Thu, Feb 29, 2024
- Sat, Mar 2, 2024
North Ave Academic Building [NAAB]
Film festival
$ 5
ReelAbilities New Jersey celebrates the lives, stories and artistic abilities of people with disabilities through award-winning short and feature-length films.
The ReelAbilities Film Festival runs from Thursday, February 29, to Saturday, March 2, 2024. Films can be screened in person at Kean University or viewed virtually from home.
North Avenue Academic Center [NAAB]
Located at the corner of 1000 Morris Ave. and North Ave. in Union, NJ 07083.
Screening 1: Thursday, February 29, at 10:00 am
Screening 2: Thursday, February 29, at 6:00 pm
Screening 3: Friday, March 1, at 6:00 pm
Screening 4: Saturday, March 2, at 2:00 pm
Screening 5: Saturday, March 2, at 6:00 pm
Please note: The auditorium will open approximately 30 minutes prior to the above screening start times. Please plan your arrival and departure times accordingly.
Join us for Jasmine is a Star, Strange, and The Hero.
Jasmine is a Star
Dir. Jo Rochelle
Narrative – Feature
58 min
Jasmine, a 16-year-old with albinism, is determined to become a professional model in her hometown of Minneapolis. As she confronts societal norms and beauty standards, she explores independence and self-acceptance.
https://vimeo.com/828096484
Strange
Documentary – Short
2 mins
Dir. Cameron Carr
animation, autobiography
An animated glimpse into the life of an autistic author exploring friendship, trials and the use of unique coping strategies.
https://youtu.be/4yBQhFo8GUo
The Hero
Narrative – Short
12 min
Dir. Andrew Arguello, Courtney Ropp
Cody, a high school student with Down syndrome and an aspiring comic book artist, escapes from his school bully into his imaginary world of superheroes and villains, until the superhero of his comic helps Cody find his own courage.
https://vimeo.com/828135187
Join us for Being Michelle, Super Powers and Wheels.
Being Michelle
Dir. Atin Mehra
Feature – Documentary
1 hr 20 min
The astonishing 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. https://vimeo.com/828094440
Super Powers
Narrative – Short
8 min
Dir. Chase Fritz
After getting the news that her parents have been arrested for tax evasion, Emily, a struggling community college student, must take over as the primary caregiver for her teenage sister with Down syndrome.
https://vimeo.com/828134878
Wheels
Narrative – Short
6 min
Dir. Smari Gunn
A master burglar gets himself into a tight spot when he discovers the homeowner is in.
https://youtu.be/vY3DELEn_f8
Join us for Straighten Up & Fly Right, Coming Out Autistic and Flirting (With Possibilities)
Straighten Up & Fly Right
Dir. Kristen Abate, Steven Tanenbaum
Narrative – Feature
1 hour 28 min
Twenty-something New Yorker Kristen battles with ankylosing spondylitis, a severe form of arthritis, and is permanently bent over. Dreaming of becoming a famous writer, she instead spends her days watching YouTube and walking dogs for a living. When Kristen’s boss sends her to walk a new client’s dog, she meets Steven, an older man with the same condition. Confronted with a mirror image of their disability, they form a connection that will change them forever.
https://vimeo.com/828100558
Coming Out Autistic
Documentary – Short
4 min
Dir. Steven Fraser
Queer coming out stories are well documented, while telling friends, family, co-workers, and strangers that you are autistic is shown less often. But what is the experience of telling the world that you are autistic when you also identify as LGBTQ+?
https://vimeo.com/828123593
Flirting (With Possibilities)
Narrative Short
18 min
Dir. Garrett Zuercher
Through trial and error, Harley, a deaf man, is determined to figure out the most effective way to flirt with the cute hearing guy he sees in the coffee shop. A glimpse of how it feels to communicate primarily via American Sign Language in a predominantly hearing, speaking, and English-using world.
https://vimeo.com/828126028
Join us for ReelShorts, including Charlie and the Hunt, Trying, Just In Case, 6,000 Waiting, and Act of God.
