ReelAbilities Film Festival Columbus

ReelAbilities Film Festival Columbus

ReelAbilities is a groundbreaking film festival that promotes awareness and appreciation of lives, stories and artistic expressions of people with different abilities, all through the easily accessible art form of film.

Click Here to Visit Us @ ReelAbilities International

Upcoming Films

november

20nov1:00 pm3:00 pmReelAbilities Shorts Festival featuring...

Event Details

AIMEE VICTORIA

DIRECTED BY CHRYSTEE PHARRIS

11 Min | American Sign Language (ASL) | USA | | Narrative

Short

City Premiere

On the day of their anniversary, a couple, separated by lockdown, finds their relationship tested. A story about the power of love in the toughest of times. In partnership with AMC Network.

DWARFO-PSYCHOSIS

DIRECTED BY MARIA DIDOMENICO

5 Min | English | USA | | Narrative

Short | Open Captions | Audio Description

City Premiere | Audio Description produced by: AMC Network | Open Captions produced by: AMC Network

As fraternal twins Peter and Pat celebrate their 40th birthday, a huge twist is revealed. In partnership with AMC Network.

HOLD ON TO ME

DIRECTED BY LUCA ARCIDIACONO

20 Min | Italian | Italy | | Narrative

Short | Open Captions | Audio Description

City Premiere

Filippo did not expect to have to spend the day with Alice, a charming young girl with Down syndrome he meets on a train. On their journey, an unexpected bond forms between the two. In partnership with AMC Network.

BORDERLINE COFFEE

DIRECTED BY JEFF AYARS

10 Min | English | USA | | Narrative

Short | Open Captions | Audio Description

City Premiere | Audio Description produced by: AMC Network | Open Captions produced by: AMC Network

A young woman overtaken by anxiety battles through her inner thoughts when she sets out to accomplish what would seem to be a simple task: a cup of coffee. In partnership with AMC Network.

THE MULTI

DIRECTED BY STORM SMITH, NATASHA OFILI

18 Min | English, American Sign Language (ASL) | USA | | Narrative

Short | Open Captions | Audio Description

City Premiere | Audio Description produced by: AMC Network | Open Captions produced by: AMC Network

An isolated deaf woman fights to maintain control when past demons threaten to destroy the world of order she has built. In partnership with AMC Network. Content Warning: Implied abuse, psychological trauma

SIGNS AND GESTURES

DIRECTED BY ITANDEHUI JANSEN

12 Min | English, American Sign Language (ASL) | UK | | Narrative

Short | Open Captions | Audio Description

City Premiere | Audio Description produced by: AMC Network | Open Captions produced by: AMC Network

Clara, a blind florist, has been chatting with Simon through a dating app. They arrange to meet in person. However, during their first date, an unexpected misunderstanding arises. In partnership with AMC Network.

Time

(Sunday) 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Location

Wexner Center for the Arts

1871 N High St

Learn More

Calendar GoogleCal

january

22jan1:00 pm2:30 pmIMPERFECT

february

19feb1:00 pm3:00 pmAnimated Shorts Festival in Two Parts

Event Details

Children’s Festival Line-Up

WAWEL DRAGON

DIRECTED BY CAMERON CARR

6 Min | English | UK | | Narrative

Short | Open Captions | Audio Description

City Premiere | Audio Description produced by: AMC Network | Open Captions produced by: AMC Network

An animated retelling of the classic Polish folktale by Cameron Carr (Strange), Wawel Dragon features a dragon, knights, and the unexpected heroism of a simple shoemaker. Supported by AMC Network. Content Warning: Cartoon violence

A CRITTER FABLE

DIRECTED BY GRACE FISHER

8 Min | English | USA | | Narrative

Short | Open Captions | Audio Description

City Premiere

A caterpillar who can’t become a butterfly discovers he can still add color to the world in his own special ways. Featuring music and artwork by Amazing Grace star Grace Fisher, with critters created by children with disabilities in Santa Barbara. Supported by AMC Network.

girls with blonde curly hair facing a small in process landscape painting on an easel on her desk with paints and brushes. She is holding a brush in her mouth to paint

A MORNING WITH AROHA

DIRECTED BY NICHOLAS RIINI

11 Min | English | New Zealand | | Narrative

Short

City Premiere | Audio Description produced by: AMC Network | Open Captions produced by: AMC Network

Aroha, an imaginative young girl with Down syndrome, sets out to share her creativity with her neighbors. In partnership with AMC Network.

close up of light skinned girl with Down syndrome looking up and to the right. The left side of her face is shaded and she has a thoughtful expression

LOUIS’ SHOES

DIRECTED BY THÉO JAMIN, KAYU LEUNG, MARION PHILIPPE, JEAN-GÉRAUD BLANC

5 Min | French | France | | Narrative

Short | Open Captions | Audio Description

City Premiere | Audio Description produced by: AMC Network | Open Captions produced by: AMC Network

Louis, an 8-and-a-half year old autistic boy, introduces himself at his new school in this imaginative tale about difference and acceptance. Supported by AMC Network.

FREEBIRD

DIRECTED BY MICHAEL JOSEPH MCDONALD, JOE BLUHM

5 Min | English | Canada | | Narrative

Short | Open Captions | Audio Description

City Premiere | Audio Description produced by: AMC Network | Open Captions produced by: AMC Network

A boy with Down Syndrome learns to navigate the world with a loving mother, an absent father, a classroom bully, and a life-long crush. In partnership with AMC Network.

Animated Shorts

THE BODY IS A HOUSE OF FAMILIAR ROOMS

DIRECTED BY ELOISE SHERRID, LAURYN WELCH

10 Min | English | USA | | Documentary

Short | Open Captions | Audio Description

City Premiere | Audio Description produced by: AMC Network | Open Captions produced by: AMC Network

A magical-realist exploration of the life of a man with chronic illness through footage and paintings. In partnership with AMC Network.

