2021 ReelAbilities Film Festival Los Angeles

OCTOBER 15-17, 2021

This event has concluded.  Thank you for attending the ReelAbilities Film Festival Los Angeles 2021.  Even with the unique challenges we are all facing this year, your participation made this ReelAbilities Film Festival Los Angeles the most successful to date and that is thanks to each of you.  We hope we have made this year’s festival memorable for you!

ReelAbilities Film Festival: Los Angeles 2021 is a three-day online festival that showcases new and classic films, conversations, and artistic programs, and that explores, embraces, and celebrates the diversity of our shared human experience.  All films are presented with full audio description and closed captioning.  We work together with the public (irrespective of ability) to gain a greater appreciation of quality film across abilities.  We hope you can join us!  Films are blocked for United States only and in Pacific Time Zone.  Live Q&A Sessions and Panel Discussions are open to all.

Digital Program
Festival Flipbook

Film Schedule – Friday, October 15, 2021

Day 1 Events

Go to ReelAbilities Film Festival Los Angeles Eventive for Films and Tickets.

7:00 PM – 7:20 PM: Opening Night Remarks

Click here to access our recorded Opening Night Remarks by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Stephen David Simon from Department on Disability and Actor-Activist Danny Woodburn! Includes American Sign Language and Open Captions

7:30 PM – 8:30 PM

Best Summer Ever

Director: Michael Parks Randa and Lauren Smitelli

USA | 2021 | 80 minutes | English

A colorful collage of characters and sunflowers. Center we have a young woman who uses a wheelchair smiling and looking up at a young man who stands by her side holding her hand. Above and around them are all sorts of characters from the film with sunflowers interwoven between them all against a house with a window where two women peek out on either side. The title of the film is at the bottom and reads BEST SUMMER EVER.Sage (Shannon DeVido) and Anthony (Ricky Wilson, Jr.) had the best summer ever after falling in love at summer camp. By a twist of fate, Sage arrives unexpectedly at the same high school as Anthony at the start of the new school year. Now faced with the drama of cliques, an evil cheerleader, and the illegal secret that keeps Sage’s family on the move, they are forced to re-evaluate their relationship. This history-making musical features eight original songs and a fully integrated cast and crew of people with and without disabilities.

 

9:00 PM – 9:35 PM

Access the Best Summer Ever Q&A YouTube Recording (opens in a new window or tab).

Film Schedule – Saturday, October 16, 2021

Day 2 Events

Go to ReelAbilities Film Festival Los Angeles Eventive for Films and Tickets.

11:00 AM – 12:40 PM: 9 Saturday Shorts Program

PLEASE NOTE:  When pre-ordering a Saturday Short Film you will automatically have access to all 9 Saturday shorts. Please log in to your Eventive and go to “My content library” for the unlocked Saturday Shorts Films.

I’m So Far

Directed by Leo Grandperrett

France | 2021 | 3 minutes | French

Through the thick black bars of a security gate, an older bald Caucasian man wearing a red track suit is using a cane as he walks down an empty graffiti marked alleyway.Sometimes, things that seem simple…just aren’t. The trials of a senior with limited mobility trying to leave his home with the help of some friends.

 

 

Coexist

Directed by Komeil Soheili

Iran | 2020 | 13 minutes | Persian

An overhead perspective of a light pink sandy beach where blue waters turn to white foam as water crashes into drenched pink sand.The title of the film is at the top left corner and reads COEXIST a documentary by Komeil Soheili.

 

Dela is a blind captain living on Hormuz Island in Southern Iran. While geopolitical tensions between Iran and the US rise, he practices a unique method of making bread that uses three unexpected elements from the island.

 

 

 

The Tale of the Golden Sand

Directed by Fred and Samuel Guillaume

France| 2015 |  23 minutes | French

The mythical tale of the sweet town of Merryville, where an unexpected intruder disrupts the daily calm.

