Cincinnati is one of 9 US cities hosting a week of exceptional, touching, courageous and beautifully made films as the Reel Abilities Film Festivalbegins Saturday night. From March 9 through the 16, at various venues around town, films that share the stories, lives and art of people with disabilities will be shown, all benefitting local organizations that work with, advocate for or provide services to people with disabilities. Organizer Christa Zielke from Visionaries + Voices and disability advocate Kathleen Sheil from Living Arrangements for the Developmentally Disabled join Mark Perzel to discuss the importance and the quality of the films that are a part of this festival.
It’s always an annual treat when Cincinnati World Cinema brings in the current Lunafest collection. This long-running series of short films by and about women is an excellent way for budding filmmakers to get noticed, and also do some good in the process. As always, a portion of the proceeds from these showings will go to the national Breast Cancer Fund, and locally, to the Eva G. Farris Education Center in Covington.
In any collection of short films, reactions will be different for different people. You may find some inspiring, some funny, some ho-hum. But that’s the luck of the draw, and just like with the British commercial programs, there’s always something new just around the corner. The shortest film is three-and-a-half minutes; the longest eighteen.
