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Films

Act of God

Act of God

Stuart’s life is a mess. His caregivers are abandoning him and for good reason: he’s a jerk, a fact that becomes quickly apparent to the new guy tasked with getting him out of bed. Stuart’s commute to work is interrupted by the discovery of a $100 bill lying on the sidewalk, leading him on a...
Andy & Kaliope

Andy & Kaliope

When Andy, a young boy with cerebral palsy, must move to yet another foster home, his caseworker helps him connect to his inner superhero.
Being Michelle

Being Michelle

The astonishing story of a woman who survived incarceration in a system that refused to accommodate her needs as a deaf person with autism. Michelle’s trajectory changed when she met Kim Law, a blind life coach who teaches in the prison. A story of redemption, this award-winning film is about the bonds between two women...
Bendix: Site Unseen

Bendix: Site Unseen

Surrounded by highway traffic sits the unassuming Bendix Diner, owned and operated by John Diakakis. As the blind, single father of three young children who also work at the diner, John attempts to provide a better life for his family.
Big Bang

Big Bang

In Brazil, Chico earns his living fixing ovens, which he easily fits into thanks to his small size. Marginalized by a system that values him as a misfit, he begins to start resisting it.
Breathe

Breathe

In 1983, Julie Ridge became the first person to swim two consecutive laps around Manhattan Island, earning her a guest appearance on The David Letterman Show. Now, living in Manhattan and working as a clinical social worker with over 25 years of experience, she dives into her memories of struggling with bipolar disorder, marathon swimming,...
Charlie and the Hunt

Charlie and the Hunt

The fantastical journey of Charlie Miles, a girl with a taste for adventure. As a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults), she uses ASL while communicating with her deaf mother and sometimes with her mischievous dog. On a search to find her mother’s missing bracelet, Charlie must face her fears while recovering the sentimental family treasure.
Coming Out Autistic

Coming Out Autistic

Queer coming out stories are well documented, while telling friends, family, co-workers, and strangers that you are autistic is shown less often. But what is the experience of telling the world that you are autistic when you also identify as LGBTQ+? 
Culicidae

Culicidae

A late night intrusion leads to a life and death struggle.
Flirting (with Possibilities)

Flirting (with Possibilities)

Through trial and error, Harley, a deaf man, is determined to figure out the most effective way to flirt with the cute hearing guy he sees in the coffee shop. A glimpse of how it feels to communicate primarily via American Sign Language in a predominantly hearing, speaking, and English-using world.
I Am Irani

I Am Irani

Farhad, a well-known Iranian photographer, was born with a rare genetic disorder known as Treacher Collins syndrome (TCS), which affects the development of the facial structure. Although TCS has made Farhad stand out all his life, his determination and resilience are what truly set him apart.
Imagined Touch

Imagined Touch

When two deafblind women ask a theater director to help them make a show about being deaf and blind, never in their wildest dreams did they imagine it would become an award-winning show.
Imaginings

Imaginings

Six deaf performers share struggles and dreams of a new Deaf generation. These poetic self-portraits in sign language show empowerment and confidence, and the vulnerabilities that come with being different.
It’s Personal

It’s Personal

Struggling with a care shortage during the pandemic, Kyla, who requires 24-hour assistance, asks filmmaker friend Lou to swap cameras for catheters and learn how to assist her. In a bold and humorous experiment, the pair explores blurred boundaries and navigates new levels of intimacy. A daring and refreshingly authentic perspective on the care crisis...
Jasmine Is a Star

Jasmine Is a Star

Jasmine, a 16-year-old with albinism, is determined to become a professional model in her hometown of Minneapolis. As she confronts societal norms and beauty standards, she explores what independence, and more importantly, self-acceptance, looks like.
Just in Case

Just in Case

An exploration of what it’s like to live with bipolar disorder, through the lens of a concerned father and his scared daughter.
Limbo

Limbo

On the verge of losing the last thread of sight he has left, Adam tries to process his loss. 
Mac & Cheese

Mac & Cheese

An everyday hero grapples with friendship, responsibility, and the decision to eat (or not to eat) his roommate’s mac & cheese.
Miette

Miette

Through an encounter between a director and a scarred young woman, Miette explores how guilt shapes our personal narrative and relationships.
Mike’s Words

Mike’s Words

A man with a rare physical disability creates films that focus on the social aspects of being a minority.
Neurodivergent

Neurodivergent

In this profoundly personal mixed media experience inside the ADHD mind, the filmmaker takes us on a journey as she discovers her ADHD diagnosis during the height of the pandemic. When she turns the camera on herself and her family to process what this diagnosis means, she also discovers why so many women with ADHD...
No Ordinary Campaign

No Ordinary Campaign

White House power couple Brian Wallach and Sandra Abrevaya found their world upended by Brian’s diagnosis of ALS at 37, on the same day they brought their second daughter home from the hospital. In the face of a brutal disease that threatens to take everything from them, Brian and Sandra embark on a journey to...
OKAY! (The ASD Band Film)

OKAY! (The ASD Band Film)

Four talented autistic musicians come together through their shared love of music and form the ASD Band. Rawan, Jackson, Spenser, and Ron shatter stereotypes about people with autism and navigate a world where they are often misunderstood. As they write, record, and perform their first album, they find strength in each other and the music. 
Pushing Boundaries

Pushing Boundaries

With the Russian annexation of Crimea, the Ukrainian Paralympic National Team loses their training base overnight. The film follows the team’s fight to qualify for the upcoming games under poor training conditions. As borders shift and their personal and professional lives are displaced, the athletes must push beyond not only physical limits but the weight...
ReelDocs

ReelDocs

A compilation of short documentaries, featuring: BREATHE COMING OUT AUTISTIC  NEURODIVERGENT BENDIX: SITE UNSEEN     
ReelShorts: FAMILY FRIENDLY

ReelShorts: FAMILY FRIENDLY

A compilation of delightful short films that the whole family can enjoy. Featuring: ANDY & KALIOPE CHARLIE AND THE HUNT THE HERO RITE OF IDENTITY SUPER POWERS
Reelshorts: Mental Health

Reelshorts: Mental Health

A short film compilation offering poignant and insightful reflections on the complexities of mental health.  Featuring: BREATHE JUST IN CASE MIETTE NEURODIVERGENT REMEDIAL
Reelshorts: out of the box

Reelshorts: out of the box

A compilation of short films that push the limits of creativity and Imagination. Featuring: BENDIX: SITE UNSEEN CULICIDAE I AM IRANI LIMBO MAC & CHEESE MIKE’S WORDS
Reelshorts: The art of living

Reelshorts: The art of living

A compilation of short films that celebrate the power of creativity and human expression. Featuring: IMAGINED TOUCH IMAGININGS SOUL(SIGNS): OPERA
Reelshorts: WITH AN EDGE

Reelshorts: WITH AN EDGE

A compilation of short films that challenge conventions. Featuring: ACT OF GOD BIG BANG COMING OUT AUTISTIC FLIRTING (WITH POSSIBILITIES) IT’S PERSONAL
Remedial

