ReelAbilities Film Festival: Northern Virginia is dedicated to promoting awareness and appreciation of the lives, stories and artistic expressions of people with disabilities.
Each year, this dynamic festival, powered by the Pozez Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia, presents both domestic and international award-winning films paired with interactive programming that gives us a new perspective and highlights the vibrant personalities, realities, and extraordinary abilities of people. Through film, art, and discussion, ReelAbilities Film Festival: Northern Virginia brings together the community to explore, embrace, and celebrate the diversity of our shared human experience.
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OPENING NIGHT · Film, food, and cheer! Cheers of JOY is the compelling story of a group of special young women in search of inclusion, dignity and respect. It is an intimate portrait of team JOY, the Special Olympics cheerleading team from Montgomery County, Maryland, and the dedication and commitment of its head coach to help these young women gain confidence and inclusion. We see this evolve as the team strives to bring the sport of cheerleading to the world stage. The film takes you along on their journey as they experience triumph over challenges in life and on their road to The World Games. Cheers of JOY will make you laugh it will make you cry, and most of all it will make you cheer. Sponsored by the Law Office of Michael D. Toobin, P.C.
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MOANA In Ancient Polynesia, when a terrible curse incurred by the Demigod Maui reaches Moana’s island, she answers the Oceans call to seek out the Demigod to set things right. Location: Imagination Stage – The Christopher and Dana Reeve Theatre 5:45pm Families can do a craft to create and decorate their own shaker drums
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MIND/GAME: THE UNQUIET JOURNEY OF CHAMIQUE HOLDSCLAW Billed as the “female Michael Jordan”, basketball phenom Holdsclaw led Tennessee to three successive championships and became a WNBA number-one pick, Rookie of the Year and All-Star. But her hidden struggle with mental illness led to personal setbacks and a second career as a vocal mental health advocate.
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DEEJ DJ Savarese (Deej) finds comfort in words, as expressed by his poetry, spoken through a text-to-voice synthesizer. Adopted by a loving and supportive family, Deej navigates the college admissions process as a young adult on the autism spectrum, while confronting obstacles to inclusion. This film is co-sponsored by Beth El Hebrew Congregation and Agudas Achim Congregation. 4-5:15 Film screening Popcorn and light refreshments provided by Beth El’s Brotherhood. Questions: Contact Beth El Hebrew Congregation, 703-370-9400.
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DEAF JAM Aneta Brodski seizes the day; a deaf Israeli teen boldly enters the spoken word slam scene. In a wondrous twist she meets Tahani, a hearing Palestinian slam poet and they embark on a collaboration/performance duet – creating a new form of slam poetry that speaks to both the hearing and the deaf. |
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PORTRAITS OF YOUTH: SHORT FILMS JMAXX AND THE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE CODA UNTEACHABLE |
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THE DRUMMER AND THE KEEPER Gabriel is the drummer of an up and coming rock band in Dublin, barely keeping a handle on his drinking and depression. Forced into therapy, he strikes up an unlikely friendship with a teen with Asperger's. What follows is a winning, completely unpredictable story of finding family. |
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REEL INDEPENDENCE: SHORT FILMS SHAKESPEARE IN TOKYO INNER FLAME (I TO EYE) TAKE ME TO THE WAVES
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HEARTS OF GLASS · Popcorn provided by Blossom Daily Café This film follows the tumultuous first 15 months of the operating of Vertical Harvest (VH), a state-of-the-art hydroponic greenhouse that provides local crops as well as employment for people with disabilities. Plants and people grow together in this intimate portrait of innovation, inclusion, and community. Participants in the Resource Fair:
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GURRUMUL A portrait of world music phenomenon Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, a blind indigenous artist on the brink of international reverence. Possessing a deep reserve of musical talent, he struggles with balancing his personal life and keeping the show on the road.
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CLOSING NIGHT: REEL CREATIVITY: SHORT FILMS IAN, A MOVING STORY SHAKE WITH ME LIVING ART Closing night and gallery reception. |
SILVER
Law Office of Michael D. Toobin, P.C.
The Joey Pizzano Memorial Fund
BRONZE
Susan and Andy Baldwin
Belkowitz Law, PLLC
Julie Wallick and David Selden
FRIENDS
ArtStream, Inc.
Stefani and Ariel Cuschnir
Debra Vodenos and Samuel Boxerman
Dawn and Jack Kaye
The Washington Group Special Care Planning Team
Deborah and David Yaffe
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
The Arc of Northern Virginia
RespectAbility
MEDIA SPONSOR
OPENING AND CLOSING NIGHT RECEPTIONS
Sponsored in part by The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington
SUPPORTERS
Margery and Joseph Hoffman
Nancy Reder
Show your support of this remarkable disability awareness program by joining the ReelAbilities Film Festival Family! Bring a group, volunteer at the films, or start a conversation about sponsorship opportunities. Contact Madeline Hintz.
Learn more about ways to partner with us!
ReelAbilities Film Festival is the largest festival in the US dedicated to promoting awareness and appreciation of the lives, stories and artistic expressions of people with different disabilities. Founded in NY in 2007, the festival presents award-winning films by and about people with disabilities in multiple locations throughout each hosting city.
Since then, ReelAbilities events have been held in over 20 cities across the world – transitioning from ReelAbilities North America to ReelAbilities International. Post-screening discussions and other engaging programs bring together the community to explore, discuss, embrace, and celebrate the diversity of our shared human experience. Since its start, ReelAbilities has consistently received an increasing number of outstanding film submissions from around the globe.
ReelAbilities strives for inclusion and offers many accommodations. All films are captioned or subtitled (unless otherwise noted) and all venues are wheelchair accessible. We also offer audio description, open captions, and ASL interpretation for select events upon request.