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Superfest International Disability Film Festival

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Coordinates: 37°43′20″N 122°28′52″W / 37.722302°N 122.481222°W / 37.722302; -122.481222
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Superfest International Disability Film Festival
Superfest International Disability Film Festival logo
Founded1970
ProducersPaul K. Longmore Institute on Disability, LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired
LanguagePrimarily English
Websitesuperfestfilm.org

Superfest International Disability Film Festival is a juried film festival held in the San Francisco Bay Area.[1] Superfest is the longest-running disability film festival in the world.[2] In addition to featuring films developed by and starring people with disabilities, Superfest aims to be inclusive.[3][4][5][6] The directors also coach the film makers about accessibility of films to people with disabilities.[1] During the film festival, the organizers provide sign language interpreters and film narrators to allow for the attendees with various disabilities to appreciate the films.[7] All of the judges for Superfest are people with disabilities from various community roles, including disability community organizers, disability studies scholars, and film aficionados.[4][5] Superfest closely follows the disability rights slogan: Nothing About Us Without Us.[1]

Stereotypes of disabilities are perpetuated through mainstream media and popular culture.[8][9] The aim of Superfest is to showcase films created by people with disabilities, illustrating real life experiences of disability and how universal the topic of disability can be.[4][5][1] Some film submissions are what the disability community refers to as inspiration porn.[10] These stories are generally regarding people with disabilities completing a great feat, in spite of their disabilities, and never approach the topic of discrimination of people with disabilities or the social standards to which people with disabilities are held.[1] Attendees express they can be authentic at Superfest and speak openly about their experiences.[10]

Superfest is held over a weekend and is considered more of a cultural event than a film festival.[1]

History

[edit]

The Superfest International Disability Film Festival began as the Film Forum for the AAMR in the 1970s, and was supported by the University Affiliated Program at Children's Hospital Los Angeles In 1976, it was taken on as a major activity by a newly created non-profit organization, the Corporation on Disability and Telecommunication (CDT). CDT's mission was to promote a positive image of people with disabilities and promote employment for persons with disabilities in the media industry.

At that time, Superfest was the only international film festival that showcased diverse films related to the social challenge of disability, receiving entries from around the country and the world. Viewing committees were established in multiple California locations, often based at the Developmental Disability Regional Centers and eventually at other places around the country. During the late 70s and for most of the 1980s, Superfest screened nearly 100 films a year, produced yearly PBS television viewings throughout the nation, was funded by the Corporation on Public Broadcasting, the State of California, and other groups. During this time, CDT also produced the documentary BREAKING GROUND for KTLA-TV about Hollywood actors with disabilities who were breaking into the mainstream. Both the PBS specials and BREAKING GROUND received Hollywood chapter Emmy nominations for their hosts, along with a 1987 documentary AMNESTY: THE DREAM FULFILLED? about how persons with disabilities were being excluded from becoming citizens. Superfest received special recognition at the Hawaii International Film Festival in 1987 and at the Pacific Film Archives in Berkeley.

The KTLA documentaries received state and national recognition and CDT received various California State grants and awards. By the late 1980s and early 1990s, the leadership of CDT changed, and focus for the running of Superfest shifted to the CDT chapter in the San Francisco Bay area. This was not a surprise in that the first screening committees and PBS airings were in the Bay Area. The first Superfest awards ceremony and screening outside of Los Angeles and AAMR conventions sites, was at the Presidio in San Franciscom, hosted by Jay Leno. In fact, the name for the festival, "Superfest" was first recommended by the "Northern California" organizing committee.

In 1995, CDT decided to move Superfest from Los Angeles to Berkeley. Berkeley is significant to the disability rights movement and independent living.[4]

Annual film festivals were held in Berkeley from 1998 to 2011. In 2009, Superfest held a commemorative two-day program featuring 13 disability films the committee considered classics of disability in film called Superfest Classics.[11]

In 2015 Superfest expanded to a two-day festival and recognized the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act being signed into legislation.[5] With the beginnings as a grass-roots organization, Superfest has not been able to have a film festival each year since its founding. The 2016 festival was their 30th film festival. After the 2019 festival, the LightHouse for the Blind and the Longmore Institute dissolved their partnership, and now the festival is run solely by the Longmore Institute on Disability at San Francisco State University.[7][12]

