16th Annual ReelAbilities Film Festival: New York.

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Parent Category: Film Festivals

Category: Previews

Published on Tuesday, 02 April 2024 19:22

Written by Brad Balfour

 

Since 2007 the ReelAbillities Film Festival has presented films by and about people with disabilities and it is continuing that proud tradition for the 16th edition of the festival. Running April 3 to the 10th at various venues in NYC and online, the mission statement of the ReelAbillities Film Festival is “celebrating disability, promoting inclusion, and advancing accessibility through film.” 

The opening night film is Ezra which follows Max Bernal (Bobby Cannavale), a stand-up comedian living with his father (Robert De Niro), while struggling to co-parent his autistic son Ezra (introducing William Fitzgerald) with his ex-wife (Rose Byrne). When forced to confront difficult decisions about their son’s future, Max and Ezra embark on a cross-country road trip that has a transcendent impact on both their lives. Daruma is a film about a day-drinking, unemployed paraplegic Patrick finds out he is the father of a 4-year-old girl he never knew existed, he enlists the help of his double amputee veteran neighbor Robert to drive him and his newfound daughter across the country to live with her maternal grandparents. In the closing night film, Good Bad Things, Danny is a young man with muscular dystrophy who steps out of his comfort zone and into the world of online dating after being disillusioned by failed relationships. An unexpected match with Madi, an enigmatic photographer, challenges him to be vulnerable and sparks a profound journey of self-acceptance, discovering the extraordinary beauty of his unique body.

All film screenings will be followed by a conversation with guest filmmakers, protagonists and other guests. In addition to the opening night VIP guests, some notable guests include Amy Smart (Varsity Blues, Starship Troopers), Brett Dier (Jane the Virgin), Abigail Hawk (Blue Bloods), and Tobias Forrest (How To Get Away with Murder, Wisdom of the Crowd). This year will also include an expanded edition of its successful Crip Script Pitch Competition, to include both fiction and non-fiction film and TV projects in development, and a section for projects in completion / rough-cut stage with a cash prize supported by the Loreen Arbus Foundation.

To learn more, go to: https://reelabilities.org/newyork/

ReelAbillities Film Festival: New York
April 3 - 10, 2024

Venues throughout New York and Online