ReelAbilities Film Festival

Overview

ReelAbilities Film Festival is the largest disability-themed film festival in the world. The 18th annual edition runs April 23 to 30, 2026, based at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan with screenings at multiple in-person locations throughout the New York metropolitan area. The 19th annual edition is scheduled for April 8 to 14, 2027. The festival presents features and shorts - narratives and documentaries - by and about people with disabilities, accompanied by post-screening discussions, panels, and an Industry Summit.

The festival was founded in 2007 by the JCC Manhattan (now the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan). It has grown into a network of affiliate festivals that tour selected films to cities across North America. The submission call applies to all affiliate ReelAbilities festivals, meaning a single submission can reach the entire touring network.

All ReelAbilities screenings are presented with accessibility accommodations including ASL interpretation, audio description, and open captions. This is not an optional add-on - it is a core operating principle of the festival. The 2026 Industry Summit on Disability Inclusion and Equity in Film and Performing Arts runs April 27 to 28, 2026, from 1 to 6 PM, featuring industry professionals discussing accessibility, inclusion, and representation in the film and performing arts industries.

Submission Details

ReelAbilities accepts submissions through FilmFreeway. Key details for the 19th annual festival (2027):

Submission fees are published on the ReelAbilities FilmFreeway page. The submission call covers all affiliate ReelAbilities festivals, not just the New York flagship.

Eligibility Requirements

• Films must be related to the topic of disability, including but not limited to: autism, chronic illness, hearing loss and deafness, vision loss and blindness, intellectual disability, learning disability, memory loss, mental health, physical disability, speech and language disorders, PTSD, and other disabilities.
• Accepts features (over 40 minutes) and shorts (up to 40 minutes).
• Accepts both narratives and documentaries from all countries.
• Films must have been completed on or after January 2025.
• Films that have been (or plan to be) widely or commercially released theatrically in the USA, or available on VOD/streaming for US viewers prior to May 2026, are not eligible for submission. Contact the festival for out-of-festival screening or collaboration opportunities.
• Screeners sent as links must remain available through April 2027. Submitters are responsible for updating link access on their FilmFreeway account if changed.
• The festival prioritizes films made by disabled creators and films that include authentic representation from actors, writers, directors, and crew with lived experience of disabilities.

Program Sections

• Feature Film Program - documentary and narrative features about disability experience
• Short Film Program - short films addressing disability, up to 40 minutes
• Youth Program - films for young audiences about disability, including the "Kids Like Me" screening series
• Industry Summit - two-day professional program on disability inclusion and equity in film and performing arts (April 27 to 28, 2026)
• Artist Conversations - post-screening discussions with filmmakers and subjects
• Accessibility Events - all screenings include ASL interpretation, audio description, and open captions as standard

Awards

• Audience Award - voted by festival communities across the touring network

The festival's primary recognition mechanism is the Audience Award, voted by attendees across the New York festival and affiliate cities. The touring network structure means audience response is aggregated across multiple geographic locations.

What Filmmakers Should Know

ReelAbilities is the most important dedicated platform for films by and about people with disabilities. If your film centers disability experience from within disability communities, this festival offers the most targeted audience and industry network available.

The festival explicitly prioritizes films made by disabled creators. If you are a disabled filmmaker, or your film features disabled actors, writers, directors, or crew, this prioritization is a meaningful advantage in the selection process. The festival's programming philosophy centers authentic representation over films about disability made by non-disabled creators.

The single-submission, multi-festival structure is a significant practical benefit. One FilmFreeway submission covers the New York flagship and all affiliate ReelAbilities festivals across North America. This eliminates the need for separate submissions to each city's festival.

The VOD/theatrical release restriction is stricter than most festivals. If your film has been or will be commercially released theatrically in the USA or available on US-accessible VOD/streaming before May 2026, it is not eligible. This is a key consideration for filmmakers planning their distribution strategy alongside festival submissions.

The Industry Summit (April 27 to 28, 2026) provides professional development and networking focused specifically on disability inclusion in the film industry. This is not a standard film festival panel program - it is a dedicated industry event addressing hiring practices, accessibility standards, and representation in film and performing arts.

All screenings include ASL interpretation, audio description, and open captions. If your film includes these features, or if you can provide accessible versions, this aligns with the festival's presentation standards.

Festival History

ReelAbilities was founded in 2007 by the JCC Manhattan, now known as the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan. The festival was created to address the historical underrepresentation of disability experiences in cinema and to provide a platform for films created by and centering the perspectives of disabled people.

The festival has grown from a single New York City event into a network of affiliate festivals touring across North America. The 18th annual edition in April 2026 continues the festival's commitment to accessibility as a core operating principle, not an accommodation. The 19th annual edition is scheduled for April 8 to 14, 2027.

The festival's Industry Summit has expanded its focus beyond film screening to address systemic inclusion issues in the entertainment industry, including hiring practices, set accessibility, and authentic casting. This positions ReelAbilities as both a film festival and an industry advocacy platform.

See Also

Calculate your total festival submission costs and projected return using the Festival ROI Calculator. For documentary filmmaking, see Documentary Filmmaking Guide. For festival circuit strategy, see Film Festival Strategy. Submit through the ReelAbilities FilmFreeway page.