Creativity is empowering people
Jason DaSilva is an award-winning film-maker and social entrepreneur based in New York. His work is empowering thousands of people to be compassionate toward themselves and others, and to meet life’s challenges with grace and creativity. Jason holds both a Bachelor and a Master of Applied Arts from Emily Carr University, majoring in digital media. In 2003 his film Olivia’s Puzzle qualified for an Academy Award at the Sundance Film Festival.
Most notably, in 2006, Jason expanded both his focus and his courage to begin a film that would also be shown at Sundance one day. However, this time it would be a documentary film, and the chronicle of his incredibly personal journey and diagnosis with MS. His decision to immediately turn the camera on himself delivered an intimate and inspiring portrait entitled When I Walk. Winner of the Best Canadian Feature at Hot Docs 2013, the Audience Award at the Vancouver International Film Festival 2013, and the Innovation Award at the Topanga Film Festival 2013, Jason’s work also illuminated a social need which became the objective of his next entrepreneurial venture – AXS Map.
AXS Map (access map) is a crowd-sourced tool for sharing reviews on the wheelchair accessibility of businesses and places – nine out of ten of which, in a city block, may be inaccessible. AXS Map is available online or via mobile web, as well as Android and iPhone applications.
Learn more about Jason DaSilva, his films and AXS Map at axslab.org