10 Things You'll Find at Superfest 2020 that You Won't Find Anywhere Else

Superfest 2020: Online!

It’s almost Superfest season, so mark your calendars for October 17 and 18 and check out the descriptions below! This year we’ll have our festival exclusively online, which will give us an opportunity to test some new formats and technologies, all with multiple forms of access in mind. Watch our upcoming mailings and social media for more details about tickets, program, opportunities for community conversations, and how it will all work.  

For now, just know we can’t wait to share a terrific selection of cutting-edge disability films that will make you laugh, cry, groan, cheer, and take a welcome respite from the storm that is 2020. We all need this, and each other. So stay tuned!

Below, check out the films we'll be showing this year and things you'll find in them that you won't find anywhere else, but definitely should!

 

1. PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AS MAIN CHARACTERS 

 

A girl with light skin and short hair is lying in bed under the covers. Her sheets and room are various shades of pink and green. Her eyes are closed.

Indimenticabile 

 

Luna, who has Cerebral Palsy, and Angel, a sexworker, share an unusual story of love, which challenges the cages and the judgment of others.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A man sits on a patio surrounded by plants. He has light skin, brown hair and a beard. He is wearing a dark t-shirt and jeans. He is holding a watering can.

Garden Variety

 

A mockumentary about a disabled person’s garden and his unwarranted admirers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. DISABILITY FRIENDSHIPS

 

A Black woman is in front of a wood and metal background. She has short hair and large earrings. She is holding a microphone and looking just off camera. Her shirt has a face on it. but only the eyes are visible.

Stand Up

 

For all her life, 30-year old Jazmine who uses a wheelchair has wanted to be an actress. Meeting Ruth, while navigating the tough world of stand-up comedy, she learns that accessibility isn’t just about physical space. 

 

 

 

 

 

 3. PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES WHO ARE ALSO QUEER AND/OR PEOPLE OF COLOR

 

A Japanese man sits on a rock formation and is gesturing toward the camera. He is wearing black and white flowy clothing.

ReAct

 

A self-employed Japanese wheelchair dancer born with Spina Bifida confronts the elements, natural and human, in lyrical, unexpected ways.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two men smiling and laughing. The one on the left has dark hair and facial hair. The one on the right has grey hair, glasses, and a mustache. He is also holding a guitar.

My Grito - Juror’s Choice

 

A story about a young man, Cristian, and his love for mariachi music, which leads him to seek out his own grito for his communication device.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. DISABILITY AND DISCRIMINATION

 

Barbie dolls in a dollhouse. One of the Barbies is in a wheelchair and looking at a group of other Barbies who are all huddled together in an elevator.

Wheelchair Wendy

 

An eager-to-please doll in a wheelchair is placed in the perfect world of the narcissistic Barbara, and must find a way to fit in or be thrown in the trash.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. INTERDEPENDENCE (AS CONTRASTED TO INDEPENDENCE)

 

Shadows of medicine, pill bottles, a plant, a lamp, and other clutter against a wall.

The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating - Innovation in Craft

 

When a woman is bedridden by a mysterious pathogen, a forest snail unexpectedly takes up residence on her nightstand. Together, they share an intimate journey of survival and resilience in this live-action true story, adapted from the award-winning memoir of the same title.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES FACING DIFFICULT REAL-LIFE SITUATIONS

 

A man and a woman are sitting next to each other on a dark couch. The man has dark hair and is wearing a white shirt. The woman has light hair and is wearing a black tank top. The light is tinted pink.

Single

 

Kim, who was born with one arm, gets set up on a blind date. When she finally meets Jake, she quickly realizes he also has a physical disability, and she is pissed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. CHARACTERS/PEOPLE WHOSE IDENTITIES ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE MAIN DRIVING FORCE OR SOURCE OF CONFLICT FOR THE PLOT

 

A light skinned man with Down Syndrome is wearing a white button up shirt and dark jacket. He is holding a bird. The whole image is in black and white.

The Secret Life of Tom Lightfoot

 

Tom Lightfoot works at a call center that answers anybody’s questions about absolutely anything. The talented co-workers know an awful lot, except about Tom himself, who holds secrets inside. And studying for a PhD in bird migration isn’t even the half of it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8. BUT ALSO, DISABILITY AS A CENTRAL SOCIAL ISSUE

 

A teenage boy looks into the camera. He has brown skin and is wearing a black beanie and t-shirt.

Sign at All Times - Advocacy Film 

 

A young skateboarder shares his journey to find pride in his Deaf identity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two young women sit next to each other. The one on the left has blonde hair and is wearing a green jacket with a red shirt. She has a slight frown on her face. The one on the right has brown hair and is wearing overalls with a white shirt. She has her hand pressed to her chin and is staring intently off camera.

Verisimilitude - Best of Festival: Narrative 

 

A narrative short about an unemployed disabled actress who takes a job to advise an up-and-coming British film star on how to be disabled for his latest role. But will he win an award?

 

 

 

 

 

 

9. PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES' DAY TO DAY LIVES

 

A person hanging from a hoop. Their body is silhouetted by bright pink and blue lights.

High Flying Jade - Best of Festival: Documentary

 

Follow the true story of a bi-polar American white woman who tries to manage her unique brain chemistry by running away to join the circus in Hồ Chí Minh City.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A man is looking toward the camera. He is wearing jackets and a scarf, and has the tube of a musical instrument in his mouth. The background is blurry.

Sweet Solace

 

A penniless, whimsical street musician smiles when two blind passersby encounter one another, catapulting all three into his imaginary world of movies and music.

 

 

 

 

 

 

10. PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AS DIRECTORS, PRODUCERS, WRITERS, AND ACTORS, TELLING THEIR OWN STORIES OR STORIES THAT ARE MEANINGFUL TO THEM PERSONALLY.

A white woman stands in the snow behind a sculpture made of mobility devices. She is wearing bright colors and white spots on her face. She is smiling.

Alternative Ways of Being Human

 

Used assistive devices take on second lives in this documentary about a passionate sculptor in Finland.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Charles Curtis Blackwell stands and stares just off to the side of the camera. He is wearing layers and a hat. He has a thoughtful expression on his face.

The God Given Talent

 

Blind Oakland poet, painter, playwright and teacher Charles Curtis Blackwell had a challenging upbringing in California and Mississippi. This sensitive documentary explores his current creative life rooted in loss, love, pain, and redemption.

 

 

 

 

 

 

More information will be coming soon. For now, mark your calendars for October 17 and 18, and start thinking about where you’ll order that popcorn!.