Joey Travolta's Film CAROL OF THE BELLS to Screen in December

A crew of 70% individuals with developmental disabilities recently produced Inclusion Films' first feature length film, Carol of the Bells, directed by Joey Travolta. Fresh from earning the Audience Favorite Feature award at the San Diego International Film Festival in October - Carol of the Bells will release in multiple cities in December. Travolta teaches filmmaking to individuals with developmental disabilities at 6 partner studios across California via Inclusion Films. Carol of the Bells was produced in association with Futures Explored, Inc. and Options for All.

Inclusion Films www.inclusionfilms.com was started in 2007 by veteran filmmaker Joey Travolta. The mission of Inclusion Films is to teach filmmaking to individuals with developmental disabilities in six dedicated production studios through California. In addition to their workshops, they travel the country doing short film camps for children and teens with autism. The production team that has been trained by Inclusion Films is available for hire - where they work side by side with veteran filmmakers. One of the goals of Inclusion Films is to continue to seek out employment opportunities in the film industry for individuals with developmental disabilities.

Additionally, Inclusion Films and two non-profit organizations that support adults with developmental disabilities, Futures Explored, Inc. www.futures-explored.org, and Options for All www.optionsforall.org, launched "Inclusion Networks," a subscription based channel featuring digital content produced by adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The first-of-its-kind channel presents short films, documentaries, news stories, original series, special features and behind-the-scenes footage.

Director/Producer Joey Travolta shared "Carol of the Bells is a beautiful story by itself, but the way it was made is even more beautiful. Working with a crew where 70% are developmentally different offers insight into just how much they bring to the table when offered the opportunity. Having the opportunity is the key. Inclusion Films has a mission of inclusion - to train people with different abilities in the art of filmmaking. The soft skills learned in the training program can then be applied to other jobs and all aspects of their life."

When asked what drives his passion for inclusion, Travolta shared "My father raised us in an environment of inclusivity. Family was important, kindness was important, everyone was equal and everyone was welcome. That's what first led me to being a special education educator. Partnering that passion for equality with filmmaking has become my life's work. I want everyone to have that sense of belonging when they are trained by us, come to our camps or work with us on a film. That sense of belonging brought out the best in everyone - and allowed for an environment for this talented diverse team to create an award winning feature film. No small feat. I'm looking forward to sharing their work on Carol of the Bells and helping to create a shift in employment opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities."

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