 

 

Single

Directed by Ashley Eakin

USA | 2020 | 14 minutes | English

A blonde woman with a bold red lip stick and short hair is standing with a determined look on a city sidewalk. She is wearing a pink mesh top over a black tank and jeans. Over the shoulder of her partial upper arm hangs her purse and in the other arm she is carrying a paper grocery bag.

Kim, who was born with one arm, gets set up on a blind date. When she finally meets Jake, she quickly realizes he also has a physical disability, and she is pissed. An unapologetic perspective on the complexities of being disabled and dating.

 

Jmaxx and the Universal Language

Directed by Ryan Mayers

USA| 2017 | 13 minutes | English

A young African-American boy is in the midst of a dance move at a dance studio. The mirror wall behind him reflects a young Caucasian boy with one of his pants' leg drawn up and is standing against a wall watching the young African-American boy dance.

Jarell is teenager with autism who has learned to use hip-hop dance as a means to communicate his true self to the world.

 

 

Hole

Directed by Gil Goletski

USA | 2020| 6 minutes | English

A cartoon drawing of a blue haired yellow skinned character laying back on his elbows in bed. The white wall bedroom has pink furnitures, a brown desk and chair, and an open closet with a few clothes hanging.

Mo is an adult with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Today, a hole started following them.

 

 

 

Autism in Love

Directed by Michelle Friedline

USA | 2013| 9 minutes | English

A multi-colored rainbow heart has black and white photos of the faces of the 4 central characters in the film. The title reads below: AUTISM IN LOVE.

Autism in Love is a short documentary film profiling R.V Kuser, a clever and dapper man of 50, with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The film follows him as he overcomes his disparate social skills and behaviors and learns to embrace life. R.V and his wife Marlene share secrets about their bond and exemplify unconditional love.

 

Thrive

Directed by Paul Szynol

USA | 2015 | 13 minutes | English

A young African-American boy wearing glasses is playing a grand piano on stage. He faces the direction of the audience while the African-American man in the blue blazer holding the microphone center stage and the wavy haired saxophonist dressed in all black look back towards the young African-American boy.

A short documentary about the prodigious talent and irrepressible spirit of a musically precocious 12 year old blind boy who plays the piano.

 

 

A$$ Level

Directed by Alison Becker

USA | 2019 | 3 minutes 13 seconds | English

A charismatic woman who uses a wheelchair is center stage on the dance floor of a night club. She wears a sequined outfit and performs choreographed dance moves with three other women who use wheelchairs. Behind them, on a raised platform six other dancers of various races and genders dance. On either side of the dance floor, we see the woman’s named spelled out in lights: Santina Muha.Comedian Santina Muha stars in this music video about being at the best level – ASS LEVEL. We want to show the world – through Santina’s incredible humor – that having a disability doesn’t stop you from being the coolest person at the party. With a nod to ‘90s hip-hop, our video goes beyond promoting inclusivity; it celebrates disabled individuals as true badasses whom everyone else loves and even envies. We see Santina roll through the club like a true celebrity – heads turn and cameras flash. And as the song progresses, her pals join her in the party on the dance floor. Everyone’s included.

1:00 PM – 2:10 PM

Enter the Faun

Directed by Tamar Rogoff and Daisy Wright

USA | 2015 | 67 minutes | English | Feature Film

On a theater stage arranged with large boulders and birch trees a Caucasian woman with dark hair is sitting on a rock watching a Caucasian bearded man with faun horns dance with one arm reaching to the air.

 

The unlikely collaboration between a veteran choreographer and a young actor with cerebral palsy delivers astonishing proof that each and every body is capable of miraculous transformation. As Tamar Rogoff trains Gregg Mozgala to dance in her performance, they discover that her lack of formal medical training and his fears and physical limitations are the impetus for her choreography and their unprecedented discoveries. Enter The Faun is the story of a joyous, obsessed journey toward opening night. It challenges the boundaries of medicine and art, as well as the limitations associated with disability.

