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Just Like You - Facial Anomalies

The MidAmerica Emmy award winning, Just Like You Films, launches another exciting film, Just Like You - Facial Anomalies, that calls upon our communities, our kids and the world to learn, understand and accept those living with cleft lip and palate, port wine stain birthmarks, facial paralysis and lymphangioma. JLY-Facial Anomalies harnesses the power of film to connect and create empathy in others in an unprecedented way. The film's documentary techniques capture the real life stories of 4 children and their best friends. They explain their lives with a facial anomaly in relatable everyday scenes. The kids, award-winning journalist, Hannah Storm and internationally renowned surgeons, Dr. Bill Magee, Dr. Teresa O and Dr. Milton Waner, explain the conditions, treatments and model how to be a good friend to someone living with a facial anomaly. Those who see it will understand and accept people living with a facial anomaly for who they are on the inside. JLY-Facial Anomalies boldly seeks to foster a world of people who know about, understand and accept those living with a facial anomaly. They do this by sharing the perspective of courageous individuals who are not defined or limited by their conditions. Instead, they are “just like you.”

  • Jen Greenstreet
    Director
    JLY-Burns, JLY-Cancer, JLY-Down Syndrome, JLY-Autism, I'm The Hero
  • Jen Greenstreet
    Writer
    JLY-Burns, JLY-Cancer, JLY-Down Syndrome, JLY-Autism, I'm The Hero
  • Jen Greenstreet
    Producer
    JLY-Burns, JLY-Cancer, JLY-Down Syndrome, JLY-Autism, I'm The Hero
  • Operation Smile
    Producer
  • Waner Children's Vascular Anomaly Foundation
    Producer
  • Lisa Lori
    Producer
  • Jen Bertrand
    Producer
  • Emily Eckles
    Producer
  • The Hannah Storm Foundation
    Producer
  • Luke Lori
    Key Cast
  • Billy Eckles
    Key Cast
  • Annaliese Jamison
    Key Cast
  • Winston Bertrand
    Key Cast
  • Genesis Elijarrah
    Key Cast
  • Christopher Johnson
    Key Cast
  • Andrew Sprague
    Key Cast
  • Andrew Stone
    Key Cast
  • Dr. William P. Magee, Jr., D.D.S., M.D.
    Key Cast
  • Dr. Teresa O, MD
    Key Cast
  • Hannah Storm
    Key Cast
  • Milton Waner, M.D. BCh, FCS (SA)
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Runtime:
    25 hours
  • Completion Date:
    January 11, 2017
  • Production Budget:
    50,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    RED
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Jen Greenstreet

Jen has produced, wrote and directed 11 short films including all of the Just Like you Films. She wrote 3 feature length screenplays and a manuscript. Distributed internationally, her work has helped change attitudes and perspectives of children and adults all over the world. Public service has always been an important part of her life, and a major contributor to her motivation. Jen has served as CEO of Just Like you Films for 11 years. Prior to becoming a filmmaker, Jen communicated stories in another way. She served as a Prosecuting Attorney, litigating 520 felony cases and representing the state in 46 jury trials. She also taught criminal law at William Jewell College. Jen was honored as an Ingram’s Magazine 40 Under 40, Class of 2012, received the Autism Society - The Heartland, Making a Making A Difference Award and the 2014 KC Jewish Film Festival, Trailblazer Award. Her films have received 4 Mid-America Emmy nominations and were awarded 2 Mid-America Emmys in 2015. She has received the 2013 Tash Positive Images in Media Award, the 2014 National Down Syndrome Congress’ Education Award, The 2014 KC Jewish Film Festival’s Trailblazer Award, the AMC Cares Award and the 2014 Autism Society of the Heartland’s Making A Difference Award for her work. Her films were nominated for the The 2014 Golden Door International Film Festival’s Autism Award, Best Editing Award and won the Raising Awareness Award for our Down syndrome film. In 2009, the Burn film received the International Health and Medical Media, Freddie Finalist Award in Children’s Health. Just Like You - Cancer is featured by the National Leukemia Lymphoma Society’s School and Youth campaign to reach 14.5 million students in 29,000 schools across the US. The Burns and I Care films are featured at the Phoenix Society’s World Burn Congress and their Journey Back Program. In 2013, the United Nations presented the Down syndrome film to its members in a general session. As a result, the Brazilian delegate licensed our Down Syndrome film and currently distributes it across Brazil through her organization, Movimento Down. The National Autism Society screened Just Like You - Autism at their 2015 national conference. JLY Films are distributed on Learn 360, an educational video platform reaching 8 million kids in 25,000 schools in the United States and Canada. Down Syndrome is translated into Spanish, Portuguese, Icelandic and is closed captioned for the hearing impaired. Jen's films have been viewed on youtube over half a million times in 120 different countries.

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Director Statement

Film has the power to ignite human empathy like no other medium. Film invites every single one of us to peer through our cloud of self absorption and connect with another human soul. To feel that person’s story - their struggles, their hopes, fears and dreams. To engage our senses and allow us to walk in their shoes. To clear a space for them in our heart. Film taps us on the shoulder and reminds us of our heart. Reminds us to feel it and share it. Film reminds us that our heart is not so small and contained inside of our bodies. That it swells and stretches and is actually as big as this world, this universe, these cosmos. Just Like You Films is my heart. My dream of a world where people live in their hearts. A world where generations of kids grow up innately knowing and living that connectivity - both academically and relationally. Where they recite stories of chemotherapy, pressure garments, light sensitivity, speech therapy and facial surgery like they recite stories of Cinderella and The Three Bears. A world where bullies become obselete because bullying would mean the unthinkable - hurting a friend. Hurting our very own heart.