Life, Animated

2016. 89 m. Roger Ross Williams. Roco Films. USA/France. English with subtitles. Rated PG.

Directed by Academy Award-winning documentarian Roger Ross Williams, Life, Animated is the story of Owen Suskind, the son of the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ron Suskind and his wife, Cornelia. An autistic boy who couldn’t speak for years, Owen memorized dozens of Disney movies and turned them into a language to express love and loss, kinship, and brotherhood. The family was forced to become animated characters, communicating with him in Disney dialogue and song; until they all emerge, together, revealing how, in darkness, we all literally need stories to survive.

November 19, 2025 (Only) FREE Special Student Screening and Q&A with Walter Suskind, and Jeremy Scalchunes and David Kaufstein from The Nicholas Center.

Date: Wednesday, November 19, 2025
Time: 9:30 AM—12:00 PM
Location: JBFC Theater, 364 Manville Rd., Pleasantville, NY 10570
Grade Level: High School

Register Now

Note: Buses must arrive at the JBFC Theater by 9:15 AM. The JBFC will cover the cost of up to TWO buses for under-resourced schools. Bus availability is on a first-come, first-served basis. All bus invoices must be sent to JBFC within 60 days after the event in order to be paid.

Special Guest: Walter Suskind, featured in the documentary and Founder of SibStrong

Walter Suskind lives in Brooklyn, New York and is the older brother of Owen, a 35-year-old Autistic man. He is the Founder of SibStrong, a community created to give siblings of people with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities a place to connect, share experiences, and find support as they navigate caregiving and transition challenges. Walter started SibStrong after he, Owen, and their family were featured in the Academy Award–nominated documentary Life, Animated, which chronicled Owen’s journey and highlighted the critical role siblings play. He recently joined the AHRC Sibling Committee in New York to further strengthen sibling networks and advocacy. More broadly, Walter is active working with a number of organizations on ways to support siblings and caregivers. Professionally, Walter works at FGS Global, where he advises leading organizations on stakeholder engagement and complex communications challenges. His work across both his personal and professional life reflects a deep commitment to storytelling, elevating sibling voices, expanding transition supports, and building stronger systems for families of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Special Guest: Jeremy Scalchunes, Associate Executive Director of Programs at The Nicholas Center

Special Guest: David Kaufstein, Director of Educational and Clinical Services at The Nicholas Center

Photographs and video will be taken during this program by a JBFC staff member. By registering your students for this trip, you are consenting to the taking of photographs or video recordings of all students in attendance and authorize the use of all photos and video by the Jacob Burns Film Center. Photographs or video may be used indefinitely for internal or external purposes (i.e. social media, e-bulletins, and marketing materials). If students do not have permission to be photographed or recorded, teachers must alert the JBFC Education team in writing prior to the event.

Life, Animated

BLOG

A Wicked Good Time Returns to the Burns

Wicked: For Good

Out There

Life, Animated

BLOG

A Wicked Good Time Returns to the Burns

Wicked: For Good

Out There

Email Sign Up