 

2:20 PM – 3:15 PM

Mind/Game: The Unquiet Journey of Chamique Holdsclaw

Directed by Rick Goldsmith

USA | 2015 | 56 minutes | English | Feature Film

A charismatic woman who uses a wheelchair is center stage on the dance floor of a night club. She wears a sequined outfit and performs choreographed dance moves with three other women who use wheelchairs. Behind them, on a raised platform six other dancers of various races and genders dance. On either side of the dance floor, we see the woman’s named spelled out in lights: Santina Muha.

Billed as the “female Michael Jordan,” basketball phenom Holdsclaw led Tennessee to three successive championships and became a Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) number one pick, Rookie-of-the-Year and All Star. But her hidden struggle with mental illness led to personal setbacks and a second career, as a vocal mental health advocate.

 

Access Sports and Mental Health: Expanding the Disability Lens Panel Discussion YouTube Recording (opens in a new window or tab)

3:30 PM – 5:00 PM

There has recently been increased attention given to the impact of sports on mental health.  Athletes have come out publicly to share their experiences with mental health conditions and the ways in which sports have had a negative impact on them.  That said, sports have also been shown to reduce stress and ease depression.  This panel will explore the complex world of competition and sports and how they intersect with mental health.  It will also examine the intersectionality of mental health and disability.

Moderator:  Garrison Redd

Panelists:  Rick Goldsmith (Filmmaker), Candace Cable, and Leroy F. Moore

Please check your Eventive Ticketing confirmation email for the Zoom details.

Access Talk Accessibility in Hollywood Schmooze Zoom YouTube Recording (opens in a new window or tab)

5:10 PM – 5:40 PM

Actor-Activist Danny Woodburn and Crip Camp’s Jim LeBrecht Talk Accessibility in Hollywood

Join us and participate in a real time discussion of accessibility in front of and behind the camera. Share your thoughts and questions as we explore this increasingly hot topic.

5:45 PM – 7:50 PM

Champions

Directed by Gabriel Arias-Salgado, Alexandra Lebret, Álvaro Longoria, Luis Manso

Spain | 2018 | 119 minutes | Spanish | Feature Film

A low angle shot of a group of men looking down and a bright sky above. One man is motivating them while the others are smiling big or yelling. One man is wearing a helmet and several of them have glasses. Some of them have apparent disabilities. The movie poster reads a very serious comedy by Javier Fesser. The title of the film Champions is in large yellow letters followed by the subtitle in white letters reading when winning is not everything. The last line of the poster lists production agencies.

 

 

Marco is a coach in Spain’s top basketball league. After he is involved in a car crash, he is forced to coach a basketball team of players with intellectual disabilities as community service. With good humor, the team teaches Marco what really matters.

 

 

Campeones

Dirigido por Gabriel Arias-Salgado, Alexandra Lebret, Álvaro Longoria, Luis Manso

España | 2018 | 119 minutos | Español | Largometraje

Un tiro complete de un grupo de hombres que están sonriendo profundamente hace la camera. Un hombre tiene puesto un casco azul, uno detiene un esquí y varios traen puesto lentes. Todos llevan pantalones cortos. Algunos tienen discapacidades aparentes. El cartel de película dice una comedia muy seria de Javier Fesser. El título de la película, Campeones está en letra grande y amarilla. Por arriba del cartel hay múltiples propagandas positivas de la película hechos por los medios. El último liña de cartel tiene una lista de organizaciones productoras.

Marco es un entrenador de la primera liga de baloncesto española. Después de estar involucrado en un choque automotriz, está obligado hace servicio comunitario y entrenar un equipo de baloncesto con jugadores con discapacidades intelectuales. Con mucho humor, el equipo le enseña a Marco sobre lo que realmente importa.

 

 

 

8:00 PM  – 9:35 PM

Deafula (1975) Historical Feature / Midnight Movie

Directed by Peter Wolf

USA | 1975 | 95 minutes | American Sign Language (ASL) | Feature Film

A black and white close up shot of mustached vampire with bright red blood dripping from his mouth. The male vampire has strong and long brows and is eyes are intensely staring off to the side. This image bannered across a dark red background with blurry shadows of buildings. The white text on the poster reads No one can hear you scream. Deafula, the title of the film is in a large dripping white letters.