Remedial

As Will struggles to cope with the tragic loss of his father, he and his mother resolve to build a new life by relocating to Houston, Texas. At his new school, Will’s social and learning difficulties lead to a false diagnosis of his condition. Inspired by real events, this film observes one of the loneliest...
Rite of Identity

Rite of Identity

In this animation integrating Deaf symbols and motifs, Hana, a deaf child, has exceptional artistic talent but struggles with an overwhelming soundscape. Hana represents a collection of deaf people’s childhood stories. 
Shadow

Shadow

Simon, Scott, and Sarah—a trio of activists with intellectual disabilities—hold a town hall meeting, desperate to save the world from the future impacts of Artificial Intelligence. What begins as a polite discussion quickly descends into bickering and chaos, and as the meeting unravels, they discover the greatest threat to their future is already in the...
Soul(Signs): Opera

Soul(Signs): Opera

A series of three short films exploring the intersection of opera and American Sign Language, starring some of today’s most acclaimed Deaf and signing performers. Created by Up Until Now Collective.
Straighten Up and Fly Right

Straighten Up and Fly Right

Twenty-something New Yorker Kristen battles with ankylosing spondylitis, a severe form of arthritis, and is permanently bent over. Dreaming of becoming a famous writer, she instead spends her days watching YouTube and walking dogs for a living. When Kristen’s boss sends her to walk a new client’s dog, she meets Steven, an older man with...
Super Powers

Super Powers

After getting the news that her parents have been arrested for tax evasion, Emily, a struggling community college student, must take over as the primary caregiver for her teenage sister with Down syndrome.
The Hero

The Hero

Cody, a high school student with Down syndrome and an aspiring comic book artist, escapes from his school bully into his imaginary world of superheroes and villains, until the superhero of his comic helps Cody find his own courage.
The Quiet Epidemic

The Quiet Epidemic

After years of living with mysterious symptoms, a young girl from Brooklyn and a Duke University scientist are diagnosed with a disease said to not exist: Chronic Lyme disease. Their search for answers lands them in the middle of a vicious medical debate. What begins as a patient story evolves into an investigation into the...
Unidentified Objects

Unidentified Objects

Peter is an intellectual outsider with an edge. He lives as a loner, until an unexpected visit from his upbeat—and possibly unhinged—neighbor Winona forces him out of his shell and on an impromptu road trip to rural Canada. As they journey into the wilderness, the odyssey turns into a search for their place in the...
Upside Down

Upside Down

Paolo, a 19-year-old with Down syndrome, meets Armando, a tough but kindhearted boxing trainer at the local gym. Constantly underestimated by the world around him, Paolo decides to train with Armando, much to the dismay of his protective father. Paolo steps into the ring against all odds, hoping to find his confidence and a sense...

Events

ReelShorts: Mental Health @ MC

ReelShorts: Mental Health @ MC

Wednesday May 3 | 12:00 PM | Manhattan College Kelly Commons
Remedial (ReelShorts: Mental Health)

Remedial (ReelShorts: Mental Health)

Wednesday May 3 | 12:00 PM | Manhattan College Kelly Commons
Neurodivergent (ReelShorts: Mental Health)

Neurodivergent (ReelShorts: Mental Health)

Wednesday May 3 | 12:00 PM | Manhattan College Kelly Commons
Just in Case (Reelshorts: Mental Health)

Just in Case (Reelshorts: Mental Health)

Wednesday May 3 | 12:00 PM | Manhattan College Kelly Commons
Breathe (Reelshorts: Mental Health)

Breathe (Reelshorts: Mental Health)

Wednesday May 3 | 12:00 PM | Manhattan College Kelly Commons
FROM OUR PARTNERS – UP UNTIL NOW: MIDAIR FOR SOME TIME

FROM OUR PARTNERS – UP UNTIL NOW: MIDAIR FOR SOME TIME

Wednesday May 3 | 12:00 AM | HERE ARTS CENTER
The Quiet Epidemic @ MMJCCM

The Quiet Epidemic @ MMJCCM

Tuesday May 2 | 8:00 PM | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
Composing Through Touch

Composing Through Touch

Tuesday May 2 | 7:30 PM | Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts – Stanley H Kaplan Penthouse
Pushing Boundaries @ Cinema Arts Centre

Pushing Boundaries @ Cinema Arts Centre

Tuesday May 2 | 7:00 PM | Cinema Arts Centre
BREATHE (ReelDocs)

BREATHE (ReelDocs)

Tuesday May 2 | 7:00 PM | DCTV (Firehouse Cinema)
COMING OUT AUTISTIC  (ReelDocs)

COMING OUT AUTISTIC (ReelDocs)

Tuesday May 2 | 7:00 PM | DCTV (Firehouse Cinema)
NEURODIVERGENT (ReelDocs)

NEURODIVERGENT (ReelDocs)

Tuesday May 2 | 7:00 PM | DCTV (Firehouse Cinema)
BENDIX: SITE UNSEEN (ReelDocs)

BENDIX: SITE UNSEEN (ReelDocs)

Tuesday May 2 | 7:00 PM | DCTV (Firehouse Cinema)
ReelDocs @ DCTV

ReelDocs @ DCTV

Tuesday May 2 | 7:00 PM | DCTV (Firehouse Cinema)
ReelShorts: With an Edge @ MMJCCM

ReelShorts: With an Edge @ MMJCCM

Tuesday May 2 | 6:00 PM | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
It’s Personal (REELSHORTS: WITH AN EDGE)

It’s Personal (REELSHORTS: WITH AN EDGE)

Tuesday May 2 | 6:00 PM | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
Flirting (with Possibilities) (REELSHORTS: WITH AN EDGE)

Flirting (with Possibilities) (REELSHORTS: WITH AN EDGE)

Tuesday May 2 | 6:00 PM | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
Coming Out Autistic (REELSHORTS: WITH AN EDGE)

Coming Out Autistic (REELSHORTS: WITH AN EDGE)

Tuesday May 2 | 6:00 PM | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
Big Bang (REELSHORTS: WITH AN EDGE)

Big Bang (REELSHORTS: WITH AN EDGE)

Tuesday May 2 | 6:00 PM | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
Act of God (REELSHORTS: WITH AN EDGE)

Act of God (REELSHORTS: WITH AN EDGE)

Tuesday May 2 | 6:00 PM | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
Being Michelle @ MC

Being Michelle @ MC

Tuesday May 2 | 3:30 PM | Manhattan College Kelly Commons
Being Michelle @ MMJCCM

Being Michelle @ MMJCCM

Monday May 1 | 8:15 PM | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
Jasmine Is a Star @ BAM

Jasmine Is a Star @ BAM

Monday May 1 | 7:00 PM | Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM)
The Quiet Epidemic @ CAC

The Quiet Epidemic @ CAC

Monday May 1 | 7:00 PM | Cinema Arts Centre
Upside Down @ JCC SI

Upside Down @ JCC SI

Monday May 1 | 7:00 PM | JCC of Staten Island Joan and Alan Bernikow JCC
Let’s Laugh More: Exploring the Relationship Between Disability and Humor

