary chronicles a group of advocates in their struggle to start New York City’s first public school for dyslexia. For more info - www.leftbehindthefilm.com/
ABOUT THE FILMMAKER
Anna Toomey is an independent filmmaker who started her career as an Emmy Award-winning producer for ABC News, Good Morning America, ABC News long-form unit, and Peter Jennings Reporting. She worked on projects including The Gun Fight, an inside look at the NRA, The Century, Beatles Anthology, and the six-part series In the Jury Room. Anna, developed and directed her first feature length independent documentary Left Behind after her son was diagnosed with dyslexia and she discovered the inadequate resources for millions of children across the country.
ABOUT GREEN HUMMINGBIRD ENTERTAINMENT
Green Hummingbird Entertainment is a boutique studio based in New York and London with co-heads David Beal (former President of National Geographic Entertainment and Palm Pictures) and Emmy Award winning producer Sian Edwards-Beal. With a global development slate, Green Hummingbird is focused on inspirational, thought-provoking entertainment and telling heroic stories that harness the power of music.
ABOUT VELVET STRAND
Velvet Strand is the production company of Irish musician and actor Larry Mullen Jr. and American producer Chris Farrell. Velvet Strand looks to collaborate with filmmakers to bring surprising or unknown stories to the screen, particularly those which celebrate artists and musicians or those seeking to make a positive impact.
Director:
Anna Toomey
Producers:
David Beal
Sian Edwards-Beal
Chris Farrell
Larry Mullen Jr.
Executive Producers:
Juju Chang
Lisa Domenico Brooke
Dan Fougere
Stephanie Fougere
Sarah E Johnson
Ellen Lovejoy
Zofia Moreno
Jean Reno
Writer
Karen KH Simm
Editor
Brittany Kaplan
Director of Photography
James Fideler
Original Score
Oliver & Clare Machon
Dyslexia Fact Sheet
KEY STATS ABOUT DYSLEXIA
- Up to 20% of the Global Population is dyslexic1
- 35% of entrepreneurs are dyslexic2
- 50% of NASA employees are dyslexic3
- Incarceration costs the US $80 billion a year.4
NOTABLE FIGURES WITH DYSLEXIA
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Roger Williams |
“The most creative people I know are dyslexic. Dyslexia has given me the gift of creativity” |
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Richard Branson |
“Personally, I actually think dyslexia in the real world can be a big advantage. We have a slightly different wiring to our brains, which enables us to think creatively and differently.” |
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Octavia Spencer |
“I could solve puzzles quicker than the average child. I would start with the mazes at the end and go to the front and be done in, like, 30 seconds. My deductive reasoning was very important.” |
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Steven Spielberg |
“You are not alone, and while you will have dyslexia for the rest of your life, you can dart between the raindrops to get where you want to go. It will not hold you back.” |
1 Cleveland Clinic
2 Cass Business School in London
3 Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity
4 Department of Corrections