1975 American horror film done completely in American Sign Language (ASL).  A voice over is provided for those who do not understand sign language. It was the first American Sign Language feature film ever made. The film tells the story of a young man who cannot control his urge to kill people for their blood, and the police investigation searching for the murderer.

The ReelAbilities Film Festival and City of Los Angeles are glad to have restored the original film of Deafula, and create the digital 2k version we are streaming today. This is the filmmakers’ intended version of the film. 

We provide the voice over alternative version of the film as an accessibility accommodation to non-Deaf audiences. It is an early VHS version of low visual quality.  It begins with the following disclaimer from the filmmakers:

“This motion picture was produced for Deaf and hard of hearing audiences. Sign language is totally visual with a unique grammatical structure.  Its interpretation into modern English would destroy much of the effect of this form of communication. With this in mind, we will provide as literal a voice track as possible to help you follow the story.”

 

Access the Deafula Q&A YouTube Recording (opens in a new window or tab)

Film Schedule – Sunday, October 17, 2021

Day 3 Events

Go to ReelAbilities Film Festival Los Angeles Eventive for Films and Tickets.

11:00 AM – 11:30 AM

2021 Easterseals Disability Film Challenge

PLEASE NOTE:  When pre-ordering a Sunday Easterseals Disability Film Challenge you will automatically have access to all 7 Sunday films.  Please log in to your Eventive and go to “My content library” for the unlocked films.

Breaking Cody

Directed by Victoria Elena Nones

USA | 2021 | 5:29 minutes | English

An enlarged image of a small plastic ziplock bag of blue crystal meth on a sapphire blue background. Breaking Cody, the title of the film is top center in bold white text.

 

 

Cody, a disabled drug dealer with Cerebral Palsy, attempts the biggest drug deal of his life on his birthday. Will he succeed? Or will his disabilities prevail?

 

 

 

Extra Special

Directed by Luke Terrel

USA | 2021 | 5:30 minutes | English

Andy Arias, a light skinned Latinx man with brown hair and brown eyes. He is looking to the side and both hands are holding open a snake print zippered jacket showing his bare upper chest and necklaces.

 

 

When promised a tribute in his honor on the St. Louis Walk of Fame, aspiring actor/model Andy Arias leaves his hometown of sunny LA to accept the award in person.

 

 

 

Dwarf-psychosis

Directed by Maria DiDomenico

USA | 2021 | 5:25 minutes | English

A bearded Caucasian male appears to be doing a pull up on a ladder rung of monkey bars while off to the side a male Caucasian Little Person is looking forward and smiling. Both are wearing the same outfit: grey shorts, white t-shirt, and an orange baseball cap.

 

 

Fraternal twins, Peter and Pat, celebrate their 40th birthday with a huge reveal.

 

 

 

Nay Nay Too Bomb

Directed by Maria A. Rodriguez

USA | 2021| 4:12 minutes | English

A low angle view of Nay Nay Too Bomb, a young African American woman, in front of a magenta bugainvilliea tree. She is wearing a tiara and sun glasses, her hair is in twists. Her outfit includes a magenta faux fur jacket, crop top and white pleated bottom. Text reads Nay Nay Too Bomb Defying Toxic Beauty Standards Through Music and Activism A Film by Natalie Trevonne and Marie Alyse Rodriguez.

 

Nay Nay Too Bomb is hot on the scene. She’s a megastar that uses her platform to be a beacon of hip hop and activism.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

The Home Office (The Making of Cartoon HQ) 

Directed by Dani Bowman

USA | 2021 | 5:30 minutes | English

On multiple real life computer screens appear a combination of animated characters ranging from pink haired anime woman, an elf, a dragon breathing flames, and a masked winged villan. The screens are on a desk in front of a window and a plush toy. The movie poster includes the title of the film, The Home Office (The Making of Cartoon HQ) in addition to details on the cast, crew, and supporting agencies.

 

 

Every office has politics, romance, and HR, but it’s just a little different in an animation studio run by cartoon characters during the pandemic and work from home.

