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Anne Barbano, director, writer, and producer
of LIVING THE AUTISM MAZE
is first and foremost a devoted mother of two.
Her
professional skills were honed in years of writing and interviewing
---from the probation office (as a probation officer intern) to the
more refined sanctions of the corporate world.
Her
first company, Total Communications,
worked with companies and individuals to improve communication
internally and with the public.
People
matter. Anne shows this in all her work. Most notably, LifeStories, a
series of programs she conceptualized and developed, which aired on a
local Vermont television station, asked the non-famous among us, the
people we may know only by sight -- the "hot dog lady", or the former
Amish woman brought up in a strict religious sect, as well as the more
prominent among us; Frank Hewitt, a
gifted painter, and the first Progressive City Councilors who supported
socialist mayor Bernie Sanders –- to tell
their individual stories. Her unique slant brought out surprising and
thoughtful portraits with depth and insight. Each is a story of what it
is to live a life.
Anne’s
LifeStories program with Frank Hewitt was picked up by Elaine
Segal of National Public Radio,
serving as his voice after his untimely
death.
The
Burlington Oral History Project has preserved many of Anne’s taped
interviews, among them a religious group in the Northeast Kingdom, a
four-time Vermont amateur golf champion, a television/radio
personality, and others in the Special Collections at the University of Vermont. In addition, the Vermont
Folklife Center serves as a repository for the LifeStories shows.
As
producer of a popular segment of Vermont Public
TV's
POINTS NORTH magazine, Anne recorded the oral history of
former state senator Tom Crowley. He
spoke candidly about his alcoholism, his defeat for reelection, and how
alcoholism affected the legislation he championed while in office.
Anne’s
intention is to document events as they take place, but since living
the autism maze herself, she hopes to show why this is happening and
how people are dealing with it. Parents prove to be conduits of
information between each other, in Vermont and across the country.
Anne shares
her direction and production credits with Jeff Farber.
Producer,
director and cinematographer, Jeff
Farber has been an award-winning independent
filmmaker for over 25 years. His career began in Philadelphia, where he
was a founding member of New Liberty Productions
(1980-86), a collective that produced, among
other films, BLACK & BLUE, a
60-minute documentary about the Philadelphia Police Department and its
confrontations with MOVE. On this award-winning film, Mr. Farber served
as director of photography and associate producer. During this time Mr.
Farber also produced and directed THE VALLEY
GREEN, an award-winning nationally distributed environmental
documentary.
After
moving to Vermont, he produced, directed and shot BROTHER
BREAD, SISTER PUPPET. Completed in 1992, this award-winning
feature-length documentary about the Bread & Puppet Theater was
supported and partially funded by Jim Henson. BROTHER BREAD, SISTER
PUPPET has been screened in a number of cities, including New York,
Philadelphia, Boston, Portland, and in Posnan, Poland, as part of an
international festival.
From
1991 through 2002, Mr. Farber was a senior producer/director at the University of Vermont, where he was responsible
for creating stand-alone films, video programs and satellite
teleconferences on a number of contemporary issues. He also worked
closely with the University of Vermont's Office of Communications
creating a wide variety of public relations programs and commercials.
In 2004,
he collaborated with Susan Bettmann on BEYOND 88 KEYS, THE MUSIC OF MICHAEL ARNOWITT where
he served as associate producer, director of photography and principle
editor. This 76-minute award-wining film profiles Vermont concert
pianist Michael Arnowitt.
His most
current project, completed in May 2005, is the 40-minute film LIVING THE AUTISM MAZE. Made in collaboration
and co-directed with Anne Barbano. Mr Farber was also the associate
producer, videographer and editor.
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