Streaming film fest spotlights people with disabilities - Boston Herald

A pioneer in recognizing how people with disabilities are portrayed, this week’s 13th Reelabilities Film Festival begins virtual streaming and accessibility Thursday.

“We used to claim our festival would someday become irrelevant,” said co-founder Isaac Zablocki, 44. “There is still a great need for Reelabilities and its mission with diversity and inclusion.”

This film festival began as an offshoot at Manhattan’s JCC Center. “I saw the goal that films should be woven into the community and serve as education.

“At a certain point we showed some films on the topic of disability and once you show one, others start coming in. I saw I had a whole stack of DVDs, important films not being shown anywhere else and there were enough here for a high-quality festival. This is 15 years ago.”

With Reelabilities, “we tried to create something new and we were the only ones presenting films like this.”

Proof, if any is needed, of the impact films on the disabled can have is the recent “Crip Camp,” an Oscar nominee as Best Documentary Feature. “That was most notable example of the cultural change that’s happened. We’ve known the ‘Crip Camp’ filmmakers for years; they were working with us on the creation of the film that went on to premiere at Sundance and then be shown on Netflix.”

Reelabilities hasn’t just blossomed, it’s exploded. “We get 500 submissions every year. One year we let everybody submit — for free — and that was way too many.

“So we have a fee with the submission and make it clear which films could be submitted. Many are fantastic but we’re a boutique fest.”

Each years Reelabilities selects 11 to 13 films and 15 to 20 short films. “We have to say no to a lot of amazing disability films.”

What works best are “stories that are more progressive in their portrayals of disability. We applaud those that are first person. All the films this year are ‘authentic,’ by and about people with disabilities.”

Opening night is “Best Summer Ever,” a teen musical that boasts a Hollywood Who’s Who behind the scenes: Maggie Gyllenhaal, Peter Sarsgaard, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ted Danson, Amy Brenneman, Mary Steenburgen.

“It’s the best example of the creation and process of a film that is being made by people with disabilities along with people without disability,” Zablocki said. “We talk a lot about diversity. This is a film that is actually practicing what it preaches. That’s rare to see onscreen — and never on this level.”

All festival films are available nationwide: reelabilities.org/newyork/

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