Superfest International Disability Film Festival is a juried film festival held in the San Francisco Bay Area. Superfest is the longest-running disability film festival in the world. In addition to featuring films developed by and starring people with disabilities, Superfest aims to be inclusive. The directors also coach the film makers about accessibility of films to people with disabilities. During the film festival, the organizers provide sign language interpreters and film narrators to allow for the attendees with various disabilities to appreciate the films. All of the judges for Superfest are people with disabilities from various community roles, including disability community organizers, disability studies scholars, and film aficionados. Superfest closely follows the disability rights slogan: Nothing About Us Without Us.
Stereotypes of disabilities are perpetuated through mainstream media and popular culture. The aim of Superfest is to showcase films created by people with disabilities, illustrating real life experiences of disability and how universal the topic of disability can be. Some film submissions are what the disability community refers to as inspiration porn. These stories are generally regarding people with disabilities completing a great feat, in spite of their disabilities, and never approach the topic of discrimination of people with disabilities or the social standards to which people with disabilities are held. Attendees express they can be authentic at Superfest and speak openly about their experiences.
Superfest is held over a weekend and is considered more of a cultural event than a film festival.
History The Superfest International Disability Film Festival began as the Film Forum for the AAMR in the 1970s, and was supported by the University Affiliated Program at Children's Hospital Los Angeles In 1976, it was taken on as a major activity by a newly created non-profit organization, the Corporation on Disability and Telecommunication (CDT). CDT's mission was to promote a positive image of people with disabilities and promote employment for persons with disabilities in the media industry.
At that time, Superfest was the only international film festival that showcased diverse films related to the social challenge of disability, receiving entries from around the country and the world. Viewing committees were established in multiple California locations, often based at the Developmental Disability Regional Centers and eventually at other places around the country. During the late 70s and for most of the 1980s, Superfest screened nearly 100 films a year, produced yearly PBS television viewings throughout the nation, was funded by the Corporation on Public Broadcasting, the State of California, and other groups. During this time, CDT also produced the documentary BREAKING GROUND for KTLA-TV about Hollywood actors with disabilities who were breaking into the mainstream. Both the PBS specials and BREAKING GROUND received Hollywood chapter Emmy nominations for their hosts, along with a 1987 documentary AMNESTY: THE DREAM FULFILLED? about how persons with disabilities were being excluded from becoming citizens. Superfest received special recognition at the Hawaii International Film Festival in 1987 and at the Pacific Film Archives in Berkeley.
The KTLA documentaries received state and national recognition and CDT received various California State grants and awards. By the late 1980s and early 1990s, the leadership of CDT changed, and focus for the running of Superfest shifted to the CDT chapter in the San Francisco Bay area. This was not a surprise in that the first screening committees and PBS airings were in the Bay Area. The first Superfest awards ceremony and screening outside of Los Angeles and AAMR conventions sites, was at the Presidio in San Franciscom, hosted by Jay Leno. In fact, the name for the festival, "Superfest" was first recommended by the "Northern California" organizing committee.
In 1995, CDT decided to move Superfest from Los Angeles to Berkeley. Berkeley is significant to the disability rights movement and independent living.
Annual film festivals were held in Berkeley from 1998 to 2011. In 2009, Superfest held a commemorative two-day program featuring 13 disability films the committee considered classics of disability in film called Superfest Classics.
In 2015 Superfest expanded to a two-day festival and recognized the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act being signed into legislation. With the beginnings as a grass-roots organization, Superfest has not been able to have a film festival each year since its founding. The 2016 festival was their 30th film festival. After the 2019 festival, the LightHouse for the Blind and the Longmore Institute dissolved their partnership, and now the festival is run solely by the Longmore Institute on Disability at San Francisco State University.
Films shown at Superfest Classics (2009) Film title Director Producer Year initially shown at Superfest About Love Tofik Shakhverdiev Tofik Shakhverdiev 2006 Annie Dearest Terry Galloway & Diane Wilkins Diane Wilkins Productions & Mickee Faust Films 2003 Assistive Technology Boogie Jim Tobias Jim Tobias 2005 Beyond Disability: the Fefe Stories Salome Chasnoff The Empowered Fefes 2005 Disability Culture Rap Jerry Smith Jerry Smith & Cheryl Wade 2000 "Hose," "Cards," & "Water Balloons" Sean Ehringer Mark Conly 2003 Kiss My Wheels Miguel Grunstein & Dale Kruzic Miguel Grunstein & Dale Kruzic 2003 LIEBE PERLA (Dear Perla) Shahar Rozen Edna & Elinor Kowarsky, Eden Productions 2004 Pelswick: DRAW Nelvana 2001 The Power of 504 Dan Veltri 1998 Raymond's Portrait Donald Young Donald Young 1999 Wood Diary David Edwin Meyers David Edwin Meyers 2006 Youth Speaks segment from KQED's series SPARK Howard Shack & the Bay Area Video Coalition 2005 Source:
The Dissies In 2013, Superfest presented a special event. This event was to highlight films where disability had been mocked or portrayed in an insensitive manner. These types of films where disability is mocked are referred to as disability snub films. The "Dissies" mirror the Razzies, where the award given is not an honor at all. Each year, a new "Dissie" is awarded from films nominated by the community. Mock "Dissie" awards are given each year to disability snub films.
The Dissies Worst portrayal of a disability by a nondisabled actor So sweet (that they're not)Gene Hackman – Young Frankenstein Glenn Close – Fatal Attraction Richard Pryor/Gene Wilder – See No Evil, Hear No EvilHeidi, Heidi Mary – The Secret Garden Pollyanna – Pollyanna The Most Amazing Miracle The Most Tragic Allan Mann, Monkey Shines Forrest Gump, Forrest Gump A Blind Girl, City LightsMillion Dollar Baby Scent of a Woman Mr. Holland's Opus The Other Side of the Mountain The Worst Disabled Villain Crips Gone Wild!Dr. Strangelove – Dr. Strangelove Pew – Treasure Island Mr. Glass – UnbreakableDanny – Blind Dating Carla – The Other Sister Radio – Radio Hey – only we can laugh at that! The Ringer Tropic Thunder Waking Ned Devine Source:
Award winners 1998 Best of Festival – My Country, Producer: Phyllis Ward Excellence Award – Disabled Women: Visions & Voices, Producers: Patricia Chadwick and Suzanne C. Levine Excellence Award – House Gang: Nightmare, Producer: Gaby Mason Excellence Award – Self- Advocacy: Freedom, Equality & Justice for All, Producer: Jerry Smith Spirit of Superfest – Disabled Women: Visions & Voices, Producers: Patricia Chadwick and Suzanne C. Levine Spirit of Superfest – The Ten Commandments of Communicating with People with Disabilities, Producer: Irene M. Ward & Assoc. Achievement Award – BABYARM (God Won?), Producer: Yuri Ukon Achievement Award – I Belong Out There, Producer: Irene M. Ward & Assoc. Achievement Award – Living Without Limits, Producer: National Multiple Sclerosis Society Achievement Award – Loud, Proud & Passionate, Producer: Dana Vion; Mobility International USA, Executive Producer Achievement Award – The Paradox Event, Producer: Paradox Arts Achievement Award – Vital Signs: Crip Culture Talks Back, Producer: David Mitchell and Sharon Snyder Achievement Award – Voices in a Deaf Theater, Producer: Margo Meisel Merit Award (Content) – Beyond Access, Producer: The Millay Colony for the Arts and Sharon Greytak Merit Award (Content) – Collaborating for Change: Instructional Strategies for All Students, Producer: San Francisco Unified School District, Dept. of Special Ed. Merit Award (Content) – In the Groove, Producer: Liane Yasumoto, Jack Walsh, KTOP, and Ceda Floyd, Executive Producers Merit Award (Content) – Mickey Spencer, Visual Artist, Producer: LVA: Lesbians in the Visual Arts Merit Award (Content) – No Apologies, Producer: Peni Hall; Associate Producer, Pandoura Carpenter Merit Award (Content) – The Power of 504, Producer: 504 Sit-in 20th Anniversary Celebration and Commemoration Committee Merit Award (Content) – The Ten Commandments of Communicating with People with Disabilities, Producer: Irene M. Ward & Assoc. Merit Award (Content) – When Billy Broke His Head...and other tales of wonder, Producer: Billy Golfus and David Simpson Merit Award (Technical) – B-Ball: The Team That Never Lost A Game, Producer: Dirk Dirksen Merit Award (Technical) – The Chariot Races, Producer: Christian Schneider Merit Award (Technical) – EPA Poisons EPA: My Sister's Story, Producer: Therese Svoboda Merit Award (Technical) – This is Your Right, Producer: Irene M. Ward & Associates Source:
1999 Best of Festival – Sunny's Ears, Producer: Gillian Gordon Spirit of Superfest – Face First, Producer: Mike Grundmann Excellence Award – If I Can't Do It, Producer: Walter Brock Excellence Award – Metroland: Big Time, Producer: Atul Malhotra Achievement Award – Bay TV LIFE: 1996 Paralympics, Producer: Tim Flannigan Achievement Award – Educational Interpreting, Producer: David Conyer Achievement Award – Face First, Producer: Mike Grundmann Achievement Award – Raymond's Portrait, Producer: Donald Young Achievement Award – Recreation for Everyone, Producer: Jonathan Newman Achievement Award – Spokesman, Producer: Ethel Louise Armstrong Foundations Merit Award – Challenge, Producer: Amy Kaplan Merit Award – A Different View, Producer: Lori Power Merit Award – Family Challenges, Producer: Leslie Kussmann Merit Award – Fred's Story, Producer: Gayle C. Kranz and Eric A. Neudel Merit Award – Hope & Solutions for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Producer: James Callner Merit Award – Laulima: Working Together, Producer: Merrie Carol Grain Merit Award – Teach Me To, Producer: Ellen Walters Merit Award – This Drawing Looks Intelligent, Producer: M. Baayens Merit Award – The Unknown Soldier, Producer: Michele Buck Merit Award – The Women's Foundation, Producer: Aarin Burch Source:
2000 Best of Festival – Disability Culture Rap, Producer: Cheryl Wade, Jerry Smith Spirit of Superfest – Disability Culture Rap, Producer: Cheryl Wade, Jerry Smith Excellence Award – Good Service Makes Good Sense, Producer: Cathy Crocfer Excellence Award – Walk This Way, Producer: Kathryn Vander Achievement Award – At the Pub, Producer: Anette and Lars Mullback Achievement Award – Click Three Times, Producer: Victoria Sampson; Chantal Marie Grandparent Productions Achievement Award – A Few Simple Words, Producer: Jerry Smith Merit Award – Words from the Heart: Mentoring, Producer: Disabled Women's Alliance Merit Award – Independent Today, Producer: Peter D. Collman Merit Award – The Disabling Bullet, Producer: Patrick Devlieger and Miriam Hertz Merit Award – Peak Practice - Language of the Eye, Producer: Mervyn Gill-Dougherty Merit Award – Danny and the Scotsman, Producer: Peter Nicks Source:
2001 Best of Festival – Kids Just Want to Have Fun, Producer: David Decker, Mercury Productions, Inc. Spirit of Superfest – Parade, Producer: Susan Nussbaum Excellence Award – Parade, Producer: Susan Nussbaum