About FACEPAINT
FACEPAINT is a nonprofit organization that envisions a world in which young people feel more connected and celebrate commonalities. In order to bring this vision to fruition, FACEPAINT produces and publishes edutainment for young adults to build an understanding of the commonalities between people. Its short films and books are intended to jump-start conversations in classrooms and at home, to change perspectives, and to increase understanding. In the divisive times in which we live, this work is needed now more than ever.
FACEPAINT’s most prominent work to date is the multi-award-winning, short, animated film Justin and the Werloobee, based on the book “Fruit of the Vine.” This film tells the story of a boy who has struggled to fit in and has experienced bullying from his peers. He finds himself on a magical island where he befriends a creature whose experience amongst his peers has mirrored his own. Through gleaning strength in this unique friendship, they find the courage to overcome bullying in their respective social worlds. The film seeks to show young people that they have the power to stand up for themselves and one another. Justin and the Werloobee has been selected by close to 300 film festivals and has won over 130 film festival awards. FACEPAINT’s next short animated film is currently in production.
In addition, the FACEPAINT portfolio includes non-fiction books that allow young people to explore the similarities between themselves and people who live in different regions/countries and fiction books that explore themes related to social-emotional learning through vivid storytelling. FACEPAINT’s books have received a wide range of wonderful editorial reviews, including Kirkus Reviews.
Vision
At FACEPAINT, we envision a world in which young people feel more connected and celebrate commonalities.
Mission
FACEPAINT produces and publishes edutainment for young adults to build an understanding of the commonalities between people.
FACEPAINT’s Founders
Ken Yoffe is a pediatrician practicing in Chelmsford, Massachusetts. In addition to his M.D., Ken holds a Ph.D. in genetics. He is a graduate of Emory University and Boston University School of Medicine.
Ellen Weisberg is a researcher in the field of leukemia at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts. She holds an M.S. and a Ph.D. in Pharmacology from Albany Medical College. Royalties from Ellen’s drug discovery work, which led to the development of the FDA-approved leukemia drug midostaurin, were used for the production of their 3D animated film, Justin and the Werloobee.
Ken and Ellen live in Massachusetts with their daughter, Emily.
Feel free to contact Ellen at !
Ken and Ellen have authored a wide range of books. In addition, Ellen has published prose and poetry in the literary periodicals, PKA’s Advocate, The Writing Disorder, and Bewildering Stories, and published articles in Natural Solutions, Many Hands, Today the Dragon Wins, NH Mirror, and Working Mother Magazine.
Ellen’s award-winning cancer memoir, From Both Sides (Youtube Video), describing one person with cancer, with two perspectives—that of the cancer researcher and that of the cancer patient—has been translated into multiple languages and circulated internationally, and she was published in Dana Farber Cancer Institute’s INSIGHT and Unconditionally Her.
Here is a link to the Amazon page for our new Print Version of “From Both Sides”! And here is our Facepaint, Inc. page on our authors’ website, Weisberg-Yoffe.org.
Full-length, multilingual translations of “From Both Sides” :
Da Entrambe le Parti (Italian)
Support of Cancer Screening in India
See below for more photos from the camp!
“Strong people don’t put others down… They lift them up.”
Michael P. Watson
