>> TONIGHT, WE MARVEL AT THE COUNTRY'S FIRST-EVER AWARDS FOR AUTISTIC ARTISTS RIGHT HERE IN NEW YORK CITY.

"METROFOCUS" STARTS RIGHT NOW.

♪ ♪ >>> THIS IS "METROFOCUS" WITH RAFAEL PI ROMAN, JACK FORD, AND JENNA FLANAGAN.

>>"METROFOCUS" IS MADE POSSIBLE BY -- SUE AND EDGAR WACHENHEIM III, THE PETER G. PETERSON AND JOAN GANC COONEY FUND.

BERNARD AND DENISE SCHWARTZ, THE AMBROSE MONELL FOUNDATION AND BY -- ♪ ♪ >>> GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO "METROFOCUS."

I'M JENNA FLANAGAN.

THE MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE IN QUEENS HOSTED THEIR AWARDS HONORING ARTISTS FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE WHO ALL HAVE ONE THING IN COMMON.

THEY IDENTIFY AS BEING ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM.

THE AWARDS CEREMONY, THE FIRST IN THE UNITED STATES SOLELY DEDICATED TO CELEBRATING ARTISTS WITH AUTISM WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A MONTH OF WORK SHOPS, COMMUNITY DISCUSSIONS AND AN EXHIBITION DISPLAYING THE WINNERS' ART WORKS.

MEMBERS OF THE MUSEUM STAFF HOPE THAT THIS EVENT WILL NOT ONLY SHINE A LIGHT ON ARTISTS THAT ARE ALL TOO OFTEN OVERLOOKED, BUT ALSO HELP DISPEL SOME OF THE STIGMAS NEURODIVERGENT PEOPLE FACE EVERY DAY.

JOINING US TO DISCUSS IS OUR ROUNDTABLE TODAY WE ARE JOINED BY CARL GOODMAN, CARL IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE.

CARL, WELCOME TO METROFOCUS.

>> THANK YOU.

IT'S GREAT TO BE HERE.

WE ARE JOINED BY SARA GUERRERO MUSTAFA.

SARAH IS THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AS WELL AS THE CURATOR OF THE EXHIBITIONS.

SARAH, IT'S GREAT TO HAVE YOU ON THE SHOW.

>> THANK YOU.

IT'S GREAT TO BE HERE.

>> AND ALSO JOINING US IS APRIL.

THEY ARE AN AWARD-WINNING ARTIST FEATURED IN THE EXHIBITION.

APRIL, CONGRATULATIONS AND WELCOME TO "METROFOCUS."

>> THANKS SO MUCH AND YEAH, GREAT TO BE HERE, AS WELL.

>> I WANT TO START ABOUT TALKING ABOUT THIS EXHIBITION SPECIFICALLY.

SO SARAH, I WANT TO GO TO YOU AND GET A BIT OF UNDERSTANDING BECAUSE TO A LAY PERSON SOMEONE MIGHT SAY THIS IS JUST ANOTHER ART EXHIBITION, CORRECT?

BUT IT'S NOT.

IT'S SOMETHING MORE.

>> EXACTLY, THERE ARE MANY LEVELS AND LAYERS TO THIS EXHIBIT THAT YOU SEE BEHIND ME AND I'M HERE IN THE SECOND-FLOOR GALLERY AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN HEAR THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND AND WE HAVE A FEW EXHIBITS GOING ON AT ONCE AND BEHIND ME, YOU'LL SEE THE MARVELS OF MEDIA, AWARDS EXHIBIT WHICH FEATURES 17 WORKS INCLUDING MEDIA THAT IS -- THAT INCLUDES VIDEO GAMES, SHORT FILMS, ANIMATIONS AND ALSO DIGITAL ART LIKE THE PIECE THAT APRIL CREATED AS A COMMISSION FOR THIS EXHIBIT.

>> YOU ALSO SEE A FEW OBJECTS ABOUT THE FILMMAKING PROCESS AND THE CREATIVE PROCESS THAT WE RECEIVED FROM EACH ARTIST THAT ILLUSTRATE A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO CREATE MEDIA.

