My Social Calendar – Last night a film screening, an important cause, fashion, and a celebrity

Last night I attended a screening of a new documentary by Joe Pantoliano called “No Kidding? Me too!” about the stigma and shame associated with mental illness and Joe’s own personal struggle with depression and his escape from shame with the help of his family and medical treatment.

I can tell you that the film is inspirational and very well made. Joe is currently shopping the film around to film festivals and is looking for a distributor. This is a very important project and I believe it can do a lot of good in the world. I recommend you get a copy from the website and I am pretty sure it can be rented.

After the film was a Q&A with Joe and Jordan, a young man who tried to commit suicide by jumping out of his bedroom window from his 9th story apartment building just a year ago. He is an eloquent and thoughtful young man, walking with crutches while healing from his injuries. He is going to college and speaking to high school and college students about depression. He says that his goal is for young people to talk about mental illness as comfortably as they would talk about acne. He is incredibly brave as are his parents who were there last night. I hugged his mom and dad at the end of the night and we all cried a bit. They are incredibly supportive of Jordan and encourage him to talk about what happened in the hopes that it will help in his healing as well as help others.

I also bought a copy of Canvas, a film Joe made with Marsha Gay Harden about a family struggling with a mother’s paranoid schizophrenia. I look forward to watching it this week and I’ll tell you all about it.

After the Q&A, I had an opportunity to tell Joe how much I enjoyed the film and that I believed it would do a lot of good. He is a very personable man and when I asked him if he would pose for a picture with me he immediately and enthusiastically said yes, put his arm around me, grabbed my camera and took the above pic. Now you know why I look a bit startled…and fabulous.

My camera died immediately after the pic was taken so instead of giving you a full body shot of my outfit, here are links to what I wore:

Kiyonna

Stretch Poplin Wrap Blouse – $ 68.00
We have taken the classic cotton work shirt and given it a cut made to flatter your curves. Fashioned from cotton infused with just the right amount of stretch, this style ensures a comfortable fit every time. An adjustable tie, extended French cuffs and smart tailoring create a polished shirt, sure to become a wardrobe staple.Kiyonna
Kiyonna

Sateen City Trouser – $ 68.00
Chic yet versatile, these are the pants you’ll want to wear every day. A streamlined silhouette and clean lines mean these pants can transition you effortlessly, from a day at the office to an evening on the town.


Zappos – still free shipping both ways!