2025 Short Film Competition
2025 Short Film Competition
Thank you to our panel of volunteer judges!
Winners: Non-Documentary Division
1st Place: Dreamscapes
Dir: Rachel Gray
Dreamscapes is a genre-blurring experimental film exploring mental health not as a diagnosis, but as a shifting inner reality—at once painful, beautiful, glamorous and strange. Centered on a powerful performance by Amelia Rose Griffin, the film transforms her lived experience into movement, colour, and sound. Dreamscapes gives voice to experiences that are often hidden because of shame, stigma and silence.
2nd Place: Take Care
Dir: Gilli Messer
A film crew documents Jo's journey to hire a caretaker...against her will. Along the way, Jo not only finds an awesome caretaker in Nat, but also a true buddy.
3rd Place: In Case of Fire
Dir: Spencer Price Sherwin
A disabled college student gets stuck on the second floor of a library with a bomb and an elevator that doesn't work
Winners: Documentary Division
1st Place: Simple Machine
Dir: Sara Hendren
Simple Machine is part portrait of an architect who became an amputee in midlife, and part meditation on the beauty and challenges of classical mechanics in the ingenious tools of our everyday lives. The film reframes assistive technologies in the adapted wood shop of one man, but it also sets his story against the history of post-war prosthetics, industrial manufacturing, and the irreducible complexity of life with machines.
2nd Place: Living Proof
Dir: Viktor Ilyukhin & Olga Lvoff
Living Proof is an intimate short film that highlights the lives of Paris and Engelic, two strong leaders and advocates within their disability communities. Paris, driven by spirituality, and Engelic, a talented writer, demonstrate the boundlessness of ambition and creative expression, empowering their communities and beyond to lead with purpose.
3rd Place and Audinece Favorite: Quad Life
Dir: Joyce Tsang
A young father’s world flips upside down after an accident. This is his story of reinvention as he chases normal and navigates life as a creative and quadriplegic sound designer.
Finalists: Non-Documentary Division
Gum
Dir: Belal Albader
A child with Down syndrome, falls in love for the first time in his life and begins a journey of new emotions he never knew existed, this forces him to make decisions he was not ready to take.
Refrain
Dir: Benjamin Anthony Slusarczyk
A deaf maximum security prisoner undergoes an experimental medical procedure to acquire early release and be reunited with his daughter, however the procedure doesn't go to plan and the man is left with unintended consequences.
Finalists: Documentary Division
Different All My Life
Dir: Justin R MacFayden
Different All My Life tells the inspiring story of Sherry, a talented singer whose life has been defined by perseverance and courage in the face of adversity. Overcoming childhood speech impediments, hearing impairments, and the societal prejudices surrounding disability, Sherry has fought fiercely to share her voice and music with the world. Despite facing health setbacks that silenced her singing for years and encountering rejection rooted in stigma, she never surrendered her passion. Through heartfelt performances—whether on stage, online, or simply from her open window—Sherry connects deeply with her audience, no matter how small. Dreaming of greater recognition yet grounded in profound humility, she finds success in the authenticity of her music and the kindness she strives to embody. Ultimately, this documentary is a tribute to the quiet courage required to embrace one's differences and the universal power of music to create belonging.
Grandpa has a broken eye and mom is an adventure
Dir: Marita Mayer
“How can you think if you cannot speak?” Four kids, age 5 to 15, share their thoughts on aphasia and show us how they communicate and interact with someone, who has difficulties expressing themselves verbally.
Pathfinder
Dir: Viktor Ilyukhin & Olga Lvoff
Pathfinder is a short documentary that follows Frank and Carrie, two residents of Pathfinder, a unique open-access community for individuals with Down syndrome. The film challenges common assumptions about the relationship between Down syndrome and dementia, offering a humanizing portrayal of both protagonists as they and their families navigate complexities of aging and disability. The film highlights the vital role of family and community in providing unwavering support, and underscores the importance of affirming the integrity, intelligence, and autonomy of individuals living with Down syndrome.
Semi-finalists: Non-Documentary Division
Arletta.
Dir: Montana James Miller
Between Us
Dir: Colin Miller
The Chastening
Katy Harney
deaf vs. dead
Dir: Elissa Weir, Sydney Cremasco
Down in Flames
Dir: Vanessa Ellis
Fucking Boobs e Mani a Terra
Dir: Paolo Cipolletta
The Long Face
Dir: Nick Buggey
I See Dark
Dir: Domingo Pisón Capellán
moss time, crip time
Dir: Cynthia Ling Lee
Shall We Rise Togehter?
Dir: Vasco Mendes
The Walking List
Dir: Dylan Wood, John Wee
Wherever That May Be
Dir: E.N. Cole
Semi-finalists: Documentary Division
Angels on Earth
Dir: Viktor Ilyukhin & Olga Lvoff
Beyond the Gaze
Dir: Arianna Bardesono
Create That World
Dir: Viktor Ilyukhin & Olga Lvoff
The Connect Project
Dir: Kanika Gupta, Jenelle Rouse
Fantastic Captain
Dir: Jean-Francois Castell
It's Something About Pumpkin
Dir: Peter Craig
Matthew part 2
Dir: John Steven Schaffer
Mike's Journey
Dir: Alexandra Henry
Sin Voz
Dir: John Grant Knaus
Tell Me What I See
Dir. Andres Schille
Unicorns Can Skate
Dir. Dries Vanherwegen
