Authentic Disability Storytelling of the Indie Film Industry and Beyond
Buckle up, buttercups. Here's my run down of disability represented authentically in indie film festivals for the first half of 2025
This year I’ve truly challenged myself.
On my own dime* & time —*with thanks to my friends at Amplitude Media Group, as well as Lucky Fin Project— I began attending and have been watching more hours of disability cinema than a lot of the professionals in standard professional film critics’ role(s). I traveled to Salt Lake City with two of my closest gal pals and colleagues, where we were released to the elements. We even came within a hair's breadth of a wild moose encounter (luckily, our sweet Samantha made out alright)! Followed by 2 separate NYC film fests and honestly.. We’ve only just gotten started!
Is it physically exhausting on my disabled body, sure. Is the emotional strain even more unbearable? You better believe it. But this is more than anything where my passion has made its home. I can’t remember where or even which one of them –Khloe, Kim, or one of the eldest Kardashian women..and if you know which one/episode/or season, please feel free to comment below– When leaving Paris Fashion Week, overlooking the city, feeling fully regulated & fulfilled, they let out the following sentence that will absolutely summarize everything I’m about to share, below. More than anything I can say with my whole sense of being “I’ve found my niche”.
In no particular order– and with as minimal spoilers as possible–here are some of my festival favorites, reviews of:
Authentic disability representation at each festival and beyond.
“Room to Move” (RTM)
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This was easily one of my top 5 favorite documentaries on disability since “Crip Camp,” in the manner of how revolutionary it is–not only for the greater disabled community but for the greater good of humanity on how we talk about disability with one another.
Without giving away one too many spoilers, I’m otherwise going to keep this as vague as possible but only to surmount the hype that I’m laying between the lines.
This film left me feeling like it checked all of my boxes: as an advocate, an artist, and even as a pop-culture fan-girlie, overall. That feeling of not being able to say what you feel about your own lived- experience that someone else says so eloquently for you, is a feeling almost better than anything. That was “Room to Move” by Jenn Freeman & Alex Hammer, for me.
The privilege I had to be there for that opening night was so special to me and meeting the team has forever changed me as both an artist and reporter, forever.
“Horsegirls” (HG)
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Oh, what fun. In my honest opinion, this is the new “Juno” of disabled storytelling if you changed the adversities of adoption & pregnancy to autism & grieving, instead. Written by Lauren Meyering and bestie Mackenzie Breeden–written for Mackenzie’s late mother and in honor of the real Marguerite, herself.
I was actually able to not only screen but also get to interview both Meyering and leading actress, Lillian Carrier (“As We See It” & “Everything’s Going to Be Okay”) before the film’s premiere and learned so many fun facts that I just have to release a future minisode with clips, does the line for the podcast.
Something that I learned about the process of how this story came together on screen absolutely MADE this film a top choice for me. Lauren, at the helm as director felt as though she was “in it” for this film to be collaborative from the jump:
“So much of what Lillian contributed–(to) it (being) so much of what Mackenzie's sister, Marguerite, contributed. You know, I would be sending her drafts. It's like, I think the most important thing is when you're doing a story like this is that you are just kind of the avenue to tell the story. Maybe you're the one putting the words on the page, but so much of it has to be a collaboration.
It has to, in order for it to be authentic and truthful, otherwise, you're not gonna get a story that resonates with people. And so I was just so grateful to have, I mean, pretty much the entirety of the way through people to talk to and call with and collaborate with to make sure that this story was told correctly.”
Also on this project were: Associate producer Alex Plank (“Ezra”) to stars like Iqbal Theba (“Glee”, “Deli Boys”), Gretchen Mol (“Boardwalk Empire”), Jerod Haynes (“Good American Family”), and more.
Manifesting that this hilarious depiction of family love, independence, and grace has a massive theatrical release, acquisition, and absolute award season BUZZ. “Horsegirls” as a whole deserves nothing less.
“How to Train Your Dragon” (HTTYD)
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Much like in “The Handmaid's Tale” many of the characters are cast with say, imDb star metered glory: Listers to high flyers with massive followings, but also they then chose to be authentically inclusive of actresses like the indelibly talented Carey Cox who played Nick’s. Their Wife Rose is in the final season of the series.
I think that HTTYD blended their original cohort of limb different icons by incorporating new characters, including one of my very personal favorites, Ruth Codd. She has starred opposite acting legends from Mark Hammill in “The Fall of the House of Usher” to LEADING “The Midnight Club” and now will be in the upcoming series “Irish Blood” opposite Alicia Silverstone.
I cannot wait for more of this saga to unfold, so much more fun to come—though I do hope they extend their 4DX releases, down the line too!
Dont get me started on daddy.. I mean Gerry Butler*
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“Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore”
I caught a screening of this film out at Sundance on the final showing day and we were blessed when Director Shoshanna Stern and subject Marlee Matlin both arrived (fully in style) for a post-screening Q&A. What an impactful film. Being mindful of spoilers: I was already a major “Joey Lucas” fan. As if Marlee’s acting career alone wasn’t historic enough, there was so much about her that I learned from this docu about this woman's impact on your very own current TV screen that will absolutely blow your mind!
I chose to skip the screening at Tribeca to prioritize seeing Horsegirls BUT was overjoyed when I learned that the red carpet was happening for “Not Alone Anymore” on the same red carpet as Horsegirls! With a little help from Tribeca staff & to my absolute delight, I was able to find a small space on the end of the red carpet to wave the ASL sign for “ILY (I love you)” to both Marlee & Shoshana–and they waved back.
Life made.