Let’s Laugh More: Exploring the Relationship Between Disability and Humor

Monday May 1 | 7:00 PM | Virtual Event
Shadow @ MMJCCM

Shadow @ MMJCCM

Monday May 1 | 6:30 PM | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
ReelShorts: The Art of Living @ MMJCCM

ReelShorts: The Art of Living @ MMJCCM

Monday May 1 | 5:00 PM | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
Imagined Touch @MMJCCM

Imagined Touch @MMJCCM

Monday May 1 | 5:00 PM | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
Imaginings (REELSHORTS: THE ART OF LIVING)

Imaginings (REELSHORTS: THE ART OF LIVING)

Monday May 1 | 5:00 PM | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
Soul(Signs): Opera (REELSHORTS: THE ART OF LIVING)

Soul(Signs): Opera (REELSHORTS: THE ART OF LIVING)

Monday May 1 | 5:00 PM | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
ReelAbilities Comedy Night

ReelAbilities Comedy Night

Sunday Apr 30 | 5:00 PM | Gotham Comedy Club
Upside Down @ MMJCCM

Upside Down @ MMJCCM

Sunday Apr 30 | 4:30 PM | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
Jasmine Is a Star @ MMJCCM

Jasmine Is a Star @ MMJCCM

Sunday Apr 30 | 2:00 PM | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
FLAUNT IT—CREATIVE FAMILY ACTIVITY

FLAUNT IT—CREATIVE FAMILY ACTIVITY

Sunday Apr 30 | 1:30 PM | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
BOOK TALK WITH MEG ZUCKER

BOOK TALK WITH MEG ZUCKER

Sunday Apr 30 | 1:30 PM | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
ReelShorts: Family Friendly @ MMJCCM

ReelShorts: Family Friendly @ MMJCCM

Sunday Apr 30 | 12:30 PM | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
Andy & Kaliope (REELSHORTS: FAMILY FRIENDLY)

Andy & Kaliope (REELSHORTS: FAMILY FRIENDLY)

Sunday Apr 30 | 12:30 PM | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
Charlie and the Hunt (REELSHORTS: FAMILY FRIENDLY)

Charlie and the Hunt (REELSHORTS: FAMILY FRIENDLY)

Sunday Apr 30 | 12:30 PM | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
The Hero (REELSHORTS: FAMILY FRIENDLY)

The Hero (REELSHORTS: FAMILY FRIENDLY)

Sunday Apr 30 | 12:30 PM | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
Rite of Identity (REELSHORTS: FAMILY FRIENDLY)

Rite of Identity (REELSHORTS: FAMILY FRIENDLY)

Sunday Apr 30 | 12:30 PM | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
Super Powers (REELSHORTS: FAMILY FRIENDLY)

Super Powers (REELSHORTS: FAMILY FRIENDLY)

Sunday Apr 30 | 12:30 PM | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
Straighten Up and Fly Right @ MMJCCM

Straighten Up and Fly Right @ MMJCCM

Saturday Apr 29 | 8:45 PM | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
Pushing Boundaries @ MMJCCM

Pushing Boundaries @ MMJCCM

Saturday Apr 29 | 6:30 PM | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
Unidentified Objects @ MoMI

Unidentified Objects @ MoMI

Saturday Apr 29 | 4:00 PM | Museum of the Moving Image
ReelShorts: Mental Health @ MMJCCM

ReelShorts: Mental Health @ MMJCCM

Saturday Apr 29 | 4:00 PM | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
Remedial (ReelShorts: Mental Health)

Remedial (ReelShorts: Mental Health)

Saturday Apr 29 | 4:00 PM | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
Neurodivergent (ReelShorts: Mental Health)

Neurodivergent (ReelShorts: Mental Health)

Saturday Apr 29 | 4:00 PM | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
Miette (Reelshorts: Mental Health)

Miette (Reelshorts: Mental Health)

Saturday Apr 29 | 4:00 PM | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
Just in Case (Reelshorts: Mental Health)

Just in Case (Reelshorts: Mental Health)

Saturday Apr 29 | 4:00 PM | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
BREATHE (Reelshorts: Mental Health)

BREATHE (Reelshorts: Mental Health)

Saturday Apr 29 | 4:00 PM | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
ReelShorts: Out of the Box @ MMJCCM

ReelShorts: Out of the Box @ MMJCCM

Saturday Apr 29 | 2:00 PM | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
Limbo (ReelShorts:Out of the Box)

Limbo (ReelShorts:Out of the Box)

Saturday Apr 29 | 2:00 PM | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
I Am Irani  (ReelShorts:Out of the Box)

I Am Irani (ReelShorts:Out of the Box)

Saturday Apr 29 | 2:00 PM | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
Bendix: Site Unseen (ReelShorts: Out of the Box)

Bendix: Site Unseen (ReelShorts: Out of the Box)

Saturday Apr 29 | 2:00 PM | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
Mac & Cheese (ReelShorts: Out of the Box)

Mac & Cheese (ReelShorts: Out of the Box)

Saturday Apr 29 | 2:00 PM | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
Culicidae (ReelShorts: Out of the Box)

Culicidae (ReelShorts: Out of the Box)

Saturday Apr 29 | 2:00 PM | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
Mike’s Words (ReelShorts: Out of the Box)

Mike’s Words (ReelShorts: Out of the Box)

Saturday Apr 29 | 2:00 PM | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
Being Michelle @ MoMI

Being Michelle @ MoMI

Saturday Apr 29 | 1:30 PM | Museum of the Moving Image
Coming out Autistic @ MoMI

Coming out Autistic @ MoMI

Saturday Apr 29 | 1:30 PM | Museum of the Moving Image
EXPLORING THE IMPACTS OF ABLEISM: A COVID-19 PHOTO ESSAY

EXPLORING THE IMPACTS OF ABLEISM: A COVID-19 PHOTO ESSAY

Saturday Apr 29 | 1:00 PM | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
From Our Partners: Music for Autism Concert

From Our Partners: Music for Autism Concert

Saturday Apr 29 | 1:00 PM | Brooklyn Heights Library
The Quiet Epidemic @ Maysles

The Quiet Epidemic @ Maysles

Friday Apr 28 | 7:00 PM | Maysles Documentary Center
OKAY! (The ASD Band Film) @ DCTV

OKAY! (The ASD Band Film) @ DCTV

Friday Apr 28 | 7:00 PM | DCTV (Firehouse Cinema)
No Ordinary Campaign @ MMJCCM

No Ordinary Campaign @ MMJCCM

Friday Apr 28 | 6:00 PM | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
Friday Eve Wine Reception in honor of Samantha Myers

Friday Eve Wine Reception in honor of Samantha Myers

Friday Apr 28 | 5:30 PM | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
Unidentified Objects @ MMJCCM

Unidentified Objects @ MMJCCM

Thursday Apr 27 | 6:30 PM | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
2023 Opening Night Celebration

2023 Opening Night Celebration

Thursday Apr 27 | 6:30 PM | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
FROM OUR PARTNERS: CUNY Accessibility Conference – The Future of Accessibility

FROM OUR PARTNERS: CUNY Accessibility Conference – The Future of Accessibility

Thursday Apr 27 | 9:00 AM | Past Festivals

Guests

headshot Kyle

Kyle Wright

In his role as Digital Projects Director at The Shubert Organization, Kyle works on understanding who your audience represents, one of the most important focuses for arts and entertainment. He is responsible for overseeing strategy, data integration, analytics and partnership development for digital marketing and emerging in-venue technologies. Previously, Kyle worked in marketing for Plum...
headshot of Candace Zchary Thompson

Candace Thompson-Zachery

Candace Thompson-Zachery, Director of Programming and Justice Initiatives, Dance/NYC Born in Trinidad and Tobago, now local to Brooklyn, NY, operates between the spheres of dance, cultural production and fitness and wellness, with a focus on the Contemporary Caribbean. She has had an established career as a performer, choreographer, fitness professional, cultural producer, teaching artist, community...

