From September 9 through 12 , 2012 Santa Barbara filmmaker Penny Little premiered her new film “9/11 Dust: a Healing Journey” in New York City as part of the Pause Press Play Project, to benefit Art Studio World, a non-profit program to empower young minds, provide healing and education to youth and families through the arts.

In addition to films, this several day event from September 9 - September 12 showcased a large gallery installation and exhibition which opened successfully last year at LMNT Contemporary Art Space in Miami. A centerpiece of this exhibit was “The Pause Towers” - a twin towers plexiglass sculpture filled with prescription bottles and medical packaging from ten years of prescription based treatments from health survivors of the World Trade Center illnesses.

The roster of speakers and presenters, included Dr. Lee Vickers, AmaLia Wai Ching, Olga Meylakh, Jonathan Talat Philips, Christopher Riano, Dr. John P. Salerno, Twee Merrigan, Helen Kramer, Luca and Monica Bertini. and more.

There was a press conference at 1 pm on Tuesday, September 11 at the Kraft Center Gallery, Columbia University, 606 W. 115th Street, New York, NY 10025. First responders John Devlin and Kirk Arsenault who spoke about their health issues, the Zadroga bill, which will now cover cancer but it is still questioanble as to whether it will be adequately funded.

Little says, “My followup film is about solutions and healing. I’m asking how those directly affected with 9/11 related illness, and all of us still grieving, can fully heal from9 /11. I wanted to know how the people I interviewed in 2004 and 2005 are doing so many years later and if they are getting the help they need.”

Little is using “crowd-funding ” to fund the production of her film, and hoped to raise the funds to cover her final production expenses through her Kickstarter appeal. This is a model which artists, filmmakers, authors, software designers, political campaigns, disaster relief and others have adopted, making use of social media networking. Unfortunately the Kickstarter Campaign missed its mark by $500, but Little is rallying support and still hopes to cover her out of pocket expenses for replication, fliers, and her premier in NYC using FaceBook, email and the donation button on the 911Dust.org website.

Little adds, “It’s not always easy being heard over the noise and volume on the Internet. With the economy and our world so mangled by war, policy makers and teflon criminals in high places, artists must always find creative ways to fund their passions.”

Art Studio World Inc, a 501c 3 NPO are collaborating f with several organizations for this event to bring greater awareness to the importance of art in healing.

Download Press Release for Event

2011 - 9/11 Dust and Deceit

September 11, 2011, the PAUSE PRESS PLAY project launched in Miami and in New York featuring the film "911 Dust and Deceit" and an art installation and exhibit.

In Miami, the event at the LMNT Contemporary Art Space included an art installation/exhibit, "The Pause Towers" - a plexiglass sculpture filled with prescription bottles and medical packaging from ten years of prescription based treatments from health survivors of World Trade Center illness. The event also featured the 2006 film “9/11 Dust and Deceit” by Penny Little which examines the questions of health problems suffered by thousands of first responders, volunteers, workers who were exposed for months to the toxic dust in lower Manhattan.

PAUSE Project Director Rachel Hughes who has struggled with the health effects the WTC Syndrome for the past ten years explains the concept: “Pause delves deep into the questions I face on a daily basis. Because of my illness I have been forced to ‘pause’ and reflect on the questions surrounding 9/11. It’s time for everyone to Press PLAY and find some positive solutions.”

Little who is from Southern California traveled to NYC to do follow up interviews for an addendum to her film, during the week before and after 9/11/2011 and to show her film as part of the PAUSE PRESS PLAY project and Health Help 9/11. The showing at the Walker Stage in NYC included a presentation by healing consultant Ama Lia Wai-Ching from Singapore. “It’s a really wonderful collaboration. Having someone present who knowledgeable about what the health survivors can do for themselves, what anyone can do to improve their health and well being, is one step in the right direction.“

Little says she has located everyone from her original film, and interviewed most, and is planning to return to New York City to do additional in depth interviews in early November, with completion of the addendum planned for early December to preview during Art Basel in Miami.

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"911 Dust and Deceit at the WTC" had it's world premier at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, February 1-2, 2007

Read interview by Scott Butki at at Blog Critics

and at Newsvine.com

Scott Butki was a newspaper reporter for more than 10 years before making a career change into education. He is an in-house media critic, a "recovering Tetris addict and a proud uncle."

Michael Wolsey Interview http://www.visibility911.com/reports-dust01.php