A beacon of light for his family, young Vito Baliva serves as an example of the value that people with Down syndrome bring to society.

The number of children who look like Vito Baliva is dwindling. Vito is a sweet little boy with Down syndrome, and this short documentary puts his energetic, jolly personality on full display as he interacts with his loving family. By showing Vito’s dignity and inherent value, Vito-Man tackles the difficult conversation that is the eradication of people with Down syndrome, proving that an extra chromosome should not be a death sentence.

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Behind the Scenes

Thanksgiving

Hamilton Walk for Down Syndrome

The Team

​Jack Fabrizio - Director
​I'm Jack Fabrizio, and I am the Director of Vito-Man. Vito is my cousin, and I am so honoured that I get to tell his story for you all. I believe that the message of this film is a very important one, one that needs to be shared.

Kennedy Grant - Producer
Hey, I’m Kennedy and I am very excited to be producing this project. I am thrilled to be working on a film that provides a unique opportunity to highlight and celebrate one of the many stories about a community often underrepresented. I am deeply inspired by the potential this film has to foster understanding, challenge stereotypes, and spread awareness.

Mitchell Dennison - Director of Photography
My name is Mitchell Denison, I am the Director of Photography for Vito-Man. I’m so excited to be working on this project to help destigmatize down syndrome in our society. It’s been an absolute pleasure getting to capture genuine moments within Vito’s family and having the ability to share their experience was a dream come true.

Bryce Wrightman - Editor
Hello everyone. My name is Bryce Wrightman and I am excited to be the Picture Editor for Vito-Man. Me and Jack have worked together previously as a director-editor duo, and we got along really well. I am honoured to be part of this project, and I hope we can successfully convey the emotional story of Vito and his family.

Boole Nguyên - Grip and Assistant Editor
Hey I'm Boole. I'm the assistant editor in Vito-Man Production. I'm honoured to be part of this crew with the goal of raising awareness of Down Syndrome.

Laila Di Nardo - Composer
I'm Laila and I'm a music student at McMaster University. I am very excited to be the composer for this film! I feel that it is an extremely important message, and I look forward to musically supporting the high emotion surrounding the topic. Also, I love little Vito!

Thomas Kucher - Location Sound
Sound Designer and Location Mixer passionate about helping others bring their stories to life through the sonic spectrum.
Joined this project to help destigmatize down syndrome and those that have it.

Carter Harris - Post Sound
Hi! My name is Carter and I am the post sound editor! I am excited to work on this project to help bring more awareness to issues surrounding down syndrome.

Jesse Telfer - Head Lighting Technician
Hey I'm Jesse Telfer, the head lighting technician on Vito-Man. Jack originally told me the story about his cousin on a train ride back from Toronto. He mentioned he wanted to talk about his cousin's strength and story for his documentary and immediately knew I'd love to help him tell this story! I'm glad I'm a part of it and happy people will get to see how resilient, powerful and strong Vito is!

Andy Wilson - Transmedia Producer
Hi, My name is Andy! I love all things to do with creativity and the arts, and I am super excited to help out with the advertising for Vito-Man! I really believe that Down-Syndrome is a topic that should be discussed more, and I am super blessed to be able to help out with this awesome project.

David De Furia - VFX Artist
Hi, I am David De Furia, and I am the VFX artist for Vito Man! Ever since I heard about this film I have wanted to be a part of it's crew, as it covers a topic that I am very passionate about. I believe that topics such as this one should have zero stigma attached to them, as these are important topics to talk about. Through working on this production I am very proud to say that I am supporting the end of this stigma, and bringing to light this very important topic for more people.