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The director of a documentary about autism, communication and "Aladdin" will receive the Utah Film Center's annual Peek Award.
Roger Ross Williams, director of the documentary "Life, Animated," has been selected to receive the Peek Award, given to filmmakers who change perceptions of people living with disabilities.
Williams will receive the award at a ceremony set for Nov. 9, starting at 7 p.m. at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, 138 W. 300 South, Salt Lake City. "Life, Animated" will be screened, and Williams will be interviewed onstage by "RadioWest" host Doug Fabrizio. Admission is free.
"Life, Animated" follows the book by journalist Ron Suskind, who chronicled how he and his wife, Cornelia, dealt with their son, Owen, who was diagnosed with autism at age 3. Owen started to communicate with his family through the characters in the Disney cartoons he watched.
The film premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival, where Williams won the Directing Award for U.S. Documentary.
The Peek Award, now in its sixth year, is named for Kim Peek, the autistic savant from Utah who inspired the title character in the movie "Rain Man." Barry Morrow, the screenwriter of "Rain Man," gave the Utah Film Center his Oscar in honor of Peek.