Films shown at Superfest Classics (2009)

[edit]
Film title Director Producer Year initially shown at Superfest
About Love Tofik Shakhverdiev Tofik Shakhverdiev 2006
Annie Dearest Terry Galloway & Diane Wilkins Diane Wilkins Productions & Mickee Faust Films 2003
Assistive Technology Boogie Jim Tobias Jim Tobias 2005
Beyond Disability: the Fefe Stories Salome Chasnoff The Empowered Fefes 2005
Disability Culture Rap Jerry Smith Jerry Smith & Cheryl Wade 2000
"Hose," "Cards," & "Water Balloons" Sean Ehringer Mark Conly 2003
Kiss My Wheels Miguel Grunstein & Dale Kruzic Miguel Grunstein & Dale Kruzic 2003
LIEBE PERLA (Dear Perla) Shahar Rozen Edna & Elinor Kowarsky, Eden Productions 2004
Pelswick: DRAW Nelvana 2001
The Power of 504 Dan Veltri 1998
Raymond's Portrait Donald Young Donald Young 1999
Wood Diary David Edwin Meyers David Edwin Meyers 2006
Youth Speaks segment from KQED's series SPARK Howard Shack & the Bay Area Video Coalition 2005

Source:[11]

The Dissies

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In 2013, Superfest presented a special event. This event was to highlight films where disability had been mocked or portrayed in an insensitive manner.[13] These types of films where disability is mocked are referred to as disability snub films.[14] The "Dissies" mirror the Razzies, where the award given is not an honor at all. Each year, a new "Dissie" is awarded from films nominated by the community. Mock "Dissie" awards are given each year to disability snub films.[6]

The Dissies
Worst portrayal of a disability by a nondisabled actor So sweet (that they're not)
The Most Amazing Miracle The Most Tragic
The Worst Disabled Villain Crips Gone Wild!
Hey – only we can laugh at that!

Source:[15]

Award winners

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1998

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Source:[16]

1999

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Source:[17]

2000

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Source:[18]

2001

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Source:[19]

2002

[edit]

Source:[20]

2003

[edit]
  • Best of Festival – Born Freak, Producer: Paul Sapin (UK)
  • Spirit of Superfest – Annie Dearest, Producer: Terry Galloway & Donna Nudd (USA)
  • Spirit of Superfest – Kiss My Wheels, Producers: Dale Kruzic & Miguel Grunstein (USA)
  • Excellence Award – Annie Dearest, Producer: Terry Galloway & Donna Nudd (USA)
  • Excellence Award – Kiss My Wheels, Producers: Dale Kruzic & Miguel Grunstein (USA)
  • Achievement Award – Horizon: The Ecstacy and the Agony, Producer:Jemima Harrison (UK)
  • Achievement Award – On a Roll, Producer:Joanne Caputo (USA)
  • Achievement Award – We Watch the City, Producer:Jerry Smith (USA)
  • Merit Award – A World Without Bodies, Producer: Mitchell & Snyder (USA)
  • Merit Award – In Cuba, Disabled, Producer: Victoria Pineda (USA)
  • Merit Award – Men on Wheels, Producer: Yahaly Gat (Israel)
  • Merit Award – OCD: The War Inside, Producer: National Film Board of Canada (Canada)
  • Merit Award – The Perfect Flaw, Producer: Mike Grundmann (USA)
  • Outstanding Promotional Media Awards – Dan Commercial, Producer: Cingular Wireless (USA)
  • Outstanding Promotional Media Awards – Hose, Cards & Water Balloons, Producer: Mark Conly (USA)

Source:[21]

2004

[edit]

Source:[22]

2005

[edit]

Source:[23]