LOCKDOWN TALE

DIRECTED BY CAMERON CARR, MARIE TRUDOLUBOVA

6 Min | English | UK | | Documentary

Short | Open Captions | Audio Description

City Premiere | Audio Description produced by: AMC Network | Open Captions produced by: AMC Network

A behind-the-scenes documentary on the making of Wawel Dragon. When the pandemic forces his university’s studios to shut down, animation student Cameron Carr sets to work creating his very own studio in his bedroom. Supported by AMC Network.

PROSOPAGNOSIA

DIRECTED BY STEVEN FRASER

10 Min | English | UK | | Documentary

Short | Open Captions | Audio Description

City Premiere | Audio Description produced by: AMC Network | Open Captions produced by: AMC Network

Unraveling sketchbooks, photographs and diaries with unique animation, Prosopagnosia explores what it means to live with face-blindness and autism, and investigates concepts of intimacy, communication and memory. Supported by AMC Network.

BEAUTIFUL

DIRECTED BY MULAN FU

6 Min | Chinese | USA | | Narrative

Short | Open Captions | Audio Description

City Premiere | Audio Description produced by: AMC Network | Open Captions produced by: AMC Network

A teenage girl undergoes a transformative growth as she witnesses her mother’s fight against breast cancer. In partnership with AMC Network.

Time

(Sunday) 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Location

Wexner Center for the Arts

1871 N High St

Learn More

Calendar GoogleCal

march

26mar1:00 pm3:00 pmNo Bone: Scars of Survival

april

30apr1:00 pm3:00 pmMove Me

Past Films

light skinned woman with long blonde hair and bangs sitting in a dressing room with an open magazine looking away from the magazine to the left of the screen

Verisimilitude

SYNOPSIS: An unemployed disabled actress is frustrated that all the disabled acting roles go to able-bodied actors. She gets a job as an advisor to a spoilt up-and-coming British film star, advising him on how to be disabled for his latest role, which might just win him a BAFTA. CREDITS: Directed by David Proud Title:VerisimilitudeCategory:ShortGenre:dramaRunning […]

linda sibio portrait with two images of her face in front of papers with handwriting on them

Artist Workshop “The Insanity Principles” with Linda Sibio

Taught by painter and performance artist Linda Carmella Sibio, this workshop includes a variety of multilayered psychological techniques, developed by Sibio, tapping into memory, play, and personal narrative as a source for art making.

man with short brown hair holding his hand to his ear. He is wearing a blue and purple feather patterned shirt and standing against a background with the same pattern. Our his head in white letters is the word Deafinition

Deafinition

SYNOPSIS: A personal look into the inner world of Peter, a deaf man, and his experiences in his day-to-day social interactions. With comedy and creativity, we learn about Paul’s reality and perspective. CREDITS: Directed by Nicole Miller Title: Deafinition Category: Short Genre: comedy Running Time: 8 minutes Country: Australia Year: 2020 Language: English

three actors in 1950s dress sitting around a table with glasses of beer on it

Mad to be Normal

David Tennant of Doctor Who fame stars as 1960’s celebrity psychiatrist R.D.Laing who revolutionised the treatment of people diagnosed as ‘mad’. ‘Mad To Be Normal’ reveals the story of R.D. Laing, the famous psychiatrist and one of Scotland’s greatest ever minds. Working out of Kingsley Hall in East London throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Laing […]

No Ordinary Hero: The Super Deafy Movie

Join us Wednesday, October 11th for a screening of the film No Ordinary Hero: The Super Deafy Movie. A deaf actor playing a superhero on a television show looks beyond his cape to help a deaf boy believe in himself. 6pm Happy Hour, Torpedo Room 7pm Film & Panel Discussion Professor Bill Bauer from Marietta […]

Crutch

Title: Crutch Category: Feature, Documentary Genre: Sport, Skateboarding, Disability, Dance Running Time: 93 minutes Country: U.S.A. Year: 2021 Language: English SYNOPSIS: Crutch chronicles the life of artist Bill Shannon, an internationally renowned breakdancer and skateboarder on crutches, as he uses his performance art skills to shine light on his prowess and power, tearing apart the […]

woman with light skin and blonde hair photographed from the chest up in a black bra top laying on her back with her arms bent above her shoulders

Move Me

DIRECTED BY KELSEY PETERSON, DANIEL KLEIN 81 Min | English | USA | | Documentary Feature | Open Captions | Audio Description City Premiere At 27, dancer Kelsey Peterson dove into Lake Superior and emerged paralyzed. Now, she faces the opportunity to dance again, as she works to redefine who she is and rediscover hope […]

film still of light-skinned blonde woman with one typical arm and one arm missing from the elbow down in a pink cropped top with red roses walking down the street with stores and palm trees in the background

Single

SYNOPSIS: 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. CREDITS: Directed by Ashley Eakin Title: Single Category: Short Genre: Rom-Com […]

man in cowboy hat playing guitar on stage with drum kit in background

Blue Spectrum Virtual Concert

In conjunction with the film, ReelAbilities is thrilled to bring you a live concert from Columbus band, Blue Spectrum. Being livestreamed from the Lazy Chameleon 4028 Presidential Pkwy Powell, Oh 43065. Tune in on the ReelAbilities Columbus Facebook page on June 17, at 7PM. About the Band It was always Zayne Harshaw’s dream to have […]

Strange

SYNOPSIS: An animated glimpse into the life of an autistic author exploring friendship, trials, and the use of unique coping strategies. CREDITS: Directed by Cameron Carr Title: Strange Category: Short, Documentary Genre: animation Running Time: 3 minutes Country: United Kingdom Year: 2020 Language: English