Arnold Lau

Born in Queens NY and raised in Hong Kong, Arnold is a Media Studies graduate at CUNY Queens College, running half marathons and working as an actor and filmmaker.

Alison Hanigan

As a passionate and dedicated filmmaker, I am constantly seeking ways to improve my craft and enhance my skills. With a deep understanding of the fundamentals of filmmaking, I am eager to take on new challenges and expand my knowledge in all areas of the industry. Whether I am working on a film set as...

Gwen Petersen

Since her diagnosis with ALS at age 32, Gwen Petersen has poured her energy into advancing the science of her disease. Gwen’s unprecedented access to safe, experimental therapies in clinical development is what fuels her work in advocacy. With access, brings hope for many ALS patients. Gwen is not the stereotypical ALS face; she is...

Jeff MacGregor

Jeff MacGregor is an award-winning communications executive known for helping science-based organizations establish and develop their communications capabilities and strategies. He is Vice President of Communications for Science at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) and Head of Communications and Brand at the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub (CZ Biohub) where he oversees their communications and brand functions...

Jinsy Andrews

Jinsy Andrews, MD, MSc – Featured Clinician/Researcher/ALS Expert Jinsy A. Andrews, MD, MSc, FAAN is an Associate Professor of Neurology, in the Division of Neuromuscular Medicine and serves as the Director of Neuromuscular Clinical Trials. She currently oversees neuromuscular clinical trials and cares for patients with neuromuscular disease, primarily with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Dr....
Headshot of Jo-Ann Dean

Jo-Ann Dean

Jo-Ann Dean is a Creative Producer and CEO of SIGNmation LLC and Broadway SIGNs! live and virtual productions. A Grant Writer and recipient of a 2023 National Endowment for the Arts Challenge America Award for Deaf Austin Theater to stage, film and livestream The Laramie Project in American Sign Language. Broadway SIGN’s a cabaret bridging...
young woman seated in a wheelchair, wearing a red skirt, white shirt, leaning her head on her right palm, smiling. On a bright yellow background

Jenna Bainbridge

Jenna Bainbridge (she/her) is an actor, singer, and disability rights advocate based in New York. At 16 months, Jenna broke her spine and became partially paralyzed from the waist down. She now navigates the world as an ambulatory wheelchair user. Jenna grew up in Denver, Colorado, and at the age of 13 began working with...
Headshot of Pavar Snipe. Photography by: Patrick Marinello

Pavar Snipe

Pavar Snipe is a comedian, writer, actress, and disability advocate. She is a writer and VO actress for ABC’s When Nature Calls with Helen Mirren and she is the voice of Angela Baker on the DreamWorks animated series Dragons: The Nine Realms. Pavar has performed stand-up at NYC and LA’s most popular comedy venues. Her...
A woman dressed in wide rim yellow hat and a yellow suit, long braided hair, and blue glasses and lipstick.

Nikki Love

SVP, Development & Production at ALLBLK (an AMC SVOD Network), Nikki Love is a skilled producer and line producer specializing in the physical production of filmmaking from development to post production. She has produced festival and award winning feature films, short films, web series and music videos. She creates tight budgets and has great crew...
A headshot of Amit Pitaru

Amit Pitaru

Amit Pitaru is an artist, coder, product designer, and educator from New York. He currently leads community-driven innovation projects at Google Creative Lab , working with AI researchers and communities to develop impactful tools. Amit taught at NYU ITP, Cooper Union, Pratt, and is the co-founder of the School For Poetic Computation.
headshot of Michele Spitz

Michelle Spitz

Michele Spitz of Woman of Her Word is a voiceover artist, public speaker, and philanthropist most passionate about advocating for media accessibility and disability awareness, selectively funding audio/video description post production accessibility grants. She produces, narrates, consults, and project manages audio description assets for film, broadcast, digital media, film festivals, museums, educational content and non-profit...
headshot of Abbey White

Abbey White

Abbey White is a Brooklyn-based journalist, and currently an associate editor and news writer for The Hollywood Reporter’s digital team. There they cover breaking news and also report, edit and web produce features spanning film, TV, awards season, theater, animation, children’s & family programming, inclusion and more. A Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at...
a blond woman with glasses smirking at the camera, with a prostethic hand placed on her sholder

Ariel Baska

Ariel Baska is a multi-award-winning, multiply Disabled queer horror and documentary filmmaker, who believes in advocacy and accessibility for historically underserved communities. Their work has played on Alaska Airlines, and at film festivals from Berlin to Mexico City to Mumbai. They have presented with Lincoln Center, SXSW (South by Southwest) and the Berlinale on various...
A young woman with blond curly hair, wearing a blue sweater, holding her arms above her shoulders,

Devri Velazquez

With over a decade of experience working in digital strategy and advertising, Takayasu Vasculitis survivor Devri Velazquez is constantly seeking ways to tell meaningful stories that can entertain, inform, and inspire folks about the importance of disability visibility and rare disease awareness — from the corporate world and beyond.

Jenn Freeman

JENN FREEMAN (she/they) is an American choreographer, dance performer, and educator based in New York City. Most recently Jenn has been commissioned to set a new work on the Martha Graham Dance Company that will premiere in 2022. For over a decade Jenn has worked alongside Sonya Tayeh as her choreographic associate in the development...

Matt Kaplowitz

Matt Kaplowitz, a founding member of the Reelabilities Film Festival, is the parent of a child with disabilities, a jazz aficionado, social entrepreneur and President of Bridge Multimedia, accessibility providers and strategists for television networks, educational publishers, architectural companies, government agencies, corporations, non-profits, and foundations investing in socially progressive initiatives. Kaplowitz founded Bridge in 2002...

Hannah Gallivan

Hannah Gallivan is a 17-year-old from Bristol, Vermont, who loves all things musical theater. She loves meeting other people with disabilities and talking about her experience. She has cerebral palsy and uses a walker named Clementine and a power chair named Bumblebee. She is a very creative person and hopes to channel that into making...

Connor Roach

Connor (They/Them) is the co-founder of Cuéntame, a grassroots organization that seeks to disrupt the mainstream narrative surrounding disability. They are a storyteller who uses mixed media to convey their messages effectively. As a caregiver and a neurodivergent and queer individual, their personal experiences, coupled with those of the disabled people they have worked with,...

