With one-in-five people having a disability in the U.S. today, lack of representation—just 2.2 percent of characters in the 100 top-grossing films of 2023—means that millions of people are unable to see themselves reflected in media. The DC/DOX ’25 Film Festival, taking place June 12-15, is highlighting several disability-inclusive films. DC/DOX is a vibrant documentary [click to continue...]
The Bentonville Film Festival (BFF), taking place June 16-22, is highlighting several disability-inclusive films. Chaired by Academy Award winner Geena Davis, BFF champions women and diverse voices. According to festival programmers, 12% of the films in the competition categories have a director who identifies as disabled. In addition, 17% of these films include a lead [click to continue...]
Film Takes Home Two Slamdance Awards, Underscoring Relevance of Film Today Cameron S. Mitchell’s documentary feature Disposable Humanity premiered during the 2025 Slamdance Film Festival in Los Angeles. This film took home the 2025 Slamdance Unstoppable Feature Honorable Mention as well as a 2025 Audience Award, voted on by Slamdance attendees, underscoring the relevance of [click to continue...]
The 2025 Slamdance Film Festival has moved to Los Angeles to enhance accessibility for filmmakers and attendees. Seven of the 2025 Slamdance films were created by or feature Disability Belongs™ Lab alumni. Learn more about disability-inclusive films screening at the festival.
“I became an advocate without knowing it at first. I was thrust into it, but that was okay.” Marlee Matlin found herself as an advocate and role model early on in her career within the entertainment industry. When Matlin starred in “Children of a Lesser God” in 1986, many other deaf individuals were finally seeing [click to continue...]
At face value, “Life After” starts with a story about Elizabeth Bouvia, a disabled woman from California who sought the right to die in 1983. However, Bouvia’s impact – and “Life After” as a result – is about so much more, including: the lack of accessible, affordable, quality healthcare; ableist views portraying disabled people in [click to continue...]
While the new documentary film “Deaf President Now!” covers an important event from disability rights history, its recent premiere highlights that Deaf and other disabled individuals are continuing to fight to not be treated as “less than.” “Deaf President Now!” tells the story of the 1988 eight-day protest against a 124-year-old history of only hiring [click to continue...]
In the short film “Unholy,” writer/director Daisy Friedman artfully showcases Noa, a young adult with short bowel syndrome who uses a feeding tube while not being able to eat any solid food, as an individual who can manage the physical aspects of her disability but is confronting how her disability affects other areas of her [click to continue...]
On the surface, writer/director Chelsea Christer’s short film “Out for Delivery” adds a comedic, yet realistic, lens to what it means for someone to choose to die with dignity. As viewers delve deeper, however, Christer’s film showcases the importance of having human connections in a world where it is so easy to be isolated. In [click to continue...]
Writer/Director Joanna Fernandez’s short film “The Things We Keep” examines the impact of Alzheimer’s and OCD through the genre of horror, allowing viewers to learn how both Alzheimer’s and OCD affect not only the individual, but their family members as well. Fernandez creates a powerful narrative while using both horror and magical realism as a [click to continue...]
