The Californer - Tribeca Film Festival Official Podcast Selection Lead Features Hollywood Stars, Focuses On Ending Childhood Lead Poisoning In New York!

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The audio docudrama series highlights the story of a child mysteriously lead poisoned and his mother's unwavering fight to keep him safe!

NEW YORK - Californer -- Lead, a Tribeca Film Festival Official Podcast Selection, is hosting their launch event at 5 p.m. at the Roxy on May 20th. The podcast features the work of Merritt Wever (Severance, Unbelievable), Alessandro Nivola (The Brutalist, The Many Saints of Newark), and Cynthia Nixon, (The Gilded Age, Sex and The City), as well as many other Tony and Emmy winning artists. The podcast also features award-winning director Alan Taylor, who directed shows such as The Sopranos, Deadwood, and Game of Thrones.

Lead tells the story of Shannon, a mother whose nine-month-old baby is mysteriously lead-poisoned and her search for the source and healing for her son's brain and body.

Lead exposure presents a serious risk to everyone, but especially to children under six years old, who can suffer permanent brain damage and other lifelong effects from exposure. Though the causes and prevention has been well-known for decades, and despite the passage of the most stringent lead laws in the United States in 2004, thousands of NYC's children are still poisoned every year. In 2023, Asian, Black, and Latino children represented 85% of children under age 6 newly identified with blood lead levels of 3.5 mcg/dL or greater.

Since lead paint and dust in housing accounts for the vast majority of lead poisoning in NYC, advocates are pushing for new legislation to protect children, such as the Lead Paint Right To Know Act, a bill currently being considered by the NY state legislature. The bill would require property owners to conduct lead paint tests and provide the reports of such tests to the NYS Department of Health before selling or leasing the property.

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Join us as we launch our docudrama podcast LEAD at a free community awareness event with cast members as well as lead poisoning prevention experts and activists. It is lobbying season and our mission is to get the The Lead Paint Right to Know Act passed with your support!

Where: The Roxy Cinema @ 2 6th Ave Cellar Level
When: May 20th, 5-6 pm.
Listen to LEAD TRAILER.

How this story ends is up to us…
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"I've had the pleasure of getting to know Shannon and her son Cooper Burkett over the course of the last year, as our paths have crossed advocating for better protections against the hazards of lead paint. The Burkett family's story is one we hear far too often — that children are exposed to a home's lead paint without the homeowners being aware. My bill will require property owners to conduct lead paint tests and provide those reports before selling or leasing the home. This legislation will give state health officials the knowledge of which properties do and do not have lead paint hazards, and by making this information public, the private market will encourage proactive repair and maintenance to address lead paint hazards. I applaud the Burkett family for their advocacy and for courageously sharing their story so that others can be better protected," said Assembly member Jon D. Rivera.

"Infant and childhood lead poisoning remains a common yet preventable health issue that many children and families face in New York because they are unaware that lead is often lurking nearby in their homes or neighborhoods. Pediatricians continue to hear many stories from families like the Burketts who only find out when it is too late. The LEAD narrative podcast is well worth a listen to better explore this issue and importantly takes the additional step of informing New Yorkers how they can take action to prevent this from continuing," said Charles Moon, MD, FAAP Environmental Health & Climate Change Policy Coordinator for the New York State American Academy of Pediatrics.

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"Over the past half century, the precipitous decline in pediatric blood lead levels has been a major public health accomplishment. However, this is not the time to declare victory as we continue to learn more about cognitive effects associated with low-level lead exposure," said Mark Maddaloni DrPH, DABT.

"Like many parents, I assumed the dangers of lead poisoning were behind us. Shannon's wrenching experience with her son serves as an alarm that the problem persists. Her family's story, told with honesty, heart, humility and great humor, helps point toward a solution," said Alan Taylor, Emmy-Award Winning Director of Lead podcast.

"Are you like me? Did you grow up believing lead poisoning was a thing of the past? As an artist & activist I am honored to be part of this illuminating and heartbreaking storytelling. Together we can educate & make much needed change. ART HEALS," said Alysia Reiner Actress & Activist.

"Environmental Advocates NY is proud to support Shannon and the entire production team of this audio docudrama in their advocacy against lead poisoning. LEAD is a powerful reminder of the harm that lead poses to kids' health every single day, but it is also a clarion call to action. Lead poisoning is not inevitable - it is a problem that can be solved through good policy and political will. We strongly support efforts to pass the Lead Paint Right to Know Act as well as policies to address lead in drinking water, like the Lead Pipe Replacement Act, through the State Legislature this year," said Rob Hayes, Senior Director of Clean Water for Environmental Advocates NY.

"I had anemia, GERD, developmental delays, aggression, and the worst case of PICA my pediatrician had seen in her twenty years in practice. I still struggle with short term memory loss, processing issues, and emotional regulation. Lead poisoning is 100% preventable and should not be happening in 2025," said lead poisoning prevention advocate and survivor Cooper Burkett.

"Lead poisoning steals a child's potential, their possibilities, who they were meant to be. Lead poisoning is 100% preventable and should not be happening in 2025," said lead poisoning prevention advocate Shannon Burkett, creator and producer of the Lead podcast.