Meet Joseph Cantatore, a millennial and Hoboken native who was the recipient of The Award of Recognition for Best Short Documentary by a Student from The Accolade Global Film Competition (AGFC) in August 2016. More recently in September, his short film Looking for a New Hope: Joe and His Life with FA was nominated at the Golden Door International Film Festival in Jersey City for best short film documentary.
Joe says his recent success was a surprise and has been a great honor.
“AGFC pretty much gave me an award without me knowing, which was very exciting,” says Joe, with a brilliant smile. “And then my film was nominated and shown for best documentary. I didn’t win, but being nominated was a really big opportunity and accomplishment for me.”
Like many Hobokenites, Joe enjoys hanging out around the city: in its parks and restaurants, and along the waterfront. But in a city of some of 50,000, Joe is truly one of a kind.
As a child growing up in Hoboken, he enjoyed playing sports like baseball, basketball, and hockey and playing recreationally in the city’s parks. He kept himself active until he was diagnosed with Friedreich Ataxia (FA) as a teenager, after his parents noticed his mobility seemed to be off.
FA is a recessive inherited disease that causes progressive damage to the nervous system, affecting muscle coordination, and can lead to other complications such as scoliosis, heart disease, and diabetes. Fortunately, the disease has no cognitive effects.
It has been more than a decade since Joe was diagnosed with FA; he now uses a motorized wheelchair. Still, Joe has not let his disease disrupt his ambitions and is currently pursuing his MBA in Media Production at New Jersey City University.
Looking for a New Hope is an eye-opening documentary that illuminates Joe’s day-to-day challenges. Joe says the disease affects about 1 in 50,000 people in the U.S.
“My video was meant to raise awareness of people without FA,” Joe says. “I want them to have an open mind about it and actually get themselves tested. If someone in your family has problems with walking, you should get them tested or maybe before you have a kid. … It’s really tough on everyone, so you should get yourself checked out.”
Currently there is no cure or treatments for FA. However, recent research has led to breakthroughs in finding one. Joe hopes that awareness of the disease continues to grow and garner the attention it deserves.
He’s Game
Joe has other passions besides film production, such as gaming. He enjoys video games, board games, and app games, like the popular Pokemon Go. With hotspots all around Hoboken, Pokemon Go has led Joe to meeting new friends, whom he might not have met otherwise.
“There’s a lot people, especially from Stevens and others that come from all over,” Joe says. “It’s like, ‘Where did you guys come from? Are you from Hoboken?’ So it gets me out there and talking to people like, ‘Hey, I found a Pikachu!’”
Joe loves being outdoors. Weather is a big factor in his ability to get around town. But there are others.
“The problem with most stores in Hoboken is that they’re all grandfathered,” Joe says. “They have steps that are built in the foundation, and I can’t get up them.”
When Joe visited the recently opened Aether Game Cafe on Fifth and Washington, some hometown hospitality made the cafe one of his new favorite places to hang out at.
“It was a little bit intimidating because it’s a brand new place, and they have steps,” Joe says. “I talked to the owner, and he said he would work on something for the entranceway, and that it was no problem. It took a couple weeks, but now they have a ramp to help me get inside. I feel like it’s one of the few places that is accessible.”
Joe faces his challenges with persistence and vigor but says he always welcomes a helping hand. He admits that at times the obstacles are frustrating, but Joe Cantatore usually finds a way to overcome them.—07030
To watch Looking for a New Hope: Joe and His Life with FA, visit Joe’s YouTube channel at JoeyCoolProductions.
To learn more about FA visitcurefa.com.