SOMETIMES IT'S SEEN AROUND THE WORLD.

SOMETIMES IT'S CREATED FOR A SMALLER AUDIENCE, BUT YOU'LL LEARN A LOT ABOUT THE PROCESS AND THE THINKING THAT GOES INTO THE CREE ASIAN OF ALL THESE DIVERSE WORKS THAT WE HAVE ON DISPLAY ALL CREATED BY MEDIA CREATORS ON THE SPECTRUM.

>> WHY IS IT THAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS HASN'T BEEN DONE BEFORE?

>> IT'S INTERESTING YOU ASK THAT QUESTION BECAUSE I ASKED THAT VERY QUESTION WHEN WE HAD AN INITIAL MEETING.

THIS WAS BETWEEN JOSH SAPIN WHO WAS RUNNING AM CNET WORKS AND ON THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND HE CAME TO ME WITH A CONCEPT AND IN DISCUSSION WE REALIZED THAT THERE WAS A GREAT AFFINITY BETWEEN HIS GOALS REGARDING SHINING A LIGHT ON THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF MEDIA MAKERS ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM AND OUR PRIOR AND ONGOING WORK AND PLANNED WORK, WORKING BOTH DIRECTLY WITH PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND THE DISABLED IN THE BROADER SENSE AND WORK THAT COULD BE DONE IN THAT ARENA, AS WELL AS AN EARLY PROGRAM THAT WAS STILL FUNDED BY ANOTHER SOURCE DEVOTED TO MORNINGS AT THE MUSEUM FOR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM AND THEIR FAMILIES AND THEN OUR FOCUS ON MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT AND ART ON THE SCREEN AS A UNIQUE ASPECT OF THE MUSEUM SINCE ITS INCEPTION, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THESE TWO STRANDS COME TOGETHER.

I.E., OUR FOCUS ON THE MEDIA, MEDIA MAKING -- SERVING MEDIA MAKERS AND MAKING SURE WE HAVE A NEW GENERATION OF MORE DIVERSE MEDIA MAKERS BOTH BEHIND AND IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA AND AGAIN, OUR MODE OF SERVICE WHICH WAS FOCUSING ON PEOPLE WITH AUTISM IN OTHER PROGRAM ACTIVITIES.

ONE, IT'S ABOUT WITH, NOT FOR.

WE ARE CREATING PROPERTY AND IN A SENSE WITH THEIS INITIATIVE WH AUTISM IN GENERAL AND THAT'S OUR APPROACH IN GENERAL WITH PROGRAMMING AND THEN AND, NOT OR.

SHOULD IT BE AN EXHIBIT?

AN AWARDS EVENT?

A SERIES OF WORK SHOPS?

A FESTIVAL OR A JOB MENTORING PROGRAM WHERE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PATHWAYS THAT DON'T EXIST NOW AND THE ANSWER, OF COURSE, IS YES.

ALL OF THEM.

>> OKAY.

SO AS AN AWARD-WINNING ARTIST, APRIL, I'M WONDERING IF YOU CAN GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF INSIGHT INTO THE WORK THAT YOU CREATED FOR THIS EXHIBIT SPECIFICALLY.

>> YES.

SO WHAT I ORIGINALLY SUBMITTED TO BE PART OF THIS EXHIBITION WAS A LONGER FILM AND IT WAS AROUND 66 MINUTES LONG, AND I GOT THE VERY GENEROUS AND VERY FUN INVITATION TO TRANSFORM THIS PIECE INTO SOMETHING THAT WOULD FIT ON THE ENTRANCE LOBBY WALL OF THE BUILDING SO IT'S QUITE A LONG SPACE.

SO NORMALLY IT WOULD BE A MORE STANDARD RECTANGLE AND IT'S BEEN RE-EDITED AND I VIEW IT AS A REMIX OF THE ORIGINAL PIECE AND I KIND OF CHOPPED IT UP, PAFRTED AND BITS AND PIECES OF THE APPROACH TO THE ORIGINAL STORY AND THIS IS FOUR MINUTES LONG.

