Local Award-Winning Autistic Filmmaker Featured in National Film Challenge

April 2, 2021 – Sarasota

Jennifer Msumba, a local award-winning filmmaker, musician and writer, wrote, directed and entered her latest film, “The Roommates,” in the 2021 Easterseals Disability Film Challenge. The film highlights Msumba’s emotional support dog, Lemonade, as her fast-talking roommate with wit, wisdom and humor.

The Easterseals Disability Film Challenge voting period is open until April 5, 2021; votes are counted by views, engagement and sharing of the entries through social media platforms including Facebook, YouTube and Instagram. The challenge period includes Friday, April 2, 2021: National World Autism Awareness Day. To view Msumba’s entry, visit https://youtu.be/6dfvXFt2N1E.

“I like to inspire and motivate viewers to have confidence, to get out of their comfort zones, and to try new things,” said Jennifer Msumba. “No matter what you have gone through, just believe that there are good days ahead.”

The Easterseals Disability Film Challenge is a national, annual event to empower filmmakers, with disabilities, as they tell unique stories providing opportunities for inclusion and representation. Launched in 2017 by Actor Nic Novicki, the challenge grew in 2017 as Novicki partnered with Easterseals Southern California to expand the challenge. Msumba won the 2020 Easterseals Disability Challenge Adobe Best Film Award for “The Fish Don’t Care When It Rains,” a film created by Msumba to show the ability of a fish to accept circumstances, and how people can learn to do the same. 

With more than 30,000 subscribers to her YouTube channel, Jennifer Msumba has a lifetime of experience sharing her story. A former student at the Judge Rotenberg Center (JRC) in Canton, Massachusetts, Msumba made national headlines in 2014 after suing the JRC and testifying before the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to encourage banning the use of shock devices in treatment of those with autism and other disabilities. During her time at the JRC, Msumba experienced shock treatments, food deprivation and social isolation; her testimony assisted in the FDA’s decision to ban electrical stimulation devices (ESDs) used in cases of self-injurious or aggressive behavior. An exclusive interview with Msumba and Anna Werner was featured on CBS Evening News (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFYae6WyTWs). 

In addition to her interest in making films and creating stories, Msumba is a gifted musician with music on iTunes, Spotify, Apple Music and other streaming platforms. To learn more, visit https://www.jennifermsumba.com/. To find additional information about the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge, visit https://disabilityfilmchallenge.com/.