In a world where mental health is often stigmatized and misunderstood, the writer and director of “Heightened,” Sara Friedman, takes viewers on a transformative journey. The film, which is part of the 2023 Dances with Films festival, dives into what it is like to live with anxiety and borderline obsessive-compulsive disorder. As we are introduced [click to continue...]
Receiving an Meta Quest VR (virtual reality) headset as a Christmas gift in 2020 brought me immense excitement, primarily for the wide array of games and virtual experiences it offered. However, little did I know that this device would lead me beyond the realm of gaming and introduce me to an entirely new realm of [click to continue...]
Kaamilah Gilyard always dreamed of becoming an actress. Just when she was getting ready to show the world her talents, she was diagnosed with Lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease that causes the immune system to attack the body. Her journey with Lupus has not been easy and has affected every aspect of her life, including [click to continue...]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwAzyEcXiKk The 2023 Easterseals Disability Film Challenge short film “Free As the Wind” is a beautifully crafted and heartwarming love story that showcases simplicity and creativity at its best. The film was created as part of the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge, where filmmakers have just five days to write and produce a short film of [click to continue...]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRqAt6iDFTE Nader Bahu is a self-taught filmmaker who has produced 19 short films, four of which were created for the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge. His latest entry is “Unexpected Date,” a romantic comedy he wrote and directed. Founded by Nic Novicki, the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge is an annual five-day competition in which filmmakers must [click to continue...]
As a person with a disability, I understand the challenges of air travel and the importance of proper accommodations. Recently, I had an experience with a well-known airline that left me feeling disregarded and mistreated. I planned to attend the Slamdance Film Festival in Salt Lake City as the founder of the Unstoppable Program, a [click to continue...]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObeHmWsyshM Supreme Models is an amazing series that pays tribute to the trailblazing Black models who changed the fashion industry forever. Through heartfelt interviews that reintroduce iconic models like Donyale Luna and Pat Cleveland, viewers get a glimpse into what it took for them to break through the oppressive culture of racism and colorism in [click to continue...]
Juliet Romeo is the founder of Slamdance Film Festival’s “Unstoppable” program that encourages disability inclusion across all levels of filmmaking. As a writer and director, she crafts unique narratives from the perspective of a Caribbean woman of color living with a disability.