Charlie and the Hunt (featuring Lauren Ridloff)
Narrative – Short
14 min
Dir. Jenn Shaw
The fantastical journey of Charlie Miles, a girl with a taste for adventure. As a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults), she uses ASL while communicating with her deaf mother and sometimes with her mischievous dog. On a search to find her mother’s missing bracelet, Charlie must face her fears while recovering the sentimental family treasure.
https://vimeo.com/828120672
Trying
Narrative – Short
15 min
Dir. Juan Manuel Montilla “Langui”
Santiago is a father with cerebral palsy that makes him walk with difficulty. Every day he goes to school to look for his son Diego and they walk the same way back, but today it will be different.
https://youtu.be/5QYQD_hDhiI
Just In Case
Narrative – Short
14 min
Dir. Kirsty Robinson-Ward
An exploration of what it’s like to live with bipolar disorder, through the lens of a concerned father and his scared daughter.
https://vimeo.com/828130169
6,000 Waiting
Documentary – Short
30 min
Dir. Michael Joseph McDonald
Three Georgians with cerebral palsy fight to live life on their own terms. But as their families bind together, state policy tries to tear them apart.
https://youtu.be/XTzUJGCn08A
Act of God (featuring Steve Way)
Narrative – Short
22 min
Dir. Spencer Cook, Parker Smith
Stuart’s life is a mess. His caregivers are abandoning him and for good reason: he’s a jerk, a fact that becomes quickly apparent to the new guy tasked with getting him out of bed. Stuart’s commute to work is interrupted by the discovery of a $100 bill lying on the sidewalk, leading him on a chase that forces him to reconsider his toxic ideal of self-sufficiency.
https://vimeo.com/828110621
Illustrating Sam Newton
Narrative – Short
28 min
Dir. Lily Drummond
A viral online photographer wants to remain anonymous in order to hide parts of their identity. When a fan from the other side of the world makes a connection, they learn to accept themself by sharing the universal language of art.
I Am Irani
Documentary – Short
40 min
Dir. Farhad Irani
Farhad, a well-known Iranian photographer, was born with a rare genetic disorder known as Treacher Collins syndrome (TCS), which affects the development of the facial structure. Although TCS has made Farhad stand out all his life, his determination and resilience are what truly set him apart.
https://vimeo.com/828127003
Mike’s Words
Documentary – Short
11 min
Dir. Jared Jacobsen
A man with a rare physical disability creates films that focus on the social aspects of being a minority.
https://vimeo.com/828132268
Thu, Feb 29, 2024
- Sat, Mar 2, 2024
North Ave Academic Building [NAAB]
Film festival
$ 5
ReelAbilities New Jersey celebrates the lives, stories and artistic abilities of people with disabilities through award-winning short and feature-length films.
The ReelAbilities Film Festival runs from Thursday, February 29, to Saturday, March 2, 2024. Films can be screened in person at Kean University or viewed virtually from home.
North Avenue Academic Center [NAAB]
Located at the corner of 1000 Morris Ave. and North Ave. in Union, NJ 07083.
Screening 1: Thursday, February 29, at 10:00 am
Screening 2: Thursday, February 29, at 6:00 pm
Screening 3: Friday, March 1, at 6:00 pm
Screening 4: Saturday, March 2, at 2:00 pm
Screening 5: Saturday, March 2, at 6:00 pm
Please note: The auditorium will open approximately 30 minutes prior to the above screening start times. Please plan your arrival and departure times accordingly.
Join us for Jasmine is a Star, Strange, and The Hero.
Jasmine is a Star
Dir. Jo Rochelle
Narrative – Feature
58 min
Jasmine, a 16-year-old with albinism, is determined to become a professional model in her hometown of Minneapolis. As she confronts societal norms and beauty standards, she explores independence and self-acceptance.
https://vimeo.com/828096484
Strange
Documentary – Short
2 mins
Dir. Cameron Carr
animation, autobiography
An animated glimpse into the life of an autistic author exploring friendship, trials and the use of unique coping strategies.
https://youtu.be/4yBQhFo8GUo
The Hero
Narrative – Short
12 min
Dir. Andrew Arguello, Courtney Ropp
Cody, a high school student with Down syndrome and an aspiring comic book artist, escapes from his school bully into his imaginary world of superheroes and villains, until the superhero of his comic helps Cody find his own courage.
https://vimeo.com/828135187
Join us for Being Michelle, Super Powers and Wheels.