Ryan Michael Roach

Ryan Michael Roach (they/them), MOT, is an occupational therapy practitioner who has worked with pediatric, adult, and geriatric populations in the United States and South America. Their passion within this field is providing resources on how to perform therapeutic activities at a community level with accessible and cheap materials. Ryan is the co-founder of Cuèntame...
headshot of Alexande Hammer, a man with dark brown hair and gotee, wearing a black suit with a purple tie, on the background of an HBO step and repeat sign.

Alexander Hammer

Alexander Hammer is a Director & Editor who explores many dimensions of storytelling. His work spans from scripted film & TV, feature documentary and music video to interactive content, experiential storytelling and live performances. Currently he is directing a documentary feature, ‘JENN SOLO’, the story of dancer and choreographer Jenn Freeman as she is thrust...
headshot of Katrin Haldeman

Katrin Haldeman

Katrin joined DRNY in October 2017 as a Marketing Coordinator and in 2018 became the Director of Marketing and Communications. Prior to joining DRNY, Katrin was the Executive Chef Owner of the Dali Mamma Café in Albany and continues as the principle owner of Idea Faqtory Consulting Company. She developed and underwrote the culinary education...
headshot of cynthia lopez

Cynthia López

NYWIFT CEO Cynthia López (Moderator) is an award-winning media strategist, and former Commissioner of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, where she implemented strategies to support film and TV production throughout the five boroughs. López is the recipient of many coveted industry awards including: 11 News and Documentary Emmy Awards, a Special Emmy Award for Excellence in...

Flavia Naslausky

Flavia is currently Head of Business Development & Strategy at Music:Not Impossible, a vibrotextile™ wearable technology that translates sound on the skin through vibration, providing a unique music experience. Initially inspired by the deaf & hard-of-hearing community, M:NI is enjoyed by all regardless of hearing abilities. Convinced that technology and empathy can and must co-exist,...
An image of Simi Linton - a woman with curly light brown hair, wearing glasses, a floral pattern scarf and a purple sweater, leaning her head on her right hand

Simi Linton

Simi Linton is an author, filmmaker, and arts consultant. Her writings include Claiming Disability: Knowledge and Identity, My Body Politic, and “Cultural Territories of Disability” published by Dance/NYC. She is the subject of the documentary Invitation to Dance (Christian von Tippelskirch and Simi Linton). Linton’s organization, Disability/Arts Consultancy, serves cultural institutions throughout New York City...

Kathy Collins

Kathy Collins, a congenital quadruple amputee who uses a wheelchair and, sometimes, prosthetic arms, is an attorney who retired from The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey after working there for thirty (30) years. She is on the board of Disabled In Action of Metropolitan New York, Inc., a co-coordinator for Downstate New...
A young woman with blond long hair is looking down, holding a guiding cane

Zoë Hartman

Zoë Hartman works as a Production Accessibility Coordinator for Elle Jones Casting. The company was founded by her mother, Elle Jones Hartman. Zoë started her career by moving to Boston to attend college and pursue acting but soon turned her focus from acting to being a Production Assistant to becoming an Assistant Director working in...
headshot Namel Norris. A Black man wearing a red cap with a text - 4wheelcity

Namel TapWaterz Norris

TapWaterz, the paraplegic hip-hop artist, has become a beacon of hope for those who face adversity, using his music to speak out against social injustices and inspire people to never give up. With an impressive resume that includes speaking at the White House, performing at the United Nations, and collaborating with icons such as Snoop...
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LAUREN SOWA

Lauren Sowa is a New York-based actor and filmmaker. As an actor, she has been featured on FBI (CBS), The Plot Against America (HBO), The Rainbow Experiment (Paramount+), and The Devil’s Well (Amazon Prime). Upcoming: The indie feature Paris is in Harlem (Slamdance ’22). Training: BFA, NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Proud member of BAFTA,...
Jerron Herman

Jerron Herman

Jerron Herman is a dancer and writer who is compelled to create images of freedom. His process is supported by personal histories and social legacies of disability aesthetics that undermine notions of production in favor of welcoming. The nuanced pieces Jerron exhibits contend with an early childhood desire to create many worlds in which others...
A picture of Megan Evans. A young woman with blond hair seating on a wooden stair case

Megan Evans

As Founder and Creator of The MS Stage and The MS Stage Method, Megan Evans has been living well with Multiple Sclerosis for over 19 years. After noticing a gap in the support community around MS, Evans created mindfulness practices through meditation, movement, and sharing stories that helped her on her healing journey and have...
The ASD Band - 4 young men and one young woman, smiling and making rock star gestures to the camera

ASD Band

ASD Band, featuring four talented performers on the autism spectrum, was formed in 2019. The band debuted in grand style, playing alongside Roger Hodgson and a 43-piece orchestra for a performance of ‘Give A Little Bit.’ After recording cover songs including the Imagine Dragons ‘Follow You’ which the Dragons’ drummer called “such a great and...
Headshot - Andrew Simon. A man with a colorfull plaid shirt, blue framed glasses, and a kind smile

Andrew Simon

Andrew Simon is an award-winning writer, producer and creator who first made his mark on the Canadian documentary scene in 2017 with ‘Rivolta’, a Hot Docs featured short that told the story of Canada’s most notorious hacker, Michael ‘MafiaBoy’ Calce. From there, he went on to bring the story of Teodora del Carmen Vasquez to the screen,...
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Mark Bone

Mark Bone is a passionate, award winning, documentary director based in Toronto, Canada. He has directed numerous documentaries, including ‘58 HOURS,’ which chronicles the heroic rescue of Jessica McClure the fallout from that event; ‘Rescate,’ which chronicles the heroics of volunteer paramedics in the Dominican Republic; ‘No Country is an Island,’ a first-hand look at the...
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Julia Bruzzese

Julia Bruzzese is a 19 year old freshman college student in Brooklyn, New York. Ever since becoming severely ill with Lyme Disease in 2015, Julia has been advocating for patient rights. Julia’s primary focus is helping other patients and families find the right resources on their journey to wellness. Julia is also the main subject...
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Enrico Bruzzese

Enrico Bruzzese is a father, husband, Respiratory Therapist, and a Cardiac Diagnostic Specialist from Brooklyn, NY. He is currently a caregiver for his daughter Julia, as well as a Lyme Disease patient advocate. He is featured alongside his daughter and family in a feature-length documentary about Lyme Disease, “The Quiet Epidemic”.
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Chris Hegedus

Chris has been directing, shooting, and editing documentaries for over forty years. She received the prestigious Directors Guild Award for Startup.com. Along with D.A. Pennebaker, she directed the 1992 Clinton campaign film The War Room (Oscar nomination). Her other films include Elaine Stritch at Liberty (Emmy Award), The Energy War series, Town Bloody Hall, Delorean, Moon Over Broadway, Depeche Mode 101, Down From the Mountain, Only the Strong...
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Garrett Zuercher

Garrett Zuercher (he/him) is a profoundly Deaf theater and film artist and award-winning playwright who holds an MFA from Hunter College, class of 2022. Based in New York City, he serves as the founding artistic director of Deaf Broadway, for which he is currently producing an all-Deaf, all-ASL staging of Stephen Sondheim’s COMPANY at Lincoln...
MERET HASSANEN

