The following film has been well reviewed and recommended by many people. It seems ideal for NAMI chapters as well as a gift for family members, friends and neighbors just learning about the illness. It has just been released on VHS videotape and can be purchased by the general public.

Price of the Video Tape is $39.95 for the general public, and it can be ordered by calling 1-800-535-0000.

There is a special phone number and price for NAMI members. NAMI members can order the tape for $14.95 and must call through the following phone number: 310-636-8200

I encourage everyone to get a copy of this for families and individuals dealing with the illness. It would also make a great donation to local school libraries, or NAMI offices.

The producers of the film can also be reached at the following address: Wheeler Communications Group, Inc PO box 650 Honeoye, NY 14471

In this new film, real people with this misunderstood illness describe how they cope. A computer programmer, a college professor, a church organist, a zoo volunteer and a homeless person are among those who show how schizophrenia affects them. Family members, care givers and medical researchers share their feelings. The non-fiction film dispels myths about the illness.

Former Academy Award nominee Robert Bilheimer directs the film for Wheeler Communications Group, Inc. Ex-Eastman Kodak filmmaker Richard D. Young is director of photography.

"I'm Still Here" was produced in cooperation with the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression (NARSAD), the nation's largest publicly supported non-governmental funder of psychiatric research.

"We show how schizophrenia changes a person's life," said executive producer William W. (Bill) Wheeler. "We explore the stigma and myths that surround this brain disorder and show people helped by modern therapy, as well as people who are not in formal treatment programs.

"People fear what they don't understand," Wheeler said. "This film focuses on people who could be our neighbors, who are struggling to lead normal lives. "

"We created the film to bring more attention to this illness since schizophrenia often is not diagnosed, even though it can affect people as young as teenagers," Wheeler said.

NARSAD notes there is no medical test for schizophrenia. Diagnosis by a psychiatrist is recommended.