Being Michelle
Dir. Atin Mehra
Feature – Documentary
1 hr 20 min
The astonishing 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. https://vimeo.com/828094440
Super Powers
Narrative – Short
8 min
Dir. Chase Fritz
After getting the news that her parents have been arrested for tax evasion, Emily, a struggling community college student, must take over as the primary caregiver for her teenage sister with Down syndrome.
https://vimeo.com/828134878
Wheels
Narrative – Short
6 min
Dir. Smari Gunn
A master burglar gets himself into a tight spot when he discovers the homeowner is in.
https://youtu.be/vY3DELEn_f8
Join us for Straighten Up & Fly Right, Coming Out Autistic and Flirting (With Possibilities)
Straighten Up & Fly Right
Dir. Kristen Abate, Steven Tanenbaum
Narrative – Feature
1 hour 28 min
Twenty-something New Yorker Kristen battles with ankylosing spondylitis, a severe form of arthritis, and is permanently bent over. Dreaming of becoming a famous writer, she instead spends her days watching YouTube and walking dogs for a living. When Kristen’s boss sends her to walk a new client’s dog, she meets Steven, an older man with the same condition. Confronted with a mirror image of their disability, they form a connection that will change them forever.
https://vimeo.com/828100558
Coming Out Autistic
Documentary – Short
4 min
Dir. Steven Fraser
Queer coming out stories are well documented, while telling friends, family, co-workers, and strangers that you are autistic is shown less often. But what is the experience of telling the world that you are autistic when you also identify as LGBTQ+?
https://vimeo.com/828123593
Flirting (With Possibilities)
Narrative Short
18 min
Dir. Garrett Zuercher
Through trial and error, Harley, a deaf man, is determined to figure out the most effective way to flirt with the cute hearing guy he sees in the coffee shop. A glimpse of how it feels to communicate primarily via American Sign Language in a predominantly hearing, speaking, and English-using world.
https://vimeo.com/828126028
Join us for ReelShorts, including Charlie and the Hunt, Trying, Just In Case, 6,000 Waiting, and Act of God.
Charlie and the Hunt (featuring Lauren Ridloff)
Narrative – Short
14 min
Dir. Jenn Shaw
The fantastical journey of Charlie Miles, a girl with a taste for adventure. As a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults), she uses ASL while communicating with her deaf mother and sometimes with her mischievous dog. On a search to find her mother’s missing bracelet, Charlie must face her fears while recovering the sentimental family treasure.
https://vimeo.com/828120672
Trying
Narrative – Short
15 min
Dir. Juan Manuel Montilla “Langui”
Santiago is a father with cerebral palsy that makes him walk with difficulty. Every day he goes to school to look for his son Diego and they walk the same way back, but today it will be different.
https://youtu.be/5QYQD_hDhiI
Just In Case
Narrative – Short
14 min
Dir. Kirsty Robinson-Ward
An exploration of what it’s like to live with bipolar disorder, through the lens of a concerned father and his scared daughter.
https://vimeo.com/828130169
6,000 Waiting
Documentary – Short
30 min
Dir. Michael Joseph McDonald
Three Georgians with cerebral palsy fight to live life on their own terms. But as their families bind together, state policy tries to tear them apart.
https://youtu.be/XTzUJGCn08A
Act of God (featuring Steve Way)
Narrative – Short
22 min
Dir. Spencer Cook, Parker Smith
Stuart’s life is a mess. His caregivers are abandoning him and for good reason: he’s a jerk, a fact that becomes quickly apparent to the new guy tasked with getting him out of bed. Stuart’s commute to work is interrupted by the discovery of a $100 bill lying on the sidewalk, leading him on a chase that forces him to reconsider his toxic ideal of self-sufficiency.
https://vimeo.com/828110621
Illustrating Sam Newton
Narrative – Short
28 min
Dir. Lily Drummond
A viral online photographer wants to remain anonymous in order to hide parts of their identity. When a fan from the other side of the world makes a connection, they learn to accept themself by sharing the universal language of art.
I Am Irani
Documentary – Short
40 min
Dir. Farhad Irani
Farhad, a well-known Iranian photographer, was born with a rare genetic disorder known as Treacher Collins syndrome (TCS), which affects the development of the facial structure. Although TCS has made Farhad stand out all his life, his determination and resilience are what truly set him apart.
https://vimeo.com/828127003
Mike’s Words
Documentary – Short
11 min
Dir. Jared Jacobsen
A man with a rare physical disability creates films that focus on the social aspects of being a minority.
https://vimeo.com/828132268