Meret Hassanen

Meret Hassanen is an Egyptian Australian filmmaker with cerebral palsy. She has a Bachelor of Media in Screen Practice and Production from Macquarie University. Meret has Associate Producer credits for feature films RHAPSODY OF LOVE and GET A LIFE, ALRIGHT! In 2020, she was an Associate Producer for Back to Back Pictures’ film adaptation SHADOW. Meret thoroughly enjoyed working on SHADOW...
Headshot Kevin Newbury

Kevin Newbury

Kevin Newbury is an opera, theatre, film and television director. Kevin has directed over 100 projects across all mediums. Career highlights: three PBS Great Performances Broadcasts: Bernstein’s MASS (Ravinia Festival) and the world premiere’s of Doubt (Minnesota Opera) & Bel Canto (Lyric Opera of Chicago), the world premieres of Castor & Patience (Cincinnati Opera), Unholy...
Headshot Brandon Kazen-Maddox

Brandon Kazen-Maddox

Brandon Kazen-Maddox (they/them) is a Grandchild of Deaf Adults (GODA) and third-generation native signer of American Sign Language (ASL) who identifies as a Nonbinary, Black Indigenous Person of Color and a member of the LGBTQAI+ community. Brandon is an artist, choreographer, director, actor, acrobat, activist and ASL artist and performer. Brandon has also spent the...
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Sofya Gollan

Writer/Director Sofya Gollan springboarded from a career in theatre and acting, switching to make several short films and a short feature that saw her become an award winning writer and director of documentary and drama. She was nominated for three AFI (ACCTA) Awards, including Best Director and Best Screenplay for her short feature film PRESERVATION....
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Jodee Mundy OAM

Jodee is an interdisciplinary artist working across theatre, public events, installations, live art, festival direction and film. Her work has been awarded a Green Room Award for Innovation in Experiential Theatre (IMAGINED TOUCH), nominated for four Green Room Awards for Best Writing, Best Production, Best Visual Production and Best Direction, a Helpmann Award for Best...
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Gabriele Di Bello

Gabriele Di Bello [Tivoli (Rome), 8/10/1994] studied in public school following the programs provided for all students, graduating at age 19 with a high grade in hotel school. Shortly thereafter, he appeared in the RAI docu-fiction “6-Star Hotel,” after which he began working at Burger King as a floor and kitchen attendant, where he still...
A young black woman with albinism, covered with pink feather, curly hair, holding her hand to her face.

Iyana Leshea

Hi my name is Iyana LeShea. I am a beauty content creator, illustrator, model & actress from Atlanta Georgia. I create fun, fierce and educational beauty content and illustrations. I strive to inspire & encourage young women & men who look like me to love who they are naturally!
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Meg Zucker

Meg Zucker is the Founder and President of Don’t Hide It Flaunt It (“DHIFI”).  Meg has a genetic condition called “Ectrodactyly” that she passed on to two of her three children.  A Wall Street lawyer with more than twenty years of experience in the field of anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism, Meg found her DHIFI-calling in...

Jenn Shaw

Jenn Shaw is an award-winning commercial, documentary, and narrative director specializing in coming-of-age, dramady and sports content. Her bold and cinematic filmmaking has both distinctive humor and dramatic instinct.Her ESPN film $15 Kicks was executive produced by Spike Lee and earned a Black Reel Award. Within the last two years, she’s directed three narrative shorts,...
a young asian woman with long brown hair, wearing a green, round collared t-shirt

Youmee Lee

Youmee Lee is a deaf Korean American animator, projection designer, and visual poet based in New York. She teaches deaf art, cinema, and literature courses at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID). She has been advocating for deaf representation in cinema and art at film festivals and conference...
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Catriona Rubenis-Stevens

Catriona Rubenis-Stevens is a multi-award-winning director and producer and was part of the team that went to the 93rd Academy Awards with the Oscar nominated live action short; Feeling Through. Born and raised in a small town in the UK, she moved to NYC in her early 20s to study at the American Academy of...
A young woman with light brown hair, partially covering her left eye, looking back at the camera

Kristen Abate

Kristen Abate is the co writer/director of the Slamdance Grand Jury Prize winner (2022) STRAIGHTEN UP AND FLY RIGHT, it is her writing and directorial debut. She was also nominated for the Slamdance Acting Award for her lead performance in the film. The film also won the Grand Jury Prize for Narrative Feature at the...
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Steven Tanenbaum

Steven Tanenbaum is the co writer/director of the Slamdance Grand Jury Prize winner (2022) Straighten Up and Fly Right. Tanenbaum was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis, a severe form of crippling arthritis, when he was eleven. The arthritis curved his spine into a vertebral question mark and accounts for his bent point of view and twenty-year...
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Lesia Kordonets

Lesia Kordonets was born and grew up in the remote border region of Ukraine, which was once a western outpost for the UDSSR and now represents the Eastern borders of the EU. Shaped by the political and societal whirlwind of her home country, she graduated from the Theodor-Heuss College in Ukraine, which promotes democratic leadership...
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Afton Quast Saler

Afton Quast Saler is a documentary and narrative fiction filmmaker, writer, and performer, who is committed to disability and mental health advocacy through the arts. Afton began her professional career in the arts at 13 years old, getting paid to play pretend in musicals and plays around the world and regional theaters across the country....
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Kim Reed

Feature Film: CICADA SONG (streaming on AppleTV, Amazon, etc.) Judith/Exec. Producer; Pilot: IMMIGRANTS (post- production) Delores Clark; Festival Shorts: I AM RUPERT CALDWELL, NO RETURNS, WILLOWBROOK; Webisodes: THE SECRET LIVES OF NANCY JONES Nancy/Writer/Exec. Producer, SHORT TERM (season 3) Joan; TV: NCIS and CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM.
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Laurie Gardiner

Laurie J. Gardiner is a writer, director, and musician who recently finished working on Yellowstone and Mayor of Kingstown for Paramount+ after stints at Walt Disney Studios, FOX, GRB Studios, and Big City TV as an associate producer, story editor, and production executive. Her films have aired on the BBC, Aspire TV, and Omeleto and...
A short-cut haired woman wearing a light blue swimsuit, with a towel on her right sholder

Julie Ridge

Julie Ridge swam the English Channel in 1982, became the first person to swim two consecutive non-stop laps around Manhattan island in ’83 (earning her a guest appearance on the David Letterman Show); completed the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon in ’84; and swam into the Guinness Book of World Records in 1985 by swimming one 28.5...
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Zac Norrington

Digital Creator with 7+ years in media production and photography, adept at working on location or in a fast-moving studio. With experience collaborating as a team or multi-tasking on my own under pressure. Demonstrated skills as a cinematographer and junior producer and moving towards a directing position. Proven expertise in researching and writing scripts, securing...
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Jared Jacobson

Jared Jacobsen is a filmmaker based in Southern California. Since completing a year-long film program in Mexico, his award-winning films include narratives, documentaries, music videos, and commercial content. His films impact, entertain, and inform and most often tell stories from the Southern California or Northern Mexico regions. His recognition includes best screenplay, best director, best...
a young woman with glasses, below the shoulder curley hair, wearing a floral dress, in a motorized wheelchari.

