ReelAbilities: Houston Film & Arts Festival is a FREE city-wide film and arts festival dedicated to presenting films, art exhibitions, performances, and speakers which celebrate the lives, stories, and talents of people with disabilities. Everything is designed to educate the Houston area community and help change perceptions about individuals with varying levels of abilities.
The event kicks off Monday, February 12 and runs through Thursday, February 22. Thanks to many sponsors, including TIRR Memorial Hermann, Bristow Group, and Houston Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities, admission is FREE and the UP Abilities speaker series is $18. The Children’s Museum of Houston will also be participating for families with younger children, visit www.cmhouston.org
“With Houston being such a diverse community, we’re excited to put people living with disabilities at the forefront of the conversation, with the hopes that this festival will educate others about the country’s largest minority,” said ReelAbilities chair Vikki Evans.
“Everyone has their own real ability that makes them unique. ReelAbilities Film and Arts Festival proves that no matter what your background or level of ability is, your potential to make an impact is limitless,” added co-chair Susan Farb Morris.
ReelAbilities, founded in New York in 2007 and now presented in 14 cities, is the largest festival in the country dedicated to presenting award-winning films by and about people with different disabilities. The film portion will be held at Edwards Greenway Grand Palace Stadium 24 (3839 Weslayan St.) from Sunday through Thursday, Feb. 18-22, where movies will be screened and followed by interactive panels to encourage audience discussion. Admission and parking will be free to attendees.
Houston is considered one of the most innovative cities hosting ReelAbilities, as this festival utilizes multiple avenues to further educate and inform members of the community beyond strictly film.
Reserving tickets for individual events is recommended, so visit www.reelabilitieshouston.org #ReelArtHouston
ReelAbilities 2018 schedule
Feb. 12: ReelArt, 6-8 p.m., at Celebration Company (inside JFS), 4131 S. Braeswood Blvd. Opening night.
Feb. 15: ReelPeople: UP Abilities, 7-9 p.m., at HCC West Loop South Campus.
Feb. 18-22: ReelAbilities Film Festival, Edwards Greenway Grand Palace Stadium 24.
• Feb. 18: “Swim Team,” 7 p.m. Parents of son with autism form competitive swim team.
• Feb. 19: Matinee short features, beginning at 1 p.m.
“4 Quarters” – Road to success for the Texas School for the Deaf Rangers football team.
“Dancing on Wheels” – After tragic accident, a former ballerina teaches herself how to dance again in her wheelchair.
“Picked” – Story of how expectation of assimilation follows children into adulthood.
“Still Kicking” – 23-year-old from Ghana, born with leg deformity, becomes world soccer star.
• Feb. 19: “Nise – The Heart of Madness,” 4 p.m. Psychiatrist pioneers use of art therapy to treat mental health issues.
• Feb. 19: “Prison Dogs,” 7 p.m. Groundbreaking prison program helping inmates and veterans with PTSD.
• Feb. 20: “Blind Date,” 4 p.m. Short documentary that follows three New Yorkers who are blind, on their quest for love in the digital age.
• Feb. 20: “Looking at the Stars,” 7 p.m. Documentary on prima ballerina who is blind.
• Feb. 21: “At Eye Level,” 4 p.m. Surprising discovery by 11-year-old who finds his estranged father has dwarfism.
• Feb. 21: “My Hero Brother,” 7 p.m. A group of young people with Down syndrome embarks on a demanding trip through the Indian Himalayas, with their typically abled siblings.
• Feb. 22: Matinee short features, beginning at 4 p.m.
“Andy Barrie: The Voice” – Former Canadian radio host finds a new voice in battling Parkinson’s disease.
“Behind the Clip: Little Foxes” – Aerial artist, with incomplete paraplegia, uses art form to get her body moving again.
“I Am Able” – Documentary about man’s experience in war-torn Rwanda
“On Beat” – How music unites family of deaf parents and hearing children
“Sky” – 9-year-old feels powerless and misunderstood among hearing classmates.
“Well Done” – Young man visits art museum and is fascinated by a symbolic picture.
Feb. 22: ReelMusic: All-Inclusive Jazz and Blues Jam, 7-9 p.m. at White Oak Music Hall, 2915 N. Main St.