“Unholy” By Daisy Friedman
Okay, THIS ONE we were blessed to get the full scoop on the short for the podcast and you can tear into that one, if you haven’t already. This may be my top short on disability storytelling this year! Director Daisy Friedman blew my mind with this one from top to bottom. “Unholy” explores the intersection of disability and Jewish identity. As they discuss the film, Daisy shares the complexities of family dynamics surrounding her disability, especially so at the seder-dinner-table.
As a “spoonie” or chronically ill girlie myself, this film made me feel so seen. From family parties, I’ve had to leave early to missing other major life events overall for similar reasons. “Unholy” cuts deep in the most unapologetic, hilarious way possible.
“Life After”
Goodness gracious, this was easily a standout of all-time top investigative documentaries, for me. This was my first intro to also meeting filmmaker Reid Davenport, as well! I ask just about everyone who’s disabled during my interviews. “What’s a reality of disability for you” and Reid almost made me fall to the floor “--you’re trolling the mainstream media!”. I’ve never felt so seen!
As for the film, the layout of the red carpets wasn’t in our favor–so I’ve still, in all honesty–yet to see the ending!
However, I will say that I do hope that they distribute to a streaming service. This film comes with a trigger warning or two and with very good reason! But the impact is what holds for me.
The film follows the story of Reid investigating the current whereabouts of subject Elizabeth Bouvia and her fight for literal battles both physically and legally on death and dignity.
Highly recommend watching this one with a box of tissues and an emotional support bestie or loved one–shout out to both Daisy (Friedman) & my girl Angel Giuffira on that part!!
“Deaf President Now”
This one was a real treat at Sundance. A gratifying reward for one massively unnecessary battle that Gallaudet University– an academic icon of schools as one of the first for deaf and hard of hearing students, without having a deaf president of the school in over 100 years. On my Letterboxd I wrote “Show this in every school” and I think it might be my most liked review to date–humble flex.
“Truckload”
This cheeky British short starring Evie Jones and directed by Aella Jordan-Edge at Tribeca was just a bundle of fun. From stars including THE doctor herself, Jodie Whittaker (“Doctor Strange”--good looks to our friend Steve Way for IMMEDIATELY flagging this to my attention) to “Game of Thrones”’ own “Gendry” Joe Dempsie—and disability representation to boot. We are HERE for the positive representation of disability-intimacy, my people. Especially with certified cuties, on board! Thanks for the condom handouts too, babes–creme de la creme of calling cards IMHO, as well. Cheers on a story, that was purely well done!
The future of disability representation on screen
As has been up over the past few years we’ve seen an increase of disability storytelling in mainstream media. MORE MINORITY VOICES, PLEASE? FOR THE LOVE OF REPRESENTATION.
Festivals & Disability-community-impact, from top to bottom
Reelabilities
Takes the cake on accessibility, audience awareness, verbiage, panels, and more.
Reelabilities in comparison to the other festivals is what I feel like I traveled the many thousands of miles to find. Even better, it was in “my own backyard”.
As for overall accessibility, panels & their summit—top tier content, right here. Enough of the same ol’ (and frankly tired) lonely “why representation is important to me” panels, they’re so early 2010’s, at best. Reelabilities is the gamechanger here and all other fests should take note!!
Sundance
She’s got some grit, girl. As far as film selections go, I’m very familiar with the history of disability representation at the festival. From launching films and filmmakers in our community into Oscars-territory to revealing the true nitty-gritty-nature of the disabled lived experience, I think Sundance is true to its word on what it means to want to do better, year after year.
I will say that they don’t hold back at Sundance but in the best way. It was along the lines of being enough to satisfy the disabled-film-pallet… though I’m the kinda girl who won’t shy away from saying that maybe I even might’ve wanted a little more?
Tribeca
This one I’ve had to sit on for some time, with an overall decent consensus. I was first introduced to attending T) Tribeca last summer, when I was invited to attend the Easterseals Disability panel & corresponding networking mixer on the Spring Street Studios rooftop.
This is a group of people that I know when I walk into the room is literal electricity (truthfully” most of us are either battery-powered/ bionic or on-wheels). The panel on representations then & now were essentially similar in that the content didn’t really stray.
Though I did especially love this year’s fresh face of panelists including but not limited to my new colleague and friend Isaac Zablocki of Reelabilities & POWERHOUSE of an advocate, performer, and consultant (not to mention bias of a proud-friend) Jenna Bainbridge. The “Going off of what (they) said” was so good that I don’t think any of us wanted this year’s to end!
So the panel and following cocktail hour were very similar but always appreciated not only being in a room with my people but also having a major film festival’s support in our work(s)? Even better.
Criticisms: It was beneficial to me as a film reviewer to have been able to share some time to physically chat person-to-person with a lot of my mentors who were in the room that the panel.
While omitting names, I will share this–that their words of wisdom came down to these:
“Sometimes people just don’t know any better”,
“We’ll give them the grace to do so”
… but also that “money talks”
Which brings me to the film selections. [insert exhale] It was great having the time to watch a lot of the films as screeners, with thanks to the many PR teams that we’ve corresponded with. I won't say which festival but at one point I did have to say no to covering a film that what against my morals, as a reviewer.
While I’m all here for supporting depictions of following medical research as documentary work.. However, there's something to be said for documentaries that have been overdone.
Something that many of us in the disability community are absolutely exhausted from is the representations of "inspiration porn" or depictions of people with disabilities as your entertainment for feel-good stories.
I’m tired of having to say it but put it on my gravestone, if you have to. I will die on this hill. We are not just here to be your inspiration, your superheroes/“have superpowers”, or any of that nonsense.. our time will come, we’ll “give them grace” but it's only a matter of time.
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