United Spinal was excited to be a supporting partner in the first annual RealAbilities New York Disabilities Film Festival. Presented by the Jewish Community Council (the JCC) with support from The United Jewish Appeal Federation, the festival presented seven films, two documentaries and one short at eleven different venues in New York City and its surrounding suburbs. Over 1200 moviegoers attended the three-day festival, a sign of both the hunger and support for films created by people with disabilities, starring them, or at the very least offering realistic portrayals of our lives.
This focus was a success, with stars like Sigourney Weaver giving a moving performance as an autistic woman dealing with personal tragedy in Snow Cake, while Mat Fraser (who has phocomelia) and three-foot six Lisa Hammond formed a groundbreaking couple in the romantic crowd-pleaser Every Time You Look at Me.
“We hope to raise awareness of the issues facing people with disabilities while also providing an outlet for artists with disabilities to showcase their work,” said festival codirector and cofounder Isaac Zablocki. “We’ve already begun planning for next year’s festival and hope to receive financing and sponsorships that can help us grow this important event,” Zablocki continued.
In addition to screenings of high-quality work, the festival offered meaningful interactions between festival-goers and creative personnel from almost all of the festival’s entrants. The second day of the festival was highlighted by a Q&A session with Ms. Weaver herself. The time she gave to the audience and the probing questions regarding disability and film made for a very rewarding experience.
With content concerning a wide variety of disabilities and work produced by members of the disability community itself, the RealAbilities Film Festival is off to a great start. The Festival should become a staple of both the film and disability communities in coming years. At United Spinal, we look to continue our support of this outstanding event.
