Two Bronx filmmakers whose award-winning documentary about the healing power of laughter are back, sharing what they have learned with the community in two upcoming events.
Just Laugh-The Movie, produced by Throggs Neck resident John Galasso and directed by Pelham Gardens native Anton Evangelista is an award-winning educational film that includes interviews with many recognizable people including Regis Philbin, Pat Cooper, Pastor Joel Olsteen, Valerie Smaldone, Reverend Kenjitsu Nakagash, and Susan Samtur about the benefits of simply laughing. The movie is built around the universal premise that a good belly laugh can reduce stress, lower-blood pleasure, and improve relations with everyone around you.
Now clips from the award winning film will be shown during the Barnes & Noble Educator Appreciation Week kickoff celebration taking place on Saturday, April 10 at 290 Baychester Avenue between 10am and noon. At 10:45, Evangelista and Galasso will make a special presentation exploring using laughter and humor in the classroom to improve learning.
“We believe that by using laughter and humor in schools, teachers can make the experience more positive for the children,” Golasso said. “We are going to do a question and answer session about how laughter can be utilized in the schools to bring people together. The children will be able to learn better and to listen more if they are more at ease. We are going to talk about how laughter should be used in the classroom.”
The film exploring the universal theme of laughter has been a big success, taking home honors at film festivals over the past year after a very successful limited screening at the Whitestone Multiplex Theater. Just Laugh-The Movie won the best educational documentary award at the 2009 New York International Film and Video Festival. It was also an official selection of the 2009 Big Apple Film Festival and the 2009 Fiars Club Film Festival.
In addition to the screening and discussion at Barnes & Noble, the filmmakers will be holding a screening at St. Frances de Chantal school on Saturday, May 8 at 7:30pm. Students, parents, and members of the community are welcome to the screening, which will include a raffle. Dr. Alex Eingorn, who was featured in the film, will hold a question and answer session on ‘laughter yoga’ classes that he holds in his Manhattan chiropractic office twice a week after the screening.
For more information on either of these events, call (347) 266-5432. For more information about the film, visit www.justlaugh.org.