Emily Ladau

A passionate disability rights activist, writer, storyteller, and digital communications consultant whose career began at the age of 10, when she appeared on several episodes of Sesame Street to educate kids about life with a physical disability. Emily Ladau is the co-host of The Accessible Stall Podcast, and author of Demystifying Disability: What to Know,...
headshot - Tim Rummel

Tim Rummel

Tim Rummel is a veteran producer with a track record of developing and overseeing innovative documentary series and unscripted formats for cable, broadcast and streaming. Tim was with NBCUniversal for 12 years as a creative executive, where he developed and oversaw production of the blockbuster series American Ninja Warrior. After NBCU, Tim served as VP,...
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Chris Burke

Like many of Brian Wallach’s college classmates, Chris always looked forward to voting for Brian for President one day. As it turned out, he wound up supporting Brian in a very different kind of campaign—remaking the fight against ALS. Chris is an Emmy-winning director and has been documenting Brian and Sandra’s fight since early 2019.
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Brian Wallach

Brian Wallach, JD: Co-Founder, Board Co-Chair, Synapticure; Co-Founder, I AM ALS Brian Wallach was diagnosed with ALS in November 2017. At the time of his diagnosis, he was 37, with two daughters under three. Since then he has become an outspoken, well-known, and impactful patient advocate. He is married to co-founder, Sandra Abrevaya, whom he...
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Matthew August Jeffers

Matthew August Jeffers is a critically-acclaimed little person theater and television performer making his feature film debut in Unidentified Objects. He can be seen as “Doctor Mark Walsh” on hit NBC medical drama New Amsterdam and as “Russell” in Season Four of Amazon’s Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. He also recently finished The Public Theater’s production of...
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Juan Felipe Zuleta

Juan Felipe Zuleta (b. 1994) is an award-winning director based in New York City whose diverse body of work celebrates, interrogates, and explores identity through a character-driven and genre-bending cinematic lens. After immigrating to the United States from Medellín as a teenager, Juan Felipe earned his first industry internship at the Paramount Pictures lot when...
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Steven Fraser

Steven Fraser is an animator, artist and writer who creates short films, comics, zines, performances and installations. They make inventive use of animation, illustration, puppetry and kinetic art to present unique and interesting stories. Steven identifies as queer and autistic and their animation and performance work has been screened and staged at many international film...
Mae Mehra

Mae Mehra

BEING MICHELLE was directed, produced and filmed by the award-winning wife/husband duo Mae Thornton Mehra and Atin Mehra, who spent five years following Michelle and her story. They have been producing social justice and impact driven films together for over 15 years at ORANGE KITE PRODUCTIONS. Mae pulls from her varied background as an oral...
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John Diakakis

John Diakakis, the main subject of the film “Bendix: Site Unseen,” owns and operates the Bendix Diner in Hasbrouck Heights, NJ. He is a blind, single-father of three children: Michael, Dimitri and Tony, who graduated Harvard University in 2022. John is also a stand-up comedian.
Atin Mehra

Atin Mehra

BEING MICHELLE was directed, produced and filmed by the award-winning wife/husband duo Mae Thornton Mehra and Atin Mehra, who spent five years following Michelle and her story. They have been producing social justice and impact driven films together for over 15 years at ORANGE KITE PRODUCTIONS. Atin was born and raised in Varanasi, India where...
Anthony Scalia

Anthony Scalia

Anthony Scalia is an independent filmmaker and video editor. He recently received the lead editor credit on the PBS specials, “All Creatures Great & Small: Between the Pages” and “Endeavour: The Evolution” which were nationally syndicated in 2022. Scalia has also worked as a camera operator for Billboard, The Criterion Collection and the 2023 Oscar-nominated...
Luca Tornatore

Luca Tornatore

Luca Tornatore started working twenty years ago as cam-operator in the ENG troupe. The advent of miniDV and low-cost non-linear editing allowed him to be among the first video makers, and in 2000 he shot his first short film. In 2006 he was one of the first filmmakers to move to high definition. In 2008...
An image of actor Troy Kotsur, bearded white male, wearing a grey hat.

Troy Kotsur

Troy Kotsur has been acting and directing for over 20 years. Deaf since birth, he was raised in Mesa, AZ. In his career he has had critically acclaimed performances in major films, a lead role in the Broadway run of a Tony Award-winning play, and numerous memorable roles on Television. His supporting role in the...
a young woman with long black hair, seated, wearing a white shirt with laced long sleeves.

Janira Obregon

Model, Influencer, former New York Miss Amazing Teen, and activist, Janira Obregon is someone who brings something incredibly special to the world. Obregon graduated high school ranking #4 of 100 seniors from her class, went on to earn her Associate’s in Paralegal Studies from LaGuardia Community College in New York, and later received the first...
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Kara McGrath

Kara McGrath is a writer and editor with over a decade of experience. Her work primarily covers beauty and wellness, with a focus on finding ways to make both industries more inclusive and highlighting less-often-celebrated figures in the space. Kara has been the deputy digital director of Allure since 2019, where she oversees content strategy...
A woman, with above the shoulder platinum blond hair, wearing a red lipstic, leaning her head on her left arm.

Jeanine Lobell

Jeanine Lobell has been a dynamic industry player for over two decades. She is an artist who transcends traditional boundaries, possessing a unique sensibility by combining both creativity and entrepreneurship. Her work has appeared on countless covers from Vogue, W, Vanity Fair, and Harper’s Bazaar and she has worked with Cate Blanchett, Natalie Portman and...
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Terri Bryant

Over the span of my career, I have had the privilege to live both my loves: as an artist, working on-set with models and celebrities; and as an educator, teaching makeup artistry for brands like Dior and Stila, and leading education departments for Smashbox and Josie Maran. It’s exciting to see your art come to...
a young girl with long waivy brown hair, wearing a sleevless black top, looking sideways to the camera, smiling

Natasha Caudill

Natasha Caudill is a 25 year old content creator and disability advocate living in Chicago, IL. She was born with a rare eye disorder and now shares her life through TikTok and Instagram to a following of over 1.4 million. As a completely colorblind person, she shares her passion for makeup and beauty through tutorials...
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Pamela Rae Schuller

Comedian Pamela Rae Schuller is relentlessly funny. Her observations on disability, mental illness, dating, family, and past misadventures have led to brutally honest confessions about what it’s like being 4 foot 6 (and a half) and having a whole lot of Tourette Syndrome. An internationally known disability and mental health advocate and professional stand-up comedian,...
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Marc Fliedner, Esq

Marc serves as the Director of both the statewide PAIMI, Protection & Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness, and PATBI, Protection & Advocacy for people with Traumatic Brain Injury Programs at DRNY. He has been with DRNY since 2017, and previously acted as Director of the PAIR Program. Marc has been committed to and practicing...
Gabriel Lomas

Gabrial Lomas

 Gabriel Lomas, Ph.D., is a Professor of Counseling and Director of Counseling Programs at Gallaudet University. During his career, he has won millions of dollars in federal and state grants to train in integrated healthcare and improve trauma and crisis training. Early in his career, he ran a private practice in Texas where he was...
headshot Lisa Gonzales

Lisa Gonzales

Lisa Gonzales is the Statewide Deaf Access Specialist with the California Department of Developmental Services. Since joining the state service on July 1st, 2022, Lisa has engaged in advocacy, equity, and equality for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. Lisa is an experienced leader with years of non-profit management experience, specifically in organizations providing services to deaf adults and children with intellectual and developmental...
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Dr. Mei Kennedy

Dr. Mei Kennedy has experienced navigating the justice system firsthand while supporting her Deaf father, who was incarcerated for seven and half years in a United States federal prison. She is a 3rd-generation Deaf parent and an advocate of a hearing son with autism. With a doctorate degree in Instructional Design for Online Learning. Dr....
bearded, smiley white male in his 40s wearing a blue sweater.