2006

[edit]
  • Best of Festival – Wood Diary, Producer: David Edwin Meyers (USA)
  • Excellence Award – About Love, Producer: Tofik Shakhverdiev (Russia)
  • Excellence Award – Braindamadj'd...Take II, Producer: Jonathan Finkelstein (Canada)
  • Achievement Award – I'm Spazticus, Producers: Jamie O'Leary & Richard Hague (UK)
  • Achievement Award – One Strong Arm, Producers: Loren Mendell & Tiller Russell (USA)
  • Achievement Award – The Man Who Couldn'd Dance, Producer: Jan Haynes (New Zealand)
  • Merit Award – 39 Pounds of Love, Producer: Dani Menkin (USA)
  • Merit Award – Abnormally Funny People, Producers: Jane Stephenson & Simon Minty (UK)
  • Merit Award – Are the Kids Alright?, Producers: Karen Bernstein & Ellen Spiro (USA)
  • Merit Award – Escape Velocity, Producer: Scott Ligon (USA)
  • Merit Award – Nectar, Producer: Abigail Davies (UK)
  • Spirit Award – Braindamadj'd...Take II, Producer: Jonathan Finkelstein (Canada)
  • Pamela K. Walker Award – Equilibrium, Producer: Adrean Mangiardi (USA)
  • Emerging Artist Award – The Third Parent, Producer: Christina Frenzel (USA)

Source:[24]

2007

[edit]

Source:[25]

2008

[edit]
  • Best of Festival – Body & Soul: Diana & Kathy, Producers: Alice Elliott & Simone Pero (USA)
  • Excellence Award – Dragon People, Producer: Rosa Rogers (UK)
  • Excellence Award – Including Samuel, Producer: Dan Habib (USA)
  • Achievement Award – Iron Genrikh, Producer: Alexey Pogrelnoy (Russia)
  • Achievement Award – The Miracle, Producer: Jeffrey Jon Smith (USA)
  • Achievement Award – Multiple, Producer: Lucinda Broadbent (UK)
  • Merit Award – The Collector of Bedford Street, Producer: Alice Elliott (USA)
  • Merit Award – Edges of Perception, Producer: Eric Kutner (USA)
  • Merit Award – Phoenix Dance, Producer: Karina Epperlein (USA)
  • Merit Award – Pushin' Forward, Producer: Izumi Tanaka (USA)
  • Merit Award – Slide, Producer: Sharon Katz (Canada)
  • Pamela K. Walker Award – Tiresias, Producers: Olimpias Disability Culture Productions (USA)
  • Outstanding PSAs/Promo – School Love and Class Photo, Producer: Guzella Nikolaishvili (Russia)
  • Outstanding PSAs/Promo – Sins Invalid: Trailer, Producer: Patricia Berne (USA)

Source:[26]

2010

[edit]

Source:[26]

2011

[edit]
  • Best of Festival – Flying Anne, Director: Catherine van Campen, Producer: Joost Seelen (Netherlands)
  • Excellence Award – The Greatest Show on Earth, Director & Producer: Rosa Rogers (UK)
  • Excellence Award – Voices from El-Sayed, Director: Oded Adomi Leshem, Producer: Belfilms (Israel)
  • Achievement Award – Drona & Me, Director: Catherine van Campen, Producer: Joost Seelen (Netherlands)
  • Achievement Award – Read Me Differently, Director & Producer: Sarah Entine (USA)
  • Achievement Award – Stark! Moritz–It'd be Cool if She Became an Angel, Director: Simone Grabs, Producer: Eva Radlicki (Germany)
  • Merit Award – Antoine, Director: Laura Bari, Producers: Laura Bari & Mila Aung-Thwin (Canada)
  • Merit Award – Crooked Beauty, Director: Ken Paul Rosenthal, Producer: Angel Vasquez (USA)
  • Merit Award – Departure Lounge, Director: Louis Neethling, Producers: Louis Neethling & David Horbury (UK)
  • Merit Award – Loud, Proud, and Passionate!, Directors: Dana Vion & Sky's the Limit Creative Services, Producers: Susan Sygall & Mobility International U.S.A. (USA)
  • Merit Award – Mothersbane Director & Producer: Jason Jakaitis; U.S.
  • Pamela K. Walker Award – Rainman Goes to RocKwiz, Director: Russell Kilbey, Producer: Amy Scully (Australia)
  • Emerging – Hannah, Director & Producer: Sergio Cruz (UK)

Source:[26]

2014

[edit]

Source:[26]

2015

[edit]

Source:[26]

2016

[edit]
  • Best of Festival Feature – Best and Most Beautiful Things, Directed: Garrett Zevgetis (USA)
  • Best of Festival Short – Supersonic, Directed: Samuel Dore (England)
  • Advocacy Award – The Right To Be Rescued, Directed: Jordan Melograna (USA)
  • Disability Justice Award – Double Discrimination, Director: Rinkoo Barpaga (UK)
  • Liane Yasumoto Jury's Choice – Awake, Director: Michael Achtman (UK)