I JUST SAW IT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN PERSON AND IT IS REALLY, REALLY GREAT TO SEE IT SO BIG, AND I JUST WANT TO DIVE INTO THIS WORLD WHICH IS REALLY AMAZING AND THAT WOULD BE IN ESSENCE, WHAT THAT COMMISSION IS.

>> OKAY.

WELL, SO FROM YOUR OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, WHAT IS IT THAT YOU ARE BRINGING AT LEAST TO YOUR WORK AS A NEURODIVERGENT INDIVIDUAL?

>> THOOAT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION.

I WANT TO HOLD SPACE WITH MY COLLABORATORS AND UNDERSTANDING FROM THE GET GO AND GAINING ACCESS FROM THE BEGINNING.

I GUESS MANAGE EXPECTATION AND I THINK THERE'S AN HONEST DIALOGUE WITH PEOPLE TRYING TO MIX UP TOGETHER AND TRYING TO LEARN BY THIS PROJECT TOGETHER AND YOU'RE A PERSON WHO NEEDS TO DELIVER ME THIS SERVICE OR THIS PRODUCT PROVIDED THAT WE EACH HAVE OUR OWN SPECIFIC NEEDS AND WE'RE COMING TOGETHER IN THIS MOMENT TO KIND OF LEARN AND CREATE AND HAVE A DIALOGUE.

THAT'S MORE HONEST AND UNDERSTANDING.

THERE'S THAT.

THEN I ALSO REALLY FEEL LIKE FILMMAKING FOR ME IS A WAY THAT I CAN JUST COMMUNICATE ON MY OWN TERMS, IN MY OWN LANGUAGE WITH MY OWN RHYTHM AND TIME SPACE AND HOWEVER YOU CAN CALL IT AND I CAN DEFINE THOSE PARAMETERS ON HOW I FUNCTION AND THAT'S NOT SOMETHING I GET TO FEEL A LOT IN EVERYDAY LIFE AND IT'S JUST ME AND HOW I WANT TO EXPRESS MY FEELINGS AND THOUGHTS AND DREAMS AND THAT'S A LIBERATING FEELING AND THAT'S WHY IT'S GREAT TO BE A PART OF THIS EXHIBITION WHERE YOU GET TO MEET A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT APPROACH IT AND YOU STILL GET THAT FILMMAKING AND MOVING WITH THE MOVING IMAGE.

A VERY, VERY SPECIFIC AND UNIQUE, APPROACH.

>> YEAH.

THAT'S INCREDIBLY, ELOQUENTLY PUT.

SARAH, I'M WONDERING DIFFERENT VERSION, OF COURSE, BECAUSE THAT WAS APRIL'S SPECIFIC STORY, BUT DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THAT.

IS THAT WHAT YOU EXPERIENCED IN WORKING WITH THE ARTIST WHO SUBMITTED WORKS FOR THE MARVELS OF MEDIA?

>> YES.

WE RECEIVED 3,071 SUBMISSIONS FOR THIS PROJECT FROM ACROSS THE WORLD.

117 COUNTRIES, BUT WHAT WE NOTICED AND WHAT'S REFLECTED IN THE EXHIBIT AND AWARDS IS THAT NO TWO PEOPLE WITH AUTISM ARE ALIKE OR THINK ALIKE OR CREATE ALIKE AND THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES HERE AND SOMETHING THAT'S IN COMMON THAT THEY ALL SHARE IS EXTREMELY HIGH QUALITY OF WORK, OF VISION AND ARTISTIC EXPRESSION AND EXPERTISE IN USING THE MOVING IMAGE TO CREATE NEW WORKS INCLUDING WORKS TO SHINE A LIGHT ON JUST A WHOLE CREATIVE BACKGROUND AND NEW THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON IN THE MOVING IMAGE.

