BACKBONES hosted the ReelAbilities Film Festival Chicago on October 3-8, 2017. Our theme this year was LIGHTS, CAMERA, TAKE ACTION! with the goal of mobilizing our attendees to take action beyond the films.

We hope you were able to join us, but for those who didn’t – here’s a recap!

REELABS
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2017
We partnered with Chicago’s own Kartemquin Films for the very first ReeLabs! Six LOCAL independent filmmakers with disabilities or making a film about disability were selected to screen their work-in-progress to members of the Kartemquin and disability community for a feedback and critique session.

OPENING NIGHT
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2017
Shorts Program
Birthday (16 min.) – A severely wounded Marine returns home to his wife after months of surgery and rehabilitation.
Children of God (10 min.) – A young amputee bets his prized possessions on his crush winning the boys vs. girls soccer match.
I Don’t Want to Go back Alone (17 min.) – A 15 year-old blind teenager and his best friend face issues of jealousy and other new feelings when they befriend a new kid in their class.
Welcome to the Last Bookstore (11 min.) – A day in the life of a bookstore owner—a father, husband, small business owner, and paraplegic—showing the store’s magnetic appeal to the community.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2017
At Eye Level (100 min)
When 11-year-old Michi finds his estranged father’s address, he can’t believe his luck, but when they meet and Michi discovers that his father, Tom, has dwarfism, Michi and Tom are forced to confront both disability and fatherhood head on.

Panel- Facebook Live

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2017
Short: Beyond Blind (3 min.) – Chicago dramatist Todd Bauer, who is blind, talks about how he writes his plays.  
Do You Dream in Color? (76 min.)
The poignant coming-of-age story of four teens who navigate the growing pains of high school, but, unlike most teens, face another challenge—they are blind. Through their personal stories, we learn of the experience of being blind and how these fearless teenagers navigate through it.

Panel discussion FACEBOOK LIVE

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2017
The Rebound (65 min.)
Follow the underdog journey of the Miami Heat Wheels wheelchair basketball team, in their quest for a national championship. It is a story of unwavering resolve and a testament to our innate ability to connect and work together despite challenges.
FACEBOOK LIVE panel with wheelchair basketball players injured due to gun violence in Chicago

Enter the Faun (67 min.)
The unlikely collaboration between a veteran choreographer and a young actor with cerebral palsy delivers astonishing proof that each and every body is capable of miraculous transformation. It challenges the boundaries of medicine and art, as well as the limitations associated with disability.
Photos – Inclusive Dance Workshop with Momenta

My Feral Heart (83 min.)
A sudden bereavement throws Luke, a fiercely independent young man with Down Syndrome, into a care home, where his frustration finds release in unexpected friendships and the revelation of long-buried secrets.

Panel discussion FACEBOOK LIVE

CLOSING NIGHT CELEBRATION
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2017
Deaf Jam (70 min.)
ASL poetry changed Aneta Brodski’s life. Poetry, friendship and respect transcend politics as Aneta finds herself in an unexpected collaboration and bold journey into the spoken word slam scene.

Performance & Reception following the film

THANK YOU TO ALL OUR VOLUNTEERS, PARTNERS AND SPONSORS WHO MADE THIS EVENT A SUCCESS!