Projections

Flush from the recent success of “Connections,” an international art exhibition that featured the works of 55 artists with disabilities, Abilities Festival is poised to bring yet another exciting display of talent to Toronto.

It’s a disability film festival – and it’s about time! There are 250,000 people with disabilities in the greater Toronto area. This city hosts a multitude of film festivals but has not, until now, had within its repertoire a festival that showcases the talent of filmmakers and actors with a wide range of disabilities.

“Projections” will fill that void.

In Projections, Toronto moviegoers will experience a film festival so enlightening, entertaining and challenging that it will open minds and hearts. All this in a theatre equipped to handle 30 to 40 patrons using wheelchairs, and where the majority of films will be captioned.

Since this is Abilities Festival’s first foray into the competitive Toronto film scene, the organizers saw the importance of presenting an incomparable cultural event. Wolfe contacted directors of disability film festivals worldwide, requesting that they submit their award-winning films.

The 73 films that were submitted had garnered awards at such events as the Berlin Film Festival, The Academy Awards, and the California and UK Film Festivals, to name but a few.

A panel made up of actors, industry personnel and disability activists have made their choices from an impressive selection of international films. Thanks to their efforts, Projections will host 33 films from seven countries from June 3 to 6, 2004, at the Innis Town Hall Theatre of the University of Toronto.

The lineup includes:

- “Dance Me to My Song” (Australia), which won a standing ovation in the 1998 Cannes Film Festival;
- “The Collector of Bedford Street” (U.S.A.), a 2003 academy award nominee for best short drama;
- “The Station Agent” (U.S.A.), a film that won more than 30 awards for its performances, screenplay, production and direction from international film festivals as varied as Sundance and Stockholm;
- “Born Freak,” a United Kingdom production that won the Audience Choice Awards in the London, Calgary and Berkeley disability film festivals; and
- “I’m Not From Hear,” by Toronto filmmaker Catherine MacKinnon, winner of two awards at the 2004 Picture This Film Festival.

In the experimental category, there are the following award-winning gems:
- “Frida Kahlo’s Corset” (U.K.);
- “Artist’s Last Supper” (Ireland);
- “NOB” (Canada); and more.

In keeping with the engaging tradition of film festivals, filmmakers and actors will be on hand to discuss their works, answer questions and otherwise give the audiences a glimpse behind the scenes of some of the festival favourites.

The timing of Projections coincides with a recent ruling of the Canadian
Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) that states that, starting in December, 2004, Canadian broadcasters must develop an industry-wide approach to inclusiveness and report annually on their progress in this regard.

It is hoped that by providing a stage where industry and audience alike can become more acquainted with the talented filmmakers and actors who are involved with disability film and television, Projections will be assisting producers and broadcasters in carrying out this new, long-awaited mandate.

“I think there is something terribly amiss when talented filmmakers, because of disabilities, are overlooked, unable to get studio backing or the financial means to develop their projects,” says Sharon Wolfe, director of Projections.

Tickets for Projections are on sale at the office of the Canadian Abilities Foundation, 340 College Street, Suite 650, Toronto, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, as well as through the Abilities Festival website.

For more details, please visit: www.enablelink.org/abilitiesfestival


Projections Film Festival
Toronto’s First-Ever International Disability Film Festival
June 3-6, 2004

PROJECTIONS: SCHEDULE

Thursday, June 3
6:30
Opening Reception
8:00-10:00
Bruce (U.S.A.)
The Station Agent (U.S.A.)

Friday, June 4
1:00-2:30
Smudge (Canada)
The Wrong Flowers (U.K.)
Waiting For Ronald (U.S.A.)

3:30-5:00
Artist’s Last Supper (Ireland)
How’s Your News? (U.S.A.)

6:00-7:30
Visual Sound: Music for the Deaf (U.S.A.)
Annie Dearest (U.K.)
Rush 1 (U.K.)

8:00-10:00
Walking Inspired (U.S.A.)
Dreaming Awake (U.S.A.)
Forbidden Pleasures (U.K.)

Saturday, June 5
11:00-12:30
The Alien who Lived in the Sheds (U.K.)
Projected Narratives
Kiss My Wheels (U.S.A.)

1:00-2:30
The Real Helen Keller (U.K.)
I’m Not From Hear (Canada)

3:30-5:00
Callahan: Won’t Get Far On Foot (Australia)
Necessary Action (U.S.A.)
Forbidden Wedding (Brazil)

6:00-7:30
Vital Signs: Crip Culture Talks Back (U.S.A.)
Born Freak (U.K.)

8:30-10:00
Frida Kahlo’s Corset (U.K.)
Dance Me To My Song (Australia)

Sunday, June 6
11:00-12:15
Rush 2 (U.K.)

1:00-2:30
NOB (Canada)
Young Heroes (Canada)
Drive (U.K.)
Beauty (Canada)

3:30-5:00
Disability Culture Rap (U.S.A.)
Happy Birthday Thalidomide (U.K.)

6:00-7:00
Liebe Pearle (Israel/Germany)
The Collector of Bedford Street (U.S.A.)

8:00-10:00
Look Who’s Laughing (U.S.A.)

For film descriptions, and to find out which are captioned or audio-described, visit the Abilities Festival Website: www.enablelink.org/abilitiesfestival