THIS EXHIBITION IS ALSO IN A LARGER WAY ABOUT THE HISTORY AND THE INNOVATION OF MEDIA AND MOVING IMAGE AS WE KNOW IT TODAY.

>> CARL, EARLIER WHEN YOU SAID THAT THIS WAS SPECIFICALLY A PROJECT THAT WAS DONE WITH AND NOT NECESSARILY, YOU KNOW AT OR FOR, ET CETERA, WHAT IS IT THAT YOU WOULD WANT PEOPLE WHO ARE VISITING FROM THE MUSEUM TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS?

IS THERE SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE SHOULD BE OPEN TO OR THAT YOU'RE HOPING THAT PEOPLE LEARN FROM HAVING EXPERIENCED THESE ART WORKS?

>> SURE.

I THINK THAT A LOT OF WHAT WE DO INVOLVES PEOPLE WHO VISIT THE MUSEUM FOR ONE THING, MAYBE IT'S A FILM AND MAYBE IT'S THE JIM HENSON EXHIBITION AND MAYBE IT'S THE INTERACTIVE EXHIBITION ON HOW TO MAKE FILM OR EXHIBITION ON THE DEEP FIX AND THAT'S A HORSE OF A DIFFERENT COLOR AND ENCOUNTER SOMETHING THAT MAYBE THEY DIDN'T FEEL THAT THEY HAD AN INTEREST IN OR THAT EVEN EXISTED AND THEY FOUND SOMETHING PROVOCATIVE, SURPRISING AND POSSIBLY LEADING IN SOME WAY TO ITS RESIDENCE IN ACTION AND IN A SENSE, A CHANGE OF STATE IN ONE'S MIND ABOUT HOW THEY THINK ABOUT SOMETHING, AND FOR ME, THOSE WHO WILL COME TO THE MUSEUM FOR THIS EXHIBITION, I THINK, WILL FIND THAT THE -- THE SKILL, DIRECTNESS, HONESTY AND UNIQUENESS OF THE WORK APPROACHES BREAKING CONVENTIONS PERHAPS THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IN PART, DEFINES A LOT OF THE HISTORY OF CREATIVE PRODUCTION OF WHETHER IT'S FILM OR MUSIC AND SO ON, THAT WE ALWAYS HAVE HAD A POPULATION OF MAKERS IN THE INDUSTRY WHO ARE DIAGNOSED OR NOT, ON THE SPECTRUM AND THAT PERHAPS A LOT OF WHAT IS AGAIN, ENGAGING AND UNIQUE ABOUT THE WORK MAY ACTUALLY, AND IN FACT DOES, HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH WHAT PEOPLE MAY HAVE THOUGHT IS AN A FLIKSZ, BAFFLICTION, BUT W HOPE PEOPLE SEE THE TRUTH THAT IT IS ALSO AN ABILITY.

>> IS THAT ALSO WHAT YOU ARE JUST SAYING THAT IS REFLECTED IN THE NAME, MARVELS OF MEDIA?

>> YES.

AS SARAH KNOWS WE SPEND YEARS SOMETIMES COMING UP WITH NAMES GOING BACK AND FORTH TO SEE WHAT CAPTURES THINGS AND THE WORD THAT PEOPLE USE "SPECIAL" FOR INSTANCE, WE'RE DONE WITH THAT AND IN A WAY THE MARVELS WORD I THINK CONVEYS THAT THERE IS SOMETHING AGAIN, EXTREMELY ENGAGING AND ALMOST SURPRISINGLY UNIQUE AND RESONANT AND RELEVANT TO THEM AND VISITORS.

WE HAVE ARTISTS TEACHING WORK SHOPS THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO NECESSARILY WITH THE SUBJECT OF AUTISM WHICH IS IMPORTANT.

