Accessibility NYC will be hosting a Meetup on April 4th at thoughtbot, titled “A Taste of ReelAbilities.” Ravit Turjeman, Director of the ReelAbilities Film Festival, will present and discuss four short films. She will be joined by Xian Horn, who is on the ReelAbilities Film Selection Committee.
The following films will be presented:
Picked
Directed by Kelsey Amelia Snelling
8 min, USA, Narrative
NY Premiere
A girl’s quest for the “perfect” pumpkin sets her apart from her peers.
Jed’s Day
Directed by Madoka Raine
7 min, USA, Narrative
NY Premiere
A man with cerebral palsy has a full day.
Andy Barrie: The Voice
Directed by Lana Slezic
13 min, Canada, Documentary
US Premiere
Former Canadian radio host Andy Barrie finds new voice in battling Parkinson’s Disease.
Dancing On Wheels
Directed by Qingzi Fan
10 min, USA, Documentary
US Premiere
Kitty Lunn, a paraplegic dancer, has been teaching students with disabilities for the past thirty years.
Presenters
Ravit Turjeman, ReelAbilities Festival Director
Ravit Turjeman is the Founder and Managing Director of Dragoman Films, a NYC-based boutique distribution company, specializing in niche-based film marketing in North America. Ravit also serves as director and programmer of numerous film festivals in the Tri-State area, as well as business development & marketing consultant to various organizations in a variety of industries.
Xian Horn
Xian Horn is a joyful half-Asian woman with Cerebral Palsy, who serves as teacher, speaker, beauty advocate, blogger, and Exemplar for the AT&T NYU Connect Ability Challenge toward the creation of Assistive Technology. Xian’s Give Beauty Wings’ Self-Esteem programs originated and continue at NYU’s Initiative for Women with Disabilities, the Jewish Community Center Manhattan, and M.S. 131 among many others. She was the first ever alumni commencement speaker at New York City Lab School, in 2014. Xian has also spoken at the Apple Store in Soho, NY, for the New York Public Library, Barnard College, Williams College, the ReelAbilities film festival (where she is the newest member of the Film Selection Committee). She served as mentor at the White House for Lights! Camera! Access! 2.0., the US Business Leadership Network’s Innovation Lab, coaching their young Rising Leaders. Xian also ran vocational workshops for the NYC Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities for Disability Mentoring Day.