In 2020, filmmaker and disability advocate Juliet Romeo reached out to Slamdance Film Festival co-founder Peter Baxter, stressing the need for a program by and for disabled filmmakers. Conversations turned to action, and Slamdance Unstoppable was born. In 2021, Slamdance featured a showcase of disability-inclusive short films at its virtual festival, and by 2023, Slamdance Unstoppable had grown to include short and feature films, screening both in-person and virtually.
Uplifting and amplifying stories by disabled filmmakers is vital. Representation of disability in the entertainment industry, both in front of and behind the camera, continues to be disproportionately low. A recent USC Annenberg study revealed that only 2.2% of all speaking characters in the top 100 highest-grossing films of 2023 were portrayed as disabled— far below the 25% of the U.S. population that identifies as disabled. By showcasing a collection of disability-inclusive films and/or films created by disabled filmmakers, the Slamdance Film Festival is helping to change these statistics.
Currently, there are no studies reporting on behind-the-camera talent, such as writers and directors. Many studios and production companies do not even track this information. This likely also reflects gaps in inclusive and accessible work environments, as well as hiring processes that create barriers for disabled writers and directors.
One way to continue developing and elevating disabled talent is through Disability Belongs™’ annual Entertainment Lab and bi-annual Entertainment and Media Fellowship. As more disabled writers and directors receive opportunities to create their own projects, more authentic and intersectional disability representation will appear on our screens. Seven of the 2025 Slamdance films were created by or feature Disability Belongs™ Lab alumni (details below).
Slamdance Film Festival’s Move to Los Angeles Increases Accessibility
This year, the Slamdance Film Festival, taking place from February 20 – 26, 2025, has moved from Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, to Los Angeles to enhance accessibility for filmmakers and attendees.
“At this pivotal moment for independent film, Slamdance’s new era in Los Angeles is the perfect home for a 2025 lineup that defies convention, champions bold new voices, and reflects the fearless, independent spirit at our core: by filmmakers, for everyone,” said Festival Director Taylor Miller.
Slamdance Unstoppable films will screen at Quixote – West Hollywood in Los Angeles. Online screenings will also be available on the Slamdance Channel from February 24 – March 7, 2025.
In addition to the films, Slamdance will feature two panels focused on disability and accessibility:
- Saturday, February 22: “YOU’RE LATE AF: Demystifying Disability & Accessibility”
“For too long, Hollywood has treated accessibility as an afterthought. But what happens when we start using it to fuel better storytelling, stronger productions, and bigger audiences? Featuring Marissa Bode (Wicked), Juliet Romeo (Slamdance Unstoppable), Ariel Simms (Disability Belongs™), Natasha Ofili (A Quiet Place: Day One), Kaitlyn Yang (Alpha Studios) and moderated by Jim LeBrecht (Crip Camp).” The panel streamed live on the LA Times homepage, and you can watch the recording now. - Monday, February 24: “Accessibility the Write Way: Casting, Creativity & The Future of Storytelling” presented by Easterseals Disability Services
“This panel sets out the barriers in hiring, casting, and storytelling that have historically sidelined disabled talent and what changes are still to be made. From writing with authenticity to ensuring access in casting rooms, what are the new industry standards for inclusive film production? Let’s hear from this esteemed group of panelists to find out. Moderated by Academy Award winner Peter Farrelly. Speakers include David Radcliff (WGA Disability Committee), Jen Court (Kung Fu Monkey Productions), Michael Sanford (Sanford Casting), Keli McNeil Yellen (Daruma), Russel Boast (The Casting Society), and Doug Roland (Unstoppable Alum, Academy Award Nominee).”
Unstoppable Features
Complicated: “In a time when the failures of healthcare in America are coming under scrutiny, COMPLICATED tells the poignant story of kids with complicated illness suffering at the margins of mainstream medicine—and their parents who risk losing them if they go too far to help: a shocking look at a hidden epidemic in pediatric care when complex disease, lack of research, and the limits of child protection collide.” Read a review written by Entertainment & Media Fellow Gina DeRyke: “Complicated” Sheds Light on Families’ Complex Medical Trauma.
Disposable Humanity: “A family investigates the Nazi Aktion T4 which targeted disabled people and catalyzed the Holocaust.” Writer/Director, Producer, and Cast Cameron S. Mitchell is a 2022 alumnus of the Disability Belongs™ Entertainment Lab. Read a review written by Disability Belongs™’ SVP, Entertainment & Media, Lauren Appelbaum: New Documentary “Disposable Humanity” Shines Spotlight on Nazi Attacks on Disabled People. The 2025 Slamdance Unstoppable Feature Honorable Mention was awarded to Disposable Humanity. This feature also won a 2025 Audience Award, voted on by Slamdance attendees.
My Own Normal: “When disabled filmmaker Alexander Freeman tells his parents his girlfriend is pregnant, their reaction is not what he expected.”
Racewalkers: “A struggling racewalking coach and a washed-up pro baseball player with a surprisingly natural stride team up to take on the best walker in the sport.”
Unstoppable Shorts
Audio Description: “A birthday wish gone wrong causes a blind man to begin hearing the audio description for a film.”
BAD SURVIVOR: “After being ‘broken up with’ by her oncologists, a sarcastic young cancer patient struggles to adjust to life at home with her multicultural family during her first day in remission.”
Disabled AF: “Jess is moving out, and her friends Marsha and Imani are down to help, until they realize they have a traitor in their midst.” Several Disability Belongs™ Entertainment Lab alumni were involved with the production of this film, including Director, Writer, and Actress Cashmere Jasmine (2021 Virtual Lab); Writer and Producer Ariel Baska (2022 Virtual Lab and 2024 Documentary and Unscripted Intensive); Writer Ophira Calof (2022 Virtual Lab); and Producer Kiah Amara (2021 Virtual Lab). Read our Disabled AF review: Disabled AF Both Entertains and Educates About Non-Apparent Disability Through Stunning Cinematography and Emotional Story.
Forward Thinking: “A Black man seeks trademark assistance from the Triple K Law Office to prepare for his inevitable encounter with the police.” Several Disability Belongs™ Entertainment Lab alumni were involved with the production of this film, including Producer and Co-Writer Jeremy Hsing (2022 LA Lab and 2024 Writing Intensive); Production Accessibility Coordinator Kiah Amara (2021 Virtual Lab); and Director’s Assistant Lonzo Bentley (2022 LA Lab). In addition, Disability Belongs™’ Senior Manager of Entertainment Partnerships Vanni Le served as a Production Assistant.
Ignore Your True Feelings at Your Own Peril: “Director Miranda Siegel struggles to keep up with her busy life during a bipolar episode, only to find that repressed emotions will always find a way out—through the esophagus if necessary.”
IRON LUNG: “When a storm knocks out the power to her iron lung, a polio survivor and her caretaker sister find themselves in a race against time to find a new way for her to breathe.” Several Disability Belongs™ Entertainment Lab alumni were involved with the production of this film, including Director Andrew Reid (2020 Virtual Lab) and Executive Producer Sarah Granger (2021 Virtual Lab). Read a review written by Entertainment & Media Fellow Olivia Hall: Short film “Iron Lung” Tackles Powerlessness In More Ways Than One. The Slamdance Unstoppable Short Grand Jury Prize was awarded to Iron Lung. The jury stated: “Iron Lung showcased excellent cinematography, direction, and production design. The exceptional acting of the two leads played off each other and created a tautly drawn thriller that elevated the stakes and kept audiences on the edge of their seats.”
Mo<3Kyra: “A comedy set during a high school prom about a girl’s last chance to let the girl of her dreams know how she feels about her.”
No Leg Power: “After surviving a terrible accident that leaves him paralyzed from the waist down, basketball player CJ Bellamy loses his bright future in the NBA. He discovers the world of CrossFit and embarks on a journey to find a new life’s purpose.”
Noggin: “A man builds a memory palace out of paper and glass to fight brain damage from multiple sclerosis.”
Out of Reach: “When two best friends who both have disabilities are left alone, they discover a major difference in their personalities.”
POSSUM: “When the leader of an artist residency kills the possum that’s been eating their cauliflower, the residents come to a shocking consensus.” Writer, Producer, and Cast Sophie Sagan-Gutherz is a 2024 alum of the Disability Belongs™ Entertainment Lab, Virtual Cohort. Read a review written by Marketing and Communications Fellow Rosie Correll in October 2024 when the film screened at the Superfest Disability Film Festival: The Horror Short POSSUM is “the change you wish to see.”
Promise to Stronger Days: “Tells the empowering story of Adira, a young woman desiring to live her 20s to the fullest while combatting the crippling reality of her PTSD from childhood sexual assault…with a wrathful twist.”
Skate: “When a lonely teenage girl meets a group of skater girls at a house party, she is empowered to deal with her social anxiety through skateboarding.”
Super High: A Period Piece: “Amanda battles excruciating period pain caused by fibroids. Desperate for relief, she experiments with a celebrity cannabis brand’s edibles. A dosage mishap catapults her into a surreal, anxiety-filled journey until she awakens.”
TALK: “A Deaf man needs the help of a translator to get his air conditioning fixed, but things prove complicated when intentions are lost in translation.”
The Hemingway: “This is a film about Life, Death, and Sh*t.”
Witness: “A revered small-town imam faces a crisis of faith when he must choose between upholding the values of his mosque or protecting the safety and spiritual belonging of a male congregant.” Co-Director, and Producer Radha Mehta is a 2023 alumna of the Disability Belongs™ Entertainment Lab, Los Angeles Cohort, and 2024 Documentary and Unscripted Intensive. Read a review written by Entertainment & Media Fellow Gina DeRyke: Radha Mehta and Her Team Explore Identity and Acceptance in New Short Film “Witness.”
Wrong Guy: “A disabled dude keeps getting mistaken for other disabled dudes. He and his best friend decide to lean in when he’s mistaken for a disabled celebrity.”
Additional Disability Representation
In addition, a film in the narrative shorts section also features disability. Directed by Aisha Amin, with cast Lauren Ridloff and John Autry II, Contours is having its world premiere at Slamdance.
Contours: “Upon using a modern art museum as the setting for a role-playing game that goes hopelessly awry, a deaf couple desperate to rekindle their spark find the reconnection they seek in their shared experience over an abstract sculpture.” Disability Belongs™ Entertainment Lab Alumni Kiah Amara and Asha Chai-Chang served as the film’s Production Accessibility Coordinators. Read a review from Entertainment & Media Fellow Aaron Potter: New Short Film “Contours” Examines Human Connections.
