Fly Away

“As
the mother of a child with disabilities, I was immediately thrust into
the challenge every parent must face at some point: meeting the needs of
your child when it is at great cost to yourself,” Janet Grillo
explained about Fly Away. “Perhaps the very measure of love is what and
how much we are willing to sacrifice. Although parenting someone with
autism is particular, the primal drive to do the best for one’s child is
universal. Fly Away tells this story.”

Fly
Away premiered as an official selection at the 2011 SXSW Film Festival,
followed by official entries in the 2011 Palm Beach International Film
Festival and Arizona International Film Festival. The film—which tells
the story of a single mother of a teenage daughter severely impacted by
autism—opens in New York April 15 at Village East Cinema. The film will
be available April 26 on VOD and DVD, through which 10 percent of
proceeds from DVD sales and 15 percent of proceeds from VOD rentals will
be donated to Autism Speaks.

“As
I have journeyed with other parents of children with special needs,
I’ve witnessed great pain and extraordinary passion,” Grillo went on to
explain. “I’ve also watched parents unable to place their children in
fulltime therapeutic residences, when it was clearly needed. While such
placement is not best for all or even most children on the spectrum,
it’s tragic when parents are too plagued with fear and guilt to make the
choice when it is. If Fly Away eases the pain of even one parent’s
torturous decision, or if it expands the heart of even one person
untouched by autism to accept our children and appreciate our struggles,
it will have been well worth making. The authenticity of our story will
provide insight and hope. Truth often does.”

Fly Away Trailer from Fly Away on Vimeo.

Autism Speaks is North America’s largest autism science and advocacy organization. Since
its inception only five short years ago, Autism Speaks has made
enormous strides, committing over $142.5 million to research and
developing innovative new resources for families through 2014. The
organization is dedicated to funding research into the causes,
prevention, treatments and a cure for autism; increasing awareness of
autism spectrum disorders; and advocating for the needs of individuals
with autism and their families. To learn more about Autism Speaks,
please visit autismspeaks.org.