The JCC of
Mid-Westchester is delighted to be one of the sites
participating in the First Annual Real Abilities – NY
Disabilities Film Festival
On September 21, 22, 23, 2008,
the JCC of Mid-Westchester, along with many others
throughout Westchester, Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens
and Long Island will be participating in the first annual
Real Abilities NY Disabilities Film Festival dedicated
exclusively to issues related to the lives of people with
disabilities.
The Festival will feature seven films to be shown in three
different sites throughout Westchester: the JCC on the
Hudson, the JCC of Mid-Westchester and the Rosenthal JCC.
The films range in scope and are about people with
disabilities or were created by someone with a disability.
They convey messages that are enlightening, creative and
uplifting. All films are being shown for the first time in
Westchester at this Festival and will be followed by
discussion led by a person with a disability or an expert
related to the film’s topic. The list of films and schedule
is below.
FILMS BEING SHOWN with Post Film Panel Discussions at the
JCC of Mid-Westchester:
TICKET PRICE: $10.00
Group Rates Available
Sunday, September 21, 2008
1:00 PM SNOWCAKE
Marc Evans / Drama / 112 min / UK / 2007
(for those interested in autism spectrum disorders)
See movie description and panel participants below.
4:00 pm SILENT GAMES
Yael Klopmann / Documentary / 74 min / Israel / 2008
(for those interested in issues for the hard of hearing and
all sports enthusiasts)
See movie description and panel participants below.
Monday, September 22, 2008
7:00 PM BEN X
Nick Balthazar / Drama / 93 min / Belgium / 2007 /
(for high school students, teachers and video game players)
See movie description and panel participants below.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
4:00 PM BEN X
Nick Balthazar / Drama / 93 min / Belgium / 2007 /
(for high school students, teachers and video game players)
See movie description and panel participants below.
*Director Nick Balthazar will attend the screening and
participate in the panel discussion following the movie.
7:00 PM WAR EAGLE
Robert Milazzo / Drama / USA / 2007 / 90 minutes
(for families who have a member
with motor or speech disorders, teachers, occupational therapist,
physical therapists and speech therapists) See movie
description below.
Additional films are being shown September 21, 22, 23 at the
JCC on the Hudson and The Rosenthal JCC.
Real Abilities
Film Festival at the JCC of Mid-Westchester Program
Information:
SNOWCAKE
Marc Evans / Drama / 112 min / UK / 2007 /
www.snowcakemovie.co.uk
Alex Hughes, an ex-convict, is
on a road trip to Winnipeg to see an old friend. Along the
way, he meets the annoying, but vivacious, Vivienne Freeman
who manages to bum a ride with him. Just as he begins to
warm to this eccentric girl, Alex's vehicle is in a serious
automobile accident that kills Vivienne. After his meeting
with the police, Alex decides to speak with Vivienne's
mother. Upon arrival at her home, Alex discovers that the
mother, Linda, is a highly functional autistic woman who
convinces him to stay long to take out the garbage the day
after the funeral he agrees to arrange. In those few days,
Alex discovers new friends and learns more about the
uniqueness of Linda even as he struggles to come to terms
with his own grief.
Festivals & Awards:
Berlin International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
Tribeca International Film Festival
Panel Participants:
Parent of child with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Expert in the area of Autism Spectrum Disorders
Social worker who works with children & adults with Autism
Spectrum Disorders
SILENT GAMES
Yael Klopmann / Documentary / 74 min / Israel / 2008 /
www.filminginisrael.com/SilentGames.html
The captivating story of an
Israeli national deaf soccer team set out to become the top
eight contenders in the 2007 World Championship in Bulgaria.
Panel Participants:
Specialist from New York School for the Deaf
Parent of child who is hard of hearing
Coach/Trainer for JCC of Mid-Westchester’s Maccabi soccer
team
BEN X
Nick Balthazar / Drama / 93 min / Belgium / 2007 /
www.benx.be
Ben is different. His life is a
universe to itself, where he plays his favorite online
computer game Archlord avidly, trying hard to train himself
for the real world he lives in. The harsh world of a
technical school is for him a daily kind of hell.
As the horror of being a daily subject to bullying grows,
Ben devises a plan. Then Scarlite comes into his life, the
girl he has met in his on-line game. That wasn’t part of the
plan...
Festivals & Awards:
Montréal World Film Festival, Grand Prix des Amériques, Most
Popular Film,
Prize of the Ecumenical Jury
Palm Springs International Film Festival, Heineken Red Star
Award
Sedona International Film Festival, Audience Award,
Director's Choice Award
Panel Participants:
Parent of adolescent with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Expert who works with people with Asperger’s Syndrome
Trainer for schools anti-bullying programs
Video game producer or creator
WAR EAGLE
Robert Milazzo / Drama / USA / 2007 / 90 minutes /
www.wareaglethemovie.com
Enoch Cass has two gifts; the
first is baseball, and the second is the innate goodness he
possesses as he holds his family, members of his community,
and most of all, his friendship with Samuel “Wheels” Macon,
together. However, Enoch’s Achilles heel is the fact that he
has a debilitating stutter and can rarely manage a complete
sentence. Wheels is Enoch’s best friend and has cerebral
palsy. He has been confined to a wheelchair since early
childhood, which is how long these two have been
inseparable. Wheels’ spirit knows no bounds, and combined
with Enoch’s inability to articulate, the two have relied on
one another to make themselves one completely functional
human being… However, the story finds these two at the
crossroads of childhood and independence, the moment where
Enoch has to decide if he will put away the things of his
youth to pursue his own interests, or remain shackled to his
hometown and its people.
Festivals & Awards:
Connecticut Film Festival
Indie Spirit Film Festival
Little Rock Film Festival
Long Island International Film Festival
Newport Beach Film Festival
Ohio Independent Film Festival
Staten Island Film Festival
Panel Participants:
Specialist in working with children with cerebral palsy
Speech and Language Pathologist
Social Worker
Group home placement specialist
