ReelAbilities Film Festival: New York Lifts Voices Onto the Screen

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Parent Category: Film Festivals

Category: Previews

Published on Friday, 21 April 2023 15:37

Written by Brad Balfour

Pushing Boundaries

Since 2007 ReelAbilities Film Festival: New York has grown to become the largest festival in the United States dedicated to promoting awareness and appreciation of the lives, stories, and artistic expressions of people with disabilities. Now in it’s 15th annual installment, ReelAbilities Film Festival: New York will be running April 27 to May 3 as an in person and online festival. 

The opening night celebration, held at Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan (334 Amsterdam Ave) honors 2022’s Academy Award winner for Best Supporting Actor, Troy Kotsur (CODA) as the recipient of the ReelAbilities 2023 Spotlight Award. On April 28th is the Remembering Judith Heumann spotlight event, celebrating the life and legacy of the notable disability activist, who passed away earlier this year with film excerpts and personal stories The second annual Industry Accessibility Summit features industry professionals discussing topics of inclusion, representation, and accessibility in the film industry and performing arts. 

Films being screened include the documentary Being Michelle, the 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 committed to thriving in a broken system and forging a path to healing. Pushing Boundaries follows the Ukrainian Paralympic National Team  who lose their training base due to the Russian annexation of Crimea. The film tracks the team’s fight to qualify for the upcoming games under poor training conditions as they push themselves to the limit against a backdrop of global political turmoil. Along with feature films the fest includes shorts and animated works from filmmakers around the world.

“Disability arts is experiencing a revolution, and we are proud to help amplify the need for equity along with the Mayor’s Office for Media and Entertainment, who are taking a leading role in planning our Industry Summit,” said Isaac Zablocki, Director and co-founder of ReelAbilities Film Festival. “ReelAbilities takes us beyond the films and dives deeper into the themes of the festival through conversations and artistic presentations. We pride ourselves in raising the bar on accessibility and leading the art world's standard for inclusivity.”

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

ReelAbilities Film Festival: New York
April 27 - May 3, 2023

Screened online and at

Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
334 Amsterdam Ave
New York, NY 10023

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