 

 

 

Social Fitness

Directed by Anna Pakman

USA | 2021 | 4:40 minutes | English

On an extreme close up of hairy skin a super imposed image of a band aid has text that reads "It's time to rip the bandage of comfort from the hairy back of complacency." Social Fitness, the title of the fime is in bold white letters. Other text reads a film by Anna Pakman, #Social Finess Movie, and lists a number of featured actors.

 

Mimi (Maysoon Zayid) finds herself having to teach “Social Fitness” in this short comedy movie about a post-pandemic world.

 

 

 

 

 

I Solve Problems

Directed by Ari Groobman

USA | 2021 | 4:40 minutes | English

Two Caucasian women are sitting on a geometric patterned green couch in a teal colored room with white drawn curtains, house plant and Asian calligraphy scroll hanging on the wall. The woman in a white buttoned shirt and pulled back red hair is smiling. The blond woman with shoulder length hair is wearing a grey sweatshirt and headphones. She is giving the red headed woman a look while leaning her upper body as far away a she can get while sitting next her on the couch.

When you don’t know who to turn to, sometimes you need to call in a little help. My name is Winona, I solve problems.

 

 

Join us for a Live Zoom Panel Discussion!

11:40 AM – 12:40 PM

With Nic Novicki, Founder and Director of Easterseals Disability Film Challenge

Please check your Eventive Ticketing confirmation email for the Zoom details.

Join us for a Live Zoom Panel Discussion!

1:00 PM – 2:30 PM

Are You Disabled Enough?: Non-Apparent Disabilities

Not every disability is apparent and those with non-apparent disabilities struggle with different issues than those with apparent disabilities. There is a lot of stigma and judgment even within the disability community. This panel will explore what non-apparent disabilities are, and how media representation of non-apparent disabilities can help and harm individuals living with said disabilities.

RAFFLA Partner ADA Lead On Productions and Lights! Camera! Access! (LCA) proudly present this panel about Non-Apparent Disabilities in the Media.

Moderator: Dominik Evans

Panelists: Anita Cameron, Dylan Lazaga, Gwyn LaRee, Nina G, and Trelanda “Tree” Lowe

Please check your Eventive Ticketing confirmation email for the Zoom details.

Access Disability, Equity, and Inclusion Spotlight: WarnerMedia Schmooze Zoom YouTube Recording (opens in a new window or tab)

2:40 PM – 3:10 PM

Actor Activist Danny Woodburn schmoozes with Kathy Le Backes and Diana Theobald, the Senior Directors of programs and content for WarnerMedia’s Equity & Inclusion team. (Pre-recorded)

3:15 PM – 4:30 PM

That Which is Possible

Directed by Michael Gitlin

USA | 2015 | 84 minutes | English

In a brighlty lit room that is cluttered with a collection of electic items, art, and art supplies an older man with glasses, long balding grey hair is arranging flowers while standing at a table.A community of painters, sculptors, musicians, and writers make work at the Living Museum, an art space on the grounds of a large state-run psychiatric facility in Queens. Shot over the course of two years and structured across the arc of a day, the film observes with an intimate lens and unspools like a musical, both bracing and tender. It explores the liberation and healing that creativity can offer those drawn together by shared struggle. It points to a more humane and holistic approach to mental illness, and to the joy of transforming society itself.

Access That Which is Possible Q&A YouTube Recording (opens in a new window or tab)

5:30 PM – 7:05 PM

Gurrumul

Directed by Paul Damien Williams

Australia | 2015 | 96 minutes | English

Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, an indigenous artist blind since birth, sits on a wooden chest holding his guitar. He has a dark grey photography scrim hanging behind him. The title of the film: GURRUMUL is at the bottom of the poster.Indigenous artist Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu was one of the most important and celebrated voices to ever come out of Australia. Blind from birth, he found purpose through music. His breakthrough album ‘Gurrumul’ brought him to the brink of global acclaim as he struggled to find balance, living a traditional Yolngu life while keeping his show on the road.

 

Access Gurrumul Q&A YouTube Recording (opens in a new window or tab)

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