For 18 years, ReelAbilities has brought to the public high-quality films that present disability in a new light. Over that time, we have witnessed a true revolution in disability filmmaking. In the festival’s early years, it was difficult to find films, especially American narrative features, that reflected our approach to disability: one that breaks from Hollywood’s clichés of disability representation, including vilification, over-heroization, and, most offensively, sentimental “inspirational” stories or narratives that suggest disabled lives are not worth living. We champion films that present an authentic, responsible perspective on disability. We look for stories told from within the community, often in the first person, with nuance and honesty that normalize the disability experience and never compromise in production and storytelling qualities. Today, we receive hundreds of high-quality submissions created with this mindset.

But now that these films are being made, the real challenge is getting them distributed.

A perfect example is the ReelAbilities 2026 opening night film, Lone Wolves, written and starring Matt Foss and  Cora Vander Broek. The film plays like a romantic comedy about a woman trying to self-impregnate and reconnects with her high school boyfriend to be a donor. What could be a classic Jennifer Aniston-style premise is given a fresh twist: Matt’s character, like Matt himself, was diagnosed as neurodivergent as an adult. Beyond the great comedy and drama, the film brings important attention to neurodivergence, late diagnoses, and themes rarely explored in this accessible genre. Still, this film and others are not finding mainstream distribution.

Despite the growth of inclusive filmmaking, the distribution landscape has only grown more challenging. The pandemic pushed audiences toward streaming, permanently shifting viewing habits. There was hope that the explosion of streaming platforms would create more room for disability-themed films. Instead, as theatrical releases declined and arthouse audiences shrank, independent films have become lost in the overwhelming volume of content.

But I believe the chaos of the distribution market is not the only obstacle. These films are being made at the highest level of quality, often with the kind of fresh storytelling that Hollywood claims to seek. Distributors hesitate because they perceive these films as difficult to sell. One filmmaker in this year’s festival, whose acclaimed film has played major festivals worldwide, shared that distributors told him bluntly: “Audiences don’t care for disability films.”

Here lies the real problem. Mass audiences have not yet moved beyond Hollywood’s historic misrepresentation of disability as either tragic or heroic. Disability isn't a genre. Disability is another flavor that works with and enhances all other flavors. Many struggle to imagine that a disability-centered film can offer compelling drama or comedy without relying on the antiquated tropes that Hollywood has been serving for over a hundred years. ReelAbilities' selections have proven that disability can be present and help shape and inform a story without being tragic, inspirational, or clichéd. It can simply be a nuanced part of life. The films at ReelAbilities break stereotypes, challenge taboos, and often show disability in places and genres where it has too rarely been seen before.

ReelAbilities is attempting to break the taboos that for generations have stigmatized and even dehumanized disabled people. ReelAbilities’ centerpiece film, Disposable Humanity, by Cameron Mitchell, investigates the Nazi eugenics program that sought to eliminate disabled people from society. Historically, disabled lives were treated as less valuable than non-disabled ones. We would like to believe we have moved far beyond that era in our commitment to human rights and equality. Yet even today, disability is often viewed as something uncomfortable, something to avoid. I am continually struck by how many people tell me that seeing people with disabilities on screen makes them uncomfortable. Seeing another human life as “uncomfortable” is only a small step away from seeing it as unequal.

More than 25 percent of Americans live with a disability, which means virtually everyone has a personal connection to disability. This is not a niche audience; it is a vast one. American audiences need to recognize that these films are as engaging, entertaining and most of all relevant as any mainstream release. Disability should be understood as one of the many differences that make up the human experience. Differences should not be feared or stigmatized; they should be embraced. ReelAbilities has built an audience and a community around these stories, proving that there a is an audience for these films. Now it is time for the mainstream to recognize that authentic disability representation is not only necessary, it is viable, compelling, and marketable.

More than 30 years after the Americans with Disabilities Act, the cultural shift is still incomplete. We have made progress, but there is much further to go. ReelAbilities is working to reframe disability and bring it into the spotlight in ways rarely seen before. And what better way to shift culture than through film? But change must happen on both sides. Audiences must open their minds, and distributors must take the chance to bring these films to the public.