Jonathan Shestack

Jonathan "Jon" Shestack is a film producer and autism advocate. He has produced well-known movies such as Air Force One. Additionally, he was one of the founders of Cure Autism Now, an autism organization that merged with Autism Speaks in 2006. His father is Jerome J. Shestack, a well-known lawyer from Philadelphia.

Jonathan Shestack
Born (1959-09-02) September 2, 1959
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
OccupationFilm producer, film director, activist
Spouse(s)Portia Iversen
ChildrenDov Shestack
Parent(s)
Autism rights movement
Philosophy
Organizations
Events
Issues
People
Films
Criticism

Shestack has stated that his production style involves starting with a pitch for a script. He then refines the idea as needed until a studio decides that it will be made into a movie. He has also advocated giving credit to people that play an indirect role in moviemaking.[1] He has been eager to use the films he produces to raise money for autism research.[2]

Shestack started Cure Autism Now after his son, Dov, was diagnosed with autism. One of the organization's goals was to raise money for scientific research on autism.[3] Shestack received many donations from connections in Hollywood. He was known for being able to attract significant donors and awareness, to the extent that he played a major role in convincing congress to pass the important Combating Autism Act of 2006. Initially, Shestack was against the merger of the organization with Autism Speaks, but decided to eventually accept the merger.[4]

Shestack has stated that Ari Ne'eman, another autism activist, did not want to understand the challenges of severe autism when he was being nominated to the National Council on Disability.[5]

References
  1. Grove, Martin (2 November 2007). "So you're a producer? What exactly do you do?". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  2. Peterson, Richard (16 September 1997). "Celebrities are taking their charity involvement to new levels". The San Bernardino County Sun. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  3. Mestel, Rosie (12 March 2001). "Reaching Out to a Remote World". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  4. Donvan, John; Zucker, Caren (2016). In a Different Key: The Story of Autism. Crown. pp. 384–391, 467–469. ISBN 978-0-307-98568-2. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  5. Harmon, Amy (27 March 2010). "Nominee to Disability Council Is Lightning Rod for Dispute on Views of Autism". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
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