Back to the Future Day: From Film Fan to Team Fox Fundraiser

For generations of fans, Back to the Future has made October 21 — the day Michael J. Fox’s character Marty McFly arrives in the future, now celebrated as “Back to the Future Day” — a date worth celebrating. For Los Angeles native Ari Turobiner, 23, a filmmaker and longtime Team Fox fundraiser, Back to the Future represents something deeply personal: a decade-long journey bringing together his passion for filmmaking and his commitment to advancing Parkinson’s disease (PD) research. His involvement with The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) and its grassroots fundraising community, Team Fox, has helped shape his creative pursuits, philanthropic efforts and most recently, his retro sci-fi, short film, Orion.

Inspired by Michael J. Fox’s iconic performances and his determination both on and off the screen, Turobiner began fundraising for Parkinson’s research at just 13 years old, following a close family member’s diagnosis with PD. After a very successful Team Fox fundraiser selling hundreds of bracelets and raising over $10,000 for his bar mitzvah project in 2016, Turobiner was honored to attend the Foundation’s MVP Weekend, which celebrates top grassroots fundraisers from around the world. The experience further deepened his admiration for Michael J. Fox and strengthened his commitment to supporting the Foundation’s mission to find a cure for Parkinson’s disease. 

“Over the years, Team Fox has brought together a community of like-minded people united by an important goal. From an early age, I understood that art is most meaningful when it makes a real-world impact,” said Ari Turobiner. “The Team Fox community has felt like a family and helped shape my artistic journey. I try to approach my work with the mindset I imagine Michael would, pushing myself to work harder and achieve the goals I set, whether in philanthropy, filmmaking or life in general.” 

Now, nearly a decade later, Turobiner’s passion for filmmaking has developed alongside his commitment to Parkinson’s research. In 2025, Turobiner graduated from Elon University’s prestigious Cinema and Television Arts program in North Carolina. His latest film Orion features a former couple who are forced to reunite after getting trapped in their childhood arcade by its new AI system, Orion. The short film draws on many themes from the original Back to the Future films and Turobiner’s lifelong passion for 1980s cinema.

 This November, he’ll be hosting a special screening of the film in his hometown, Los Angeles, with 100 percent of the proceeds benefitting Team Fox. 

“Knowing that the money I raise helps move Parkinson’s research forward makes all the time and effort worthwhile. Parkinson’s affects so many people and families, including my own, and being able to contribute in my own way means a lot to me,” said Ari Turobiner. “I hope to keep finding new ways to support the Foundation and help make a difference for those living with the disease.”

For Turobiner, the legacy of Back to the Future is not just about revisiting a beloved movie; it’s about recognizing how a story, iconic actor and a community can inspire something meaningful – and how that inspiration continues to make a difference in the lives of so many, 41 years after its release.

Learn more about Ari’s film screening and Team Fox fundraiser here. 

Interested in hosting a Back to the Future inspired event of your own? Get involved with Team Fox, the grassroots fundraising program of The Michael J. Fox Foundation here.

Every dollar raised goes to support the Foundation’s ambitious multi-year $2.5-billion fundraising campaign, “All Grit. No Quit.” to accelerate the development of next-generation treatment breakthroughs and a cure for Parkinson’s disease.