Source:[26]

2017

[edit]
  • Best of Festival Feature – Deej, Directed: Rob Rooy (USA)
  • Best of Festival Short – In Crystal Skin, Director: Michaela O'Brian (Columbia)
  • P.K. Walker Innovation In Craft – The Chili Story, Director: Patty Berne (USA)
  • Disability Justice Award – Traveller, Director: Nwaya Zar Che Soa & Pyae Zaw Pgyo (Japan)
  • P.K. Walker Innovation In Craft –The Barber of Augusta, Director: Michèle Hozer (Canada)

Source:[26]

2018

[edit]
  • Best of Festival Feature – Still Tomorrow, Director: Jian Fan (China)
  • Best of Festival Short – Stumped, Director: Ceder Wright & Taylor Keating (USA)
  • Disability Justice Award – Who Am I To Stop It, Director: Cheryl Green (USA)
  • P.K. Walker Innovation In Craft – Stim, Director: Anna KJ Maguire (USA)

Source:[26]

2019

[edit]
  • Best of Festival Feature – Chuskit, Director: Priya Ramasubban (India)
  • Best of Festival Short – Gaslit, Director: Naomi Chainey (Australia)
  • Juror's Choice – The Gallery, Director Anthony Ing (UK)
  • Advocacy Award – The Man of the Trees, Director: Andrea Trivero (Italy/Burkina Faso)
  • P.K. Walker Innovation In Craft – Chin Up, Director: Georgina Hurcombe (UK)

Source:[27]

2020

[edit]
  • Garden Variety—Director: Reid Davenport
  • Verisimilitude—Director: David Proud
  • High Flying Jade—Director: Katherine Sweetman
  • My Grito—Director: Cristian Rosas
  • The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating—Director: Elizabeth Tova Bailey
  • Sign at All Times—Director: Andrew Leibman
  • Indimenticabile—Director: Gianluca Santoni
  • The Secret Life of Tom Lightfoot—Director: Ray Jacobs
  • Single—Director: Ashley Eakin
  • ReAct—Directors: Takahiro Sato, Nobuyuki Arai
  • Wheelchair Wendy—Director: Shaina Ghuraya
  • Sweet Solace—Director: Nicolas Durand
  • Stand Up—Directors: Kitty Hu, Dasha Masalitina
  • Alternative Ways of Being Human—Director: Jenni-Juulia Wallinheimo-Heirmonen
  • God Given Talent—Director: Jeff M. Giordano

Directors

[edit]

Pamela Walker led the film festival efforts from 1998 to 2001, after which, Liane Yasumoto took over operations.[3][4] Catherine Kudlick, the director of the Paul K. Longmore Institute on Disability at San Francisco State University, and Bryan Bashin, CEO of LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, joined to direct Superfest starting in 2012.[3][4][1]

Since 2012, when the Longmore Institute on Disability and LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired have directed Superfest, there has been a film festival each year, and the festivals have sold out each time.[1]

Growth of the festival

[edit]

Superfest now attracts over 300 attendees during the festival's two-day event.[4] Filmmakers from both beginning and established backgrounds showcase their projects at Superfest. Filmmakers have debuted their films at Superfest and then gone on to receive broader distribution opportunities and further success.[4][28] The film creators have expressed having Superfest as an opportunity to showcase their work is affirming.[29]

