Superfest Film Festival, Celebrating Disability Culture June 4 and 5

Superfest International Disability Film Festival

Gaia Arts Center – Berkeley

June 4 and 5, 2010 (Friday and Saturday)

From Profound to Profane: Superfest Shines a Spotlight on 13 Remarkable Films

When a boy’s fluttering eyelashes are finally recognized as communication, 16 years of silent isolation end and a soulful poet’s life takes flight in “Like A Butterfly” (Poland, Best of Festival), a lyrical, intimate portrait that’s a testament to the profound resilience of the human spirit; the adrenalin rush as the athlete pushes the limits, the awesome beauty of the snowy landscapes, the thrill as the snowboarder soars higher, the tricks, defying gravity, and then, “Wipe Out” (Canada, Merit) – three compelling stories about life after your head hits the icy hard-pack; unflinching and raw, at times unhinged, “The Last American Freak Show” (UK, Merit) turns a voyeuristic lens on a low-rent troupe of self-defined freaks and outsiders as they hit the road in a revival of a marginalized “art form” that many believe should have been “bagged and tagged” long ago.

The 30^th Superfest International Disability Film Festival event includes afternoon screenings of 13 award-winning films, a lively “Q & A” with attending filmmakers, a meet-and-greet at the filmmakers’ reception and an awards ceremony with live entertainment. The festival is presented by Culture! Disability! Talent! (CDT), a grassroots non-profit dedicated to promoting quality, authentic films that represent the rich diversity of the world’s disability community.

Public screenings of the award-winning films will take place on Friday, June 4, 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Saturday, June 5, 12:00 to 5:00 p.m., at the Gaia Arts Center, 2120 Allston (one block from the downtown Berkeley BART station) in Berkeley, California. Tickets are $5–$20/day (sliding scale) and will be sold only at the door. Please refrain from wearing perfume and other scented products. A “Meet the Makers” reception will take place on Saturday, June 5, 6:00 to 7:00 p.m., followed by an awards ceremony with live entertainment from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. The reception and awards ceremony are free and open to the public.

Access Accommodations Available

The venue is wheelchair accessible. Braille and large print screening schedules are available. All films will be audio described and most are captioned; check screening schedule. Film introductions, as well as the reception and awards event, will be ASL interpreted.

For additional access information, or to get a copy of the SUPERFEST 2010 screening schedule, visit: http://www.culturedisabilitytalent.org/superfest/index.html, email info@culturedisabilitytalent.org or call the CDT voice mailbox at 510-845-5576.

Masterpieces from the Musée d’Orsay

de Young Museum
May 22–September 6, 2010

For persons with disabilities who want to attend this exhibition at the de Young Museum, the museum is offering lower-priced tickets for a day and times when it will be less crowded. Please read on to find out more about this offer.

Monday, July 19, 2010, from 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.

Cost: Free to each member and one guest. Non-members: $10.00 per person, as well as some $5.00 tickets for those with financial need (make request on reservation form).

Access Features Available:
1.   Extra blue spaces for parking on John F. Kennedy Drive
2.   Map with parking and transportation information
3.   Wheelchairs and folding stools on first-come, first-served basis*
4.   Seating while waiting to enter exhibition
5.   Portable large print editions of exhibition labels*
6.   Docent-led tours
7.   Additional seating in galleries
8.   Audio tour free to visitors who are blind or visually impaired*
9. Printed version of audio tour script*

Available upon Request
10. American Sign Language: Please inquire for details
11. Materials in alternate format to study in advance of visit*
12. Slide-illustrated exhibition introductions at centers/agencies
13. Other requests: Contact tbrown@famsf.org or 415-750-7645*

*Available for all exhibition viewing hours

For further questions and to receive the RSVP form, contact tbrown@famsf.org or 415-750-7645.

Description: On Friday, April 30, 2010, we join our heroine Geri at her job interview at the local Independent Living Center as we play another scene from our original play, Blind Man’s Bluff. Starring Kris Yates, Mary Ann (Tidwell) Boussard, Doyle Saylor, Leah Gardner, Jan Santos and Patty Nash. From the memoir of the same name by Geri Taekens.

Pushing Limits is a local radio show by and for people with disabilities. Listen to the KPFA archive of PL shows including Blind Man’s Bluff at http://www.kpfa.org/archive/show/33.

Description: On Friday, April 30, 2010, we join our heroine Geri at her job interview at the local Independent Living Center as we play another scene from our original play, Blind Man’s Bluff. Starring Kris Yates, Mary Ann (Tidwell) Boussard, Doyle Saylor, Leah Gardner, Jan Santos and Patty Nash. From the memoir of the same name by Geri Taekens.

Pushing Limits is a local radio show by and for people with disabilities. Listen to the KPFA archive of PL shows including Blind Man’s Bluff at http://www.kpfa.org/archive/show/33.