2018 FILMS

Journey to the Miracle Man

Sweden/Brazil, 2018 (Documentary Feature, 65 minutes)

A woman stands on a ledge in front of a fresh night sky with low, blue light in front of an open frontier. She holds her phone up to photograph the scene.

With as much hope as doubt, Fabian and Lisa travel on a journey that will change their worldview. But is the Miracle Man (John of God) the savior everyone is talking about? And do they need to believe to be healed?

Stopgap in Stop Motion

United Kingdom, 2017 (Animated Short, 5 minutes) 

A closeup of a stop motion collage of a troupe of disabled and non-disabled dancers.

Photographs of performers in a disabled and non-disabled dance company come to life. The individual artists dance out of the photos and across tabletops until the whole company meets and performs in unison.

This is Normal

United States, 2014 (Dramatic Short, 19 minutes) 

A profile shot of a woman sitting in her car, looking distraught.

A young deaf woman undergoes an experimental medical procedure that is supposed to “cure” her of her deafness and give her the ability to hear. Despite the controversy, Gwen risks her friends, culture, and identity to discover the answer to the question, “Is it worth giving up who you’ve been for who you could become?”

Kū Kanaka/Stand Tall

United States, 2016 (Documentary Short, 28 minutes)

A group of activists march in Honolulu, led by Kanalu Young.

When 15-year-old Kanalu Young takes a dive into shallow water, he becomes quadriplegic, paralyzed from the neck down. Angry and defiant through months of rehabilitation, he begins to change when he learns the Hawaiian language and discovers an untold story of Hawaiian history.

To Know Him

United Kingdom, 2018 (Dramatic Short, 28 minutes)

Two women sit, both with looks of concern, gazing towards the left. The woman, at left, is in focus and wears a black shirt.

When a tragic accident leaves Sarah grieving for her deaf partner Rob, she is forced to track down and engage with his estranged hearing father. To lay the man she loves to rest, Sarah must overcome a barrier far greater than language.

Just Go!

Latvia, 2017 (Action Short, 11 minutes)

A young man rolls with his torso on a skateboard and pushes himself along a cobblestoned street.

Inspired by the true story of a young man, Just, who lost both of his legs in a childhood accident. At age 24, he is in love with the girl next door, and through an action-packed series of events, the film proves that looks can be deceiving.

Stim – P.K. Walker Innovation in Craft Award

United States, 2017 (Documentary Short, 7 minutes)

Lower-body shot of a child sitting cross-legged, grasping a blue plush toy with one hand.

An artistic ode to the practice of stimming, or self-stimulatory behavior, the repetition of physical movements or sounds, or repetitive movement of objects.

Who Am I To Stop It  – Disability Justice Award

United States, 2017 (Documentary Short, 30 minutes) 

This semi-observational documentary explores isolation, art, and transformation after brain injury. Through cinéma vérité, the film follows Dani Sanderson, a poet and beat boxer, as she navigates autonomy, relationships, and questions of family, queer sexuality, and faith.

Also Read About: 2017 Films

Stumped – Best of Festival, Short

United States, 2017 (Documentary Short, 25 minutes)

Maureen climbs a sheer rock face, hundreds of feet in the air.

Climber Maureen Beck is not here to be your inspiration. She was born missing her lower left arm, but that hasn’t stopped her from going hard. “I don’t want to just be a good one-armed climber,” says Maureen. “I want to be a good climber.”

Still Tomorrow – Documentary, Best of Festival, Feature

China, 2016 (1 hour 23 minutes)

Yu Xiuhua is a village woman with cerebral palsy, who became China’s most well-known poet in 2015. Her 20-year-long arranged marriage has become the biggest pain in her life. Through her poems, she contemplates her fate and writes about her body and her desire for true love.

Gaelynn Lea – The Songs We Sing

United States, 2017 (Documentary Short, 11 minutes)

Minnesota violinist and disability rights advocate Gaelynn Lea travels the upper Midwest on tour, experiencing the ups and downs of the road while hustling hard to make it as a performer and artist.

Making Waves

Australia, 2017 (Documentary Short, 6 minutes)

A boy dances in front of lights which mimic water, and below, the subtitle: “Dancing is my thing that I love.”

Max McAuley is a young, professional dancer with Down Syndrome. In this story, Max is the principal dancer in a choreographed work that is inspired by the watery world of his dreams.