In 2016, there were 119 film submissions for Superfest.[10]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Toffolo, Matthew. "Interview with Festival Coordinator Emily Smith Beitiks (Superfest: International Disability Film Festival)". Festival Reviews. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  2. ^ Aguilar, Rose; Flynn, Laura (October 19, 2016). "Your Call: Superfest, the world's longest running disability film festival". kalw.org/. Retrieved January 27, 2017.
  3. ^ a b c Farrell, Jonathan. "Op-Ed: Audio Describer donates her voice to help those with disabilities". Digital Journal. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Farrell, Jonathan. "Op-Ed: 'Marvelous' Superfest event highlighted disability with 52 films". Digital Journal. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  5. ^ a b c d Farrell, Jonathan. "Op-Ed: Films as far away as Kazakstan will premiere at Superfest". Digital Journal. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  6. ^ a b Deveras, Reuben. "Comedic 'Superfest' discusses disability portrayal in film". Golden Gate Xpress. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  7. ^ a b Ghenis, Alex. "Superfest International Disability Film Festival Celebrates 30 Years". New Mobility: Life beyond wheels. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  8. ^ Hayes, Michael T.; Black, Rhonda S. (2003). "Troubling Signs: Disability, Hollywood Movies and the Construction of a Discourse of Pity". Disability Studies Quarterly. 23 (2): 114. doi:10.18061/dsq.v23i2.419. Retrieved January 27, 2017.
  9. ^ Dahl, Marilyn (1993). "The Role of the Media in Promoting Images of Disability- Disability as Metaphor: The Evil Crip". Canadian Journal of Communication. 18 (1). doi:10.22230/cjc.1993v18n1a718. Retrieved January 27, 2017.
  10. ^ a b c Hauder, Jacqueline. "Superfest Film Festival challenges media perceptions of people with disabilities". Golden Gate Press. Retrieved January 27, 2017.
  11. ^ a b "Descriptions of Superfest Classics". Internet Archive: Culture! Disability! Talent!. Archived from the original on March 25, 2016. Retrieved January 30, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  12. ^ Smith, Gar. "Movies in the Margin: The Disability Film Festival, the UN Film Festival, and Films on Fracking". The Berkeley Daily Planet. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  13. ^ Patterson, James. "Film event highlights 'disses' of disabled". The Bay Area Reporter. Retrieved January 27, 2017.
  14. ^ Cipriani, Belo. "Seeing in the Dark: Film festival celebrates disability". The Bay Area Reporter. Retrieved January 27, 2017.
  15. ^ "The Dissies – Nominees and "Winners"". Paul K. Longmore Institute on Disability. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
  16. ^ "Superfest XVIII Award Winner's List". Internet Archive: Culture! Disability! Talent!. Archived from the original on March 25, 2016. Retrieved January 30, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  17. ^ "Superfest XIX Award Winner's List". Internet Archive: Culture! Disability! Talent!. Archived from the original on March 25, 2016. Retrieved January 30, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  18. ^ "Superfest XX Award Winner's List". Internet Archive: Culture! Disability! Talent!. Archived from the original on March 25, 2016. Retrieved January 30, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  19. ^ "Superfest XXI Award Winner's List". Internet Archive: Culture! Disability! Talent!. Archived from the original on March 25, 2016. Retrieved January 30, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  20. ^ "Superfest XXII Award Winner's List". Internet Archive: Culture! Disability! Talent!. Archived from the original on March 25, 2016. Retrieved January 30, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  21. ^ "Superfest XXIIIV Award Winner's List". Internet Archive: Culture! Disability! Talent!. Archived from the original on March 25, 2016. Retrieved January 30, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  22. ^ "Superfest XXIV Award Winner's List". Internet Archive: Culture! Disability! Talent!. Archived from the original on March 9, 2016. Retrieved January 30, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  23. ^ "Superfest XXV Award Winner's List". Internet Archive: Culture! Disability! Talent!. Archived from the original on March 16, 2016. Retrieved January 30, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  24. ^ "Superfest XXVI Award Winner's List". Internet Archive: Culture! Disability! Talent!. Archived from the original on March 25, 2016. Retrieved January 30, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  25. ^ "Superfest XXVII Award Winner's List". Internet Archive: Culture! Disability! Talent!. Archived from the original on March 25, 2016. Retrieved January 30, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  26. ^ a b c d e f g h "Past Award Winners". Superfest International Disability Film Festival. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
  27. ^ "2019 Films". Superfest. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
  28. ^ Erbland, Kate. "Film Acquisition Rundown: Sony Pictures Classics Grabs 'The Comedian,' Breaking Glass Gets 'Sins Of Our Youth' And More". IndieWire. Retrieved January 27, 2017.
  29. ^ Farrell, Jonathan. "Op-Ed: 'Man with the hook' in films had to step aside, says filmmaker". Digital Journal. Retrieved January 27, 2017.
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37°43′20″N 122°28′52″W / 37.722302°N 122.481222°W / 37.722302; -122.481222

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