Matt Kudish

Matt Kudish is the Chief Executive Officer of the National Alliance on Mental Illness of New York City (NAMI-NYC), one of the largest NAMI affiliates which helps families and individuals affected by mental illness build better lives through education, support, and advocacy.     Named to City & State’s “Health Power” list for five consecutive years, Matt is a respected industry...
A man with dark hair and a goatee gives the camera an intense stare.

Gregg Mozgala

Gregg Mozgala has been on stage in various productions on stage with The Public Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club, New York Theatre Workshop, La Mama ETC, Theater Breaking Through Barriers, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival, The Kennedy Center, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company and the Huntington Theatre. He received a Lucille Lortel Award (Best Featured Actor)...
A man wearing a hat, yellow jacket and long scarf smiles at the camera.

Peter Lubell

Peter Lubell is a writer, director, producer, and storyteller. He’s performed on stages from New York to Edinburgh, and his work has appeared in print, on radio, and on television.

Lawrence Carter-Long

A friend and collaborator with ReelAbilities since the beginning, Lawrence Carter-Long is an internationally respected authority on the history and evolution of disability in film and media. He has provided feedback, guidance, curated, or consulted on projects for SAG AFTRA, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Sundance Institute, the American Film Institute, NPR, ITVS,...
A woman with short brown hair sits at the piano, smiling.

Anita Hollander

Anita Hollander, SAG-AFTRA National Chair of Performers with Disabilities, has written & performed work throughout Europe, Asia, Russia and America, in film, TV, and live theatre. Her award-winning original solo musicals Still Standing & Spectacular Falls have played Off-Broadway, at the Kennedy Center, White House, nationally & internationally. Most recent TV appearances include Law &...
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Danielle Pretsfelder Demchick

Danielle Pretsfelder Demchick, CSA (she/her/hers) is an advocate manifesting change in how the real world is reflected in today’s media. An active member of the New York casting community since 2004, she serves as the co-VP of Advocacy for the Casting Society.  Nickelodeon was her casting home for over 14 years. She opened DPD Casting...
A man with brown hair, glasses, and a nasal cannula sits in a wheelchair looking at the camera.

Steve Way

Steve is a 32 year old substitute teacher by day and stand up comedian by night. He was born with muscular dystrophy and is an advocate for disability awareness. Steve performs stand up in the NJ/NY area, motivational speeches around the country, and can be seen in the Hulu show Ramy.
Woman smiling sitting next to a microphone

Harper Spero

Harper Spero is a storyteller and community builder for people living with invisible illness. She’s lived her whole life with Hyper IgE Syndrome, a rare immunodeficiency that took a decade to get diagnosed. After keeping her illness a secret for nearly 30 years and undergoing a life-altering surgery, she decided she could no longer remain...
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Christine Bruno

CHRISTINE BRUNO (AEA / SAG-AFTRA) is an award-winning New York-based actor, teaching artist, and disability equity consultant for the entertainment industry and has worked across the U.S. and internationally. Selected credits include the Off-Broadway world premieres of Mariana Correño King’s Truckers and Bekah Brunstetter’s Public Servant; Jose Rivera’s world premiere adaptation of Genet’s The Maids;...
Faye Ginsburg

Faye Ginsburg

Faye Ginsburg is co-Director of the Center for Disability Studies and Director of the Center for Media, Culture & History at New York University where she is the Kriser Professor of Anthropology. She is author, with Rayna Rapp, of the just released book Disability Worlds, and co-editor of the forthcoming How to be Disabled In...
A young asian woman with long brown hair, wearing white pants and top with a gray suit jacket, seated on a wooden cube, holding light blue and lilach ski poles.

Xian Horn

Xian Horn is a joyful half-Asian woman with Cerebral Palsy, who serves as founder of the non-profit, Give Beauty Wings and consultancy Changeblazer. She is an advocate, speaker, blogger, and Exemplar for the AT&T NYU Connect Ability Challenge in the creation of Assistive Technology. Xian was named Women’s eNews’ 21 Leaders for the 21st Century...
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Heidi Latsky

Heidi Latsky (Artistic Director/Choreographer/ Performer), originally from Montreal, first received recognition as a celebrated principal dancer for the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company (1987-1993). Her experience there profoundly influenced her style and her philosophy of dance as she developed a reputation in her own right as a choreographer for stage, theater, and film. Latsky...

Venues

Virtual event



Brooklyn Heights Library

286 Cadman Plaza W, Brooklyn
NY 11201, Estados Unidos

HERE ARTS CENTER

145 6th Ave, New York
NY 10013, USA
Tel: 212.647.0202
https://here.org
Jacob Burns Film Center

Jacob Burns Film Center

364 Manville Rd, Pleasantville
NY 10570, USA
https://burnsfilmcenter.org/
image of the front entrance of BAM

Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM)

30 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn
NY 11217, USA
Tel: 718.636.4100
https://www.bam.org/
gotham comedy club logo

Gotham Comedy Club

208 W 23rd St, New York
NY 10011, USA
Tel: 212.367.9000
http://gothamcomedyclub.com/
Front of the Maysales Documentary Center building

Maysles Documentary Center

343 Lenox Ave, New York
NY 10027, USA
Tel: 646.853.1296
https://www.maysles.org

Manhattan College Kelly Commons

3900 Waldo Ave, Bronx
NY 10463, USA
DCTV building

DCTV (Firehouse Cinema)

87 Lafayette St, New York
NY 10013, USA
Tel: 212.966.4510
http://www.dctvny.org
Atrium Entrance of Lincoln Center

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts – Stanley H Kaplan Penthouse

165 W 65th St, New York
NY 10023, USA
Tel: 212.875.5375
http://www.lincolncenter.org/

JCC of Staten Island Joan and Alan Bernikow JCC

1466 Manor Rd, Staten Island
NY 10314, USA
Tel: (718) 475-5200
www.sijcc.org
front entrance of Cinema Arts Centre

Cinema Arts Centre

423 Park Ave, Huntington
NY 11743, USA
Tel: 631.423.7610
http://www.CinemaArtsCentre.org