IT'S THE IDENTITY AND THE SELF-IDENTIFICATION AND THE SELF-ADVOCACY OF THE MAKER, WHATEVER THEY CHOOSE TO MAKE ASK WHOEVER THEY CHOOSE TO MAKE IT WITH THAT IS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ASPECT, I THINK, OF THIS -- OF THIS PROJECT AND SO THE MARVEL PART, IN A WAY, PERHAPS APPLIES AS MUCH TO THE REACTION OF THE VISITOR THAN IT DOES TO THE IDENTITIES OF THE MAKER.

>> OF COURSE.

>> IF I CAN ADD, ALSO THE TITLES MARVELS OF MEDIA IS FOR THE MYTH OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES OR PEOPLE ON THE SPECTRUM ARE NOT HIRABLE OR AT A DISADVANTAGE AND AS WE CAN SEE HERE THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF MEDIA MAKERS OUT THERE WHO ARE AT THE TOP OF THEIR GAME, ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE MEDIA INDUSTRY AND ARE CREATING INNOVATIVE WORKS OF DIGITAL ART ON THEIR OWN AND WE'RE JUST SHINING A LIGHT TO AMPLIFY THAT.

THIS IS NOT SOMETHING NEW.

IT'S BEEN HAPPENING FOR A WHILE IN HISTORY AND WE JUST WANT TO RECOGNIZE AND RECOGNIZE THE EXCELLENCE THAT YOU SEE ACROSS THE WORLD WHETHER IT'S A STUDENT WHO CREATED A NEW CONCEPT OR A HUGE BUDGET OR SOMEONE CREATING A VERY DIY THAT HAS EXCEPTIONAL MERIT.

>> BUILDING ON WHAT YOU JUST SAID, JUST TELL US SOME OF THE CATEGORIES THAT WERE CONSIDERED FOR THE ART WORK THAT WAS SUBMITTED JUST TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW BROAD OF THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF WORKS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT?

>> THERE'S A DIGITAL ART CAT GORE XIE TOOT THE ONE APRIL WON AND THAT'S EXPERIMENTAL FILM, DO YOU MEANRIES AND NARRATIVE SHORTS.

ANIMATED SHORTS BY STUDENTS, DECIDEIO GAMES -- EXCUSE ME, STUDENT VIDEO GAMES.

SOY IT'S MOSTLY ADULTS WHO ARE REFLECTED IN THE EXHIBIT, BUT WE HAVE TWO STUDENT AWARDEES AGES 12 TO 13.

>> I WOULD ADD THAT WE HAVE A CATEGORY THAT FOR US YEAR ONE WE WANTED THE CATEGORIES TO EMERGE OUT OF THE WORK RATHER THAN PREDEFINE SILOED CATEGORIES BEFORE WE SEE WHAT COMES IN AND WALKING THAT TIGHTROPE PROVES TO BE EXTREMELY, EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AND VALUABLE AND WE HAVE AN AWARD FOR BEST SERIES AS WELL THAT WE ONLY CREATED BECAUSE FINALLY, THERE IS A SERIOUS CALLED "AS WE SEE IT" THAT PREMIERED ON AMAZON JUST LAST MONTH THAT IS DISTINGUISHED IN MANY WAYS AS A GREAT SHOW, BUT ALSO BECAUSE IN MANY CASES, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE IN FRONT, THE ACTORS THEMSELVES HAVE AUTISM, AND OF COURSE, EVERYONE MAY KNOW ABOUT THIS ISSUE INVOLVING REPRESENTATION WHEN THE SUBJECT OF A FILM LEAVES OUT THE PERFORMERS OR MAKERS WHETHER IT'S A RACIAL IDENTITY AND WHETHER IT IS ETHNIC IDENTITY AND IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO US WHEN WE SAW THE SHOW.

WE SAID, THIS IS OKAY.

THEY FLEW IN.

PEOPLE FLEW IN FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD AND THEY WERE THERE TO ACCEPT THE AWARD AND THEY WERE, IN A CERTAIN, AT THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME.

THEY WERE NOMINATED FOR AN EMMY AND ONE OF THEM SAID THIS IS MORE IMPORTANT.

>> INTERESTING.

INTERESTING.

APRIL, I'M WONDERING FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, FIRST OF ALL, JUST THE E LLATION, I'M SURE OF BEIN AN AWARD-WINNING ARTIST IN THIS EXHIBITION, BUT SEEING WHAT OTHER MAKERS WERE CREATING.

WHAT IMPACT DID THAT HAVE ON YOU?

>> I WAS KIND OF -- WHEN I FIRST LEARNED THE TITLE OF THE MARVELS OF MEDIA -- AND I THOUGHT THIS IS A DUD AREA OF RIVALS.

IN A SENSE IT'S EXPANDED MY SCOPE FOR WHAT I THOUGHT IMAGE MAKING COULD BE LIKE AND FEEL LIKE.

WHEN I WALKED INTO THE EXHIBITION YESTERDAY I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT AND THERE ARE SUCH AN INCREDIBLE RANGE OF TECHNIQUES AND THEORETICAL AND THEMATIC INTERESTS, AS WELL, AND I THINK JUST SEEING THE FACT THAT WE'RE ALL, LIKE, SHARING THE SPACE AND UNITED IN THIS EXHIBITION THROUGH OUR SHARED, BUT ALSO VERY, VERY DISTINCT NEURODIVERGENCES HAS BEEN GREAT.

IT'S REALLY A LOT OF THIS FEELING AROUND, LIKE -- YEAH.

BEING SURROUNDED BY PEOPLE WHO YOU CAN TRUST TO UNDERSTAND YOU AND TRUST THAT THEY WILL BE IN LINE WITH THE WAY THAT YOU WORK, BUT THE FACT THAT WE'RE NOT JUST THERE BECAUSE WE'RE AUTISTIC AND WE'RE STRONG ARTISTS AND OUR WORK IS AMAZING AND OUR DREAMS AND IDEAS ARE IRREPLACEABLE.

AND BEING IN THAT SPACE REALLY REMINDED ME OF THAT.

>> I THOUGHT IT WAS INTERESTING THAT YOUR FIRST REACTION OR THOUGHT, IS THIS THE MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE.

IN A WAY I WOULD IMAGINE THAT IF YOU WERE A YOUNGER NEURODIVERGENT PERSON.

YOU GUYS MIGHT SEEM LIKE SUPERHEROES.

THERE HASN'T BEEN SOMETHING LIKE THIS DONE IN AMERICA, AND SO I'M WONDERING, DO YOU, FOR YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE, HAD YOU SEEN SOMETHING LIKE THIS EXISTING WHEN YOU WERE A KID WHAT WOULD THAT HAVE DONE TO YOUR VIEW OF WHAT WAS POSSIBLE FOR YOU IN THE WORLD?

>> OH, YEAH.

I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS AND I'VE BEEN IN A LOT OF EXHIBITIONS AND FILM FESTIVALS AND IT'S NEVER SOMETHING THAT'S KRUR EIGHTED AROUND SPIKE CITIES AND A NEAR DIVERGENT APPROACH AND HAVING CARE AND EMBEDDED IN THE TERRITORIAL PROCESS AND THOSE TWO THINGS ARE KEY AS TO WHY THIS EXHIBITION IS SO IMPORTANT.

IF I'D SEEN SOMETHING LIKE THIS AS A KID, I MEAN, IT'S DEFINITELY GOING TO OTHER EXHIBITIONS THAT'S OPENED SO MANY OTHER WORLDS FOR ME AND ALSO, IN A SENSE, I FEEL LIKE EACH FILM THAT I INTERACT WITH REMINDS ME OF HOW FLEXIBLE AND MALLEABLE THIS WORLD THAT WE SHOW MEANS.

IF I'VE SEEN SOMETHING LIKE THIS AS A QUID, I WOULD HAVE FELT VERY SEEN AND I WOULD HAVE UNDERSTOOD BETTER MY PLACE IN THE WORLD AND UNDERSTOOD WHAT I BELIEVE POSSIBLY GIVE AND UNDERSTAND THAT BET OR MY OWN TERMS RATHER THAN GOING THROUGH A LONGER DETOUR IN GOING ON SOCIETY'S TERMS RATHER THAN MY TERMS AND IT COULD HAVE STARTED AT AN EARLIER STAGE, PERHAPS.

I'M CURIOUS ABOUT HOW VISITORS FEEL AFTER VISITING BECAUSE IT'S QUITE A -- QUITE A VIBE.

IT JUST SUMS IT UP.

>> QUITE A VIBE IS A GREAT WAY TO PUT IT.

I HAVE BEEN TO THE MUSEUM BEFORE, BUT THE INCLUSION OF VIDEO GAMES.

CAN YOU SORT OF EXPLAIN WHY THAT WAS IMPORTANT TO SOMEONE WHO MIGHT NOT FULLY APPRECIATE THE GAMING REVOLUTION?

>> YEAH.

IT IS THE MOVING IMAGE AND WE HAVE A COLLECTION OF VIDEO GAMES AND ARCADE CABINETS FROM THE '80s AND '90s FROM THE ROOTS OF VIDEO GAME HISTORY AND WE LIKE TO TALK ABOUT VIDEO GAME AESTHETICS AS PART OF THE MOVING IMAGE AND MOVING IMAGE HISTORY, AND AS SOME PEOPLE KNOW THE GAMING INDUSTRY HAS ELLIPSED THE CINEMA AND TFR OELEVISION INDUS AND IN MANY WAYS IT'S A LOT LARGER AND HAS MORE FOLLOWERS.

SO WE DECIDED IT WOULD BE REALLY IMPORTANT TO INCLUDE VIDEO GAMEMAKERS WHO ARE ON THE SPECTRUM, AND YOU WILL SEE THERE ARE THREE PIECES DISPLAYED HERE IN A COUPLE OF CABINETS THAT ARE STYLED AFTER OUR VINTAGE CABINETS.

YOU WILL SEE IN THE ADJACENT GALLERY AND YOU CAN EXPLORE THESE GAMES WITH THAT ARE 100% INTERACTIVE AND IT'S THE LIFE OF BRADLEY HENNESSY AND YOU GET TO EXPLORE BRADLEY'S WAY OF VIEWING THE WORLD AS SOMEONE WITH AUTISM AND ALSO SOMEONE WITH A HUGE KNOWLEDGE OF VIDEO GAMES AND MOVING IMAGE AND THEN THERE ARE A COUPLE OF WORKS BY STUDENT, AS WELL, WHO WERE PART OF OUR PARTNERS, TECH KIDS UNLIMITED.

THEY OFFER WORK SHOPS AND CLASSES FOR YOUNG KIDS ON THE SPECTRUM WHO ARE INTERESTED IN BECOMING CREATORS IN THE WORLD OF VIDEO GAMES.

SO IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO INCLUDE NOT ONLY SHORT FILMS AND EXPERIMENTAL FILMS AND DOCUMENTARIES AND DIGITAL ART, BUT ALSO INCLUDE VIDEO GAMES IN THIS DISPLAY OF MEDIA.

>> I WOULD SAY THAT ON THE HORIZON AS WE GROW ORGANICALLY, I CAN IMAGINE IN WHICH TIKTOK STARS WERE ALSO HONORED AND BEYOND ESPECIALLY FOR IMPACT IN TERMS OF CO-CREATED MEDIA AND COMMUNITY CREATION.

THERE'S A LOT WE DID NOT KNOW.

WE KNEW THERE WAS A THERE THERE THROUGH SARAH AND THE ADVISORY COUNCIL REPRESENTING DIFFERENT ASPECTS AND EXPERTS IN THE SUBJECT COMING IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS AND IN ADDITION TO TECH KIDS UNLIMITED WE HAVE GROUPS LIKE STROKES OF GENIUS AND EXCEPTIONAL MINDS WHERE WE IDENTIFIED WHAT IT IS WE DON'T KNOW AND WHO DO WE WORK WITH WHO DOES AND TO CONVENE AND TO DISCUSS.

SO WHAT YOU'RE SEEING DIDN'T SPRING UP OUT OF THE GROUND BY ITSELF.

THERE WERE WEEKS AND WEEKS AND MONTHS AND MONTHS OF DISCUSSIONS AND DECISION POINTS WHERE WE BEING GO THIS WAY OR THAT WAY AND WE WERE REALLY INCLUSIVE IN HOW WE DROVE FORWARD THAT PROCESS CULMINATING NOT IN JUST THIS, THIS EVENT AND THE EXHIBITION ANDER IS MONEY, BUT THE MANY, MANY YEARS AHEAD THAT WE HAVE AS WE EVOLVE AND DEVELOP THIS CONCEPT AND YES THE TELEVISION SHOULD BE TELEVISED.

>> THE TIKTOK CREATORS STILL FITS INTO WHAT THE MUSEUM REPRESENTS SO THAT'S REALLY FASCINATING.

FOR THE LAST WORD BECAUSE WE ARE COMING UP ON THE END OF OUR TIME TOGETHER.

SO, APRIL, I WANT TO GIVE YOU THE LAST WORD AND JUST ASK YOU HAVING BEEN AN AWARD-WINNING ARTIST AND HAVING BEEN ABLE TO PRESENT YOUR WORK AND HAVE IT HIGHLIGHTED AND SHOWN AT THE MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE, WHAT IS YOUR TAKEAWAY AND WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO BUILD FROM FROM THIS EXPERIENCE?

>> WHAT HAS BEEN MY TAKEAWAY?

I UNDERSTAND ALL OF THE WORK THAT MUST HAVE GONE INTO MAKING THIS POSSIBLE AND AT THE SAME TIME I FEEL LIKE BEING PART OF THIS HAS ALSO REMINDED ME IN A WAY OF HOW EASY IT CAN BE OR HOW I FEEL VERY MOTIVATED TO KIND OF CONTINUE MY OWN ARTISTIC CAREER IN DIALOGUE WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, AND PRACTITIONERS AND CREATORS THAT ARE ALIGNED IN A SIMILAR KIND OF MISSION TO REALLY NOT ONLY UPLIFT AND CELEBRATE AND SHOWCASE, BUT ACTUALLY CHANGE THE WAYS IN WHICH WE UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER AND THE WAYS IN WHICH WE SEE PEOPLE THAT ARE DISABLED AND NEURODIVERGENT.

SO THAT IS NOT LIKE A STICK AND WE HAVE A QUOTA AND NEED TO FILL IT, BUT ACTUALLY SHIFTING INSTRUCTORS FROM THE GROUND UP, AND I FEEL THAT'S BEEN A STRONG TAKEAWAY FROM ME AND I'M BASED IN LONDON AND I HAVE MORE CONNECTIONS WITH ARTS ORGANIZATIONS AND I WANT TO BRING THIS EXPERIENCE THERE AND SHOW THEM AND TELLING IT COULD BE.

SHIFT YOUR FOCUS FROM THE DRAWING BOARD INCLUDE AND SUPPORT THINGS THAT ARE IN LINE WITH YOUR MISSIONS AND VALUES.

>> ALL RIGHT.

WE'RE GOING HAVE TO LEAVE IT THERE, BUT I WANT TO THANK ALL OF MY GUESTS, CARL GOODMAN, SARAH, AND MUSTAFA AND APRIL LYNN.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US ON "METROFOCUS" AND TELLING US ABOUT THE MARVELS IN MEDIA.

THIS WAS A FASCINATING DISCUSSION.

>> THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST.

♪ ♪ >>"METROFOCUS" IS MADE POSSIBLE BY -- SUE AND EDGAR WACHENHEIM III, THE PETER G. PETERSON AND JOAN GANZ COONEY FUND.

BERNARD AND DENISE SCHWARTZ, BARBARA HOPE ZUCKERBERG, THE AMBROSE MONELL FOUNDATION AND BY -- ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