Superfest was founded in Los Angeles before it was relocated to the Bay Area in 1998. A project of Culture! Disability! Talent! (CDT), the annual film festivals were held in Berkeley from 1998 to 2011 under the direction of Pamela Walker and later, Liane Yasumoto. In 2012, CDT began to search for new leaders who had the innovation, spark, and dedication to take Superfest to the next level. Catherine Kudlick, director of the Paul K. Longmore Institute on Disability at San Francisco State University, and Bryan Bashin, CEO of LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired were the well-matched organizations chosen to give Superfest the new life and energy that it maintains today.
In 2020, the Paul K. Longmore Institute will be taking over the helm of Superfest and will be leading the event solo for the first time.
Superfest 2019
AWARD-WINNING FILMS:
Best of Festival Feature: CHUSKIT, India [Feature Film]
Best of Festival Short: Gaslit, Australia [Dramatic Short]
Juror’s Choice: The Gallery, United Kingdom [Dramatic Short]
P.K. Walker Innovation in Craft Award: Chin Up, United Kingdom [Documentary Short]
Advocacy Award: The Man of the Trees, Italy/Burkina Faso [Documentary Short]
ALSO SCREENED AT FESTIVAL:
Are You Volleyball!?, Iran [Dramatic Short]
Deaf Jam, United States [Documentary Feature]
Song For Rent, After Jack Smith, United States [Dramatic Short]
Carlotta’s Face, Germany [Animated Short]
Invalid Corps, United States [Dramatic Short]
Late Afternoon, Ireland [Animated Short]
Stinky Chicken Dog 2, United States [Documentary Short]
Inclinations, Canada [Dramatic Short]
The Penguin Who Couldn’t Swim, United Kingdom [Animated Short]
TIS, France [Animated Short]
Superfest 2018
AWARD-WINNING FILMS:
P.K. WALKER INNOVATION IN CRAFT AWARD: Stim; United States [Documentary Short]
DISABILITY JUSTICE AWARD: Who Am I To Stop It; United States [Documentary Short]
BEST OF FESTIVAL, SHORT: Stumped; United States [Documentary Short]
BEST OF FESTIVAL, FEATURE: Still Tomorrow; China [Documentary Feature]
ALSO SCREENED AT FESTIVAL:
Gaelynn Lea – The Songs We Sing; United States [Documentary Short]
Making Waves; Australia [Documentary Short]
Journey to the Miracle Man; Sweden/Brazil [Documentary Feature]
Stopgap in Stop Motion; United Kingdom [Animated Short]
This is Normal; United States [Dramatic Short]
Kū Kanaka/Stand Tall; United States [Documentary Short]
To Know Him; United Kingdom [Dramatic Short]
Just Go!; Latvia [Action Short]
Superfest 2017
AWARD-WINNING FILMS:
LIANE YASUMOTO’S JURY’S CHOICE AWARD; The Barber of Augusta; Directed by Michèle Hozer; Canada [Documentary Short]
DISABILITY JUSTICE AWARD Traveller; Directed by Nwaye Zar Che Soe, Mine Aung Lin Tun, Pyae Zaw Phyo; Myanmar/Japan [Documentary Short]
BEST OF FESTIVAL, SHORT In Crystal Skin; Directed by Michaela O’Brien; United States/Colombia [Documentary Short]
BEST OF FESTIVAL, FEATURE Deej; Directed by Rob Rooy; United States [Documentary Feature]
P.K. WALKER INNOVATION IN CRAFT AWARD: The Chili Story; Directed by Patty Berne; United States [Animated Short]
ALSO SCREENED AT FESTIVAL:
Chief; Directed by Amir Jaffer; United States [Documentary Short]
Mind/Game: The Unquiet Journey of Chamique Holdsclaw; Directed by Rick Goldsmith; United States [Documentary Feature]
When Brenden Met Hiroe; Directed by Steve Mayer-Miller; Australia/Japan [Documentary Short]
On the Outs: Reentry for Inmates with Disabilities; Directed by Jordan Melograna; United States [Documentary short]
Sign; Directed by Andrew Keenan-Bolger; United States [Short]
Stab: Life as a Voodoo Doll; Directed by Jeanette Castillo; United States [Animated Short]
On Beat; Directed by Cheng Zhang, Reid Davenport, United States [Documentary Short]
Lefty & Loosey; Directed by Zico Abrar; United States [Fictional Short]
Rhizophora; Directed by Julia Metzger-Traber, Davide De Lillis; Germany [Documentary Short]
Well Done; Directed by Riccardo Di Gerlando; Italy, 2016 [Short]
SUPERFEST 2016
AWARD-WINNING FILMS:
BEST OF FESTIVAL FEATURE Best and Most Beautiful Things; Written and directed by Garrett Zevgetis, Produced by Ariana Garfinkel, Jeff Consiglio, Garrett Zevgetis, and Jordan Salvatoriello; United States
BEST OF FESTIVAL SHORT Supersonic [11 min.] Directed by Samuel Dore, Written by Cihan Narin, Produced by Maverick Litchfield-Kelly; United Kingdom
DISABILITY JUSTICE AWARD Double Discrimination; Written and Directed by Rinkoo Barpaga; United Kingdom
ADVOCACY AWARD Right To Be Rescued; Directed by Jordan Melograna, Produced by Jordan Melograna and Mark Stroh; United States
LIANE YASUMOTO JURY’S CHOICE AWARD Awake; Written and Directed by Michael Achtman, Produced by Caglar Kimyoncu; United Kingdom
ALSO SCREENED AT FESTIVAL:
Terminal Device; Written, Directed, and Produced by Ross Turnbull; Canada
Yam’s Journey; Directed, Written, and Produced by Rubi Gat; Israel
Zoufs; Written and Directed by Tom Boccara, Noe Reutenauer, and Emilien Vekemans; Produced by Jean-Yves and Cassandre Waranauts; Belgium
Like If…; Directed by Daniele Bonari; Written by Michele Squillace; Italy
The Sea Reminds Me; Directed by Ray Jacobs, Jonathan Tritton; Written by Ray Jacobs, Mervyn Bradley, and Jonathan Tritton; England
Hear Me; Written and Directed by Nicolas Coquet; Produced by Thierry Etienne, Anne Etienne, Nicolas Capdeville, and Nicolas Coquet; France
SUPERFEST 2015
AWARD-WINNING FILMS:
BEST OF FESTIVAL FEATURE Fixed: The Science/Fiction of Human Enhancement [61 min.] Director: Regan Brashear; U.S.
BEST OF FESTIVAL SHORT Bastion [11 min.] Director: Ray Jacobs; U.K.
ADVOCACY AWARD Do You Dream in Color [71 min.] Director: Abby Fuller and Sarah Ivy; U.S.
DISABLED FILMMAKER AWARD Predators of Transylvania [7 min.] Director: Julia Kolenakova; Slovakia
EXCELLENCE AWARD To Be Or Not To Be [61 min.] Director: Aziz Zairov; Kazakhstan
ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Sins Invalid: An Unshamed Claim to Beauty [33 min.] Director: Patty Berne; U.S.
P. K. WALKER INNOVATION IN CRAFT AWARD Regione Caecorum (In the Land of the Blind) [3 min.] Director: Drew Goldsmith; U.S.
ARTISTRY AWARD The Gift (of Impermanence) [11 min.] Director: Alex Ketley; U.S.
DISABILITY COMEDY AWARD Rent-A-Crip [3 min.] Director: Terry Galloway and Diane Wilkins; U.S.
SUPERFEST 2014
AWARD-WINNING FILMS:
BEST OF FESTIVAL The Interviewer [13 min.] Director: Genevieve Clay-Smith and R. Bryan; AUSTRALIA.
EXCELLENCE AWARD(S): Vectors of Autism: A Documentary about Laura Nagle [40 min.] Director: John Schaffer; U.S.
EXCELLENCE AWARD(S): Once Again [19 min.] Director: John Spottswood Moore; U.S.
MERIT AWARD Everything Is Incredible [10 min.] Director: Tyler Bastian; HONDURAS
PAMELA K. WALKER AWARD FOR INNOVATION IN CRAFT The Nature of Pleasure [8 min.] Director: Thanh Diep; U.S.
ADVOCACY AWARD Restraint and Seclusion: Hear Our Stories [28 min.] Director: Dan Habib; U.S.
DISABLED FILMMAKER AWARD Krutch [5 min.] Director: Clark Matthews; U.S.
SUPERFEST 2013
THE DISSIES Nominees and “Winners” here
In 2013, Superfest presented a special event: “The Dissies.” An evening of film clips looking back to embrace, mock, cringe, and guffaw at some of the more troublesome bits of disability film history. Films nominated by our community showed us how bad things really were and how much progress we’ve already achieved in a century of films involving people with disabilities. Mock “Dissie” awards were given in categories, such as “The Worst Disabled Villain” and “The Most Amazing Miracle.”
SUPERFEST 2011
BEST OF FESTIVAL Flying Anne [20 min.] Director: Catherine van Campen; Producer: Joost Seelen; NETHERLANDS.
EXCELLENCE AWARDS
The Greatest Show on Earth [24 min.] Director & Producer: Rosa Rogers; U.K.
Voices from El-Sayed [75 min.] Director: Oded Adomi Leshem; Producer: Belfilms; ISRAEL
ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
Drona & Me [19 min.] Director: Catherine van Campen; Producer: Joost Seelen; NETHERLANDS.
Read Me Differently [56 min.] Director & Producer: Sarah Entine; U.S.
Stark! Moritz–It’d be Cool if She Became an Angel [15:06 min.] Director: Simone Grabs; Producer: Eva Radlicki; GERMANY
MERIT AWARDS
Antoine [52 min.] Director: Laura Bari; Producers: Laura Bari & Mila Aung-Thwin; CANADA
Crooked Beauty [31 min.] Director: Ken Paul Rosenthal; Producer: Angel Vasquez; U.S.
Departure Lounge [26 min.] Director: Louis Neethling; Producers: Louis Neethling & David Horbury; U.K.
Loud, Proud, and Passionate! [5 min.] Directors: Dana Vion & Sky’s the Limit Creative Services; Producers: Susan Sygall & Mobility International U.S.A.; U.S.
Mothersbane [11:40 min.] Director & Producer: Jason Jakaitis; U.S.
PAMELA K. WALKER AWARD
Rainman Goes to RocKwiz [30 min.] Director: Russell Kilbey; Producer: Amy Scully; AUSTRALIA.
EMERGING
Hannah [5:30 min.] Director & Producer: Sergio Cruz; U.K.
SUPERFEST 2010
BEST OF FESTIVAL Like a Butterfly [29 min.] Director: Ewa Pieta; Producer: Miroslaw Grubek, POLAND.
EXCELLENCE AWARDS
When I’m Not Alone [21 min.] Director & Producer: Rhianon Gutierrez, U.S.
Children of the Stars [50 min.] Director: Rob Aspey; Producer: Alexander Haase, U.S.
ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
Beyond Borders [20 min.] Director: Brecht Vanmeirhaeghe; Producers: Fabrio Wuytack & Handicum, BELGIUM.
Miya of the Quiet Strength [57 min.] Director & Producer: Daniel Julien, U.S.
The Portrait of a Disabled Man [45 min.] Directors & Producers: Volker Schoenwiese & Bernd Thomas, AUSTRIA.
MERIT AWARDS
The Last American Freak Show [85 min.] Producer & Director: Richard Butchins, U.K.
My Friend Claude (Mon Ami Claude) [20 min.] Director & Producer: Yves Langlois, CANADA.
Wipe Out [50 min.] