FOREST HILLS — A Forest Hills film festival launching this week is dedicating its lineup to movies about people with disabilities in hopes of raising awareness.
The 7th annual Reelabilities Film Festival running from March 12-16 at the Central Queens Y is showing an array of international movies about the stories of disabled people who've overcome challenges in their lives, the organizers said.
Each screening will be followed by discussions with the filmmakers, people involved in the movies' production and social workers.
"The festival is part of a movement to bring awareness and appreciation to the experiences and stories of people living and thriving with disabilities," the center said in a statement.
The series will open on March 12 with a screening of “The Finishers,” a French movie directed by Nils Tavernier, about a teen with cerebral palsy, who wants to bond with his father and persuades him to compete with him in an "Ironman" race set in Nice.
In the film “Autistic Like Me. A Father’s Perspective,” directed by Charles Jones and screening on March 15, fathers of children with autism talk about their parenting experiences.
Director Sophie Sartain's film “Mimi and Dona" who made a film about her 64-year-old aunt Dona who has an intellectual disability, and whose mother, Mimi, struggles to find a home for her, will show on March 16.
"By engaging film lovers and audiences from all walks of life, the ReelAbilities Film Festival brings communities together to celebrate diversity and inclusion," the center said.
The audience will also see several short films made by people with disabilities, the organizers said.
The festival will be held at the Central Queens Y, at 67-09 108 Street in Forest Hills, from March 12-16. For tickets and information go here or call (718) 268-5011, ext. 151. All films are open to the general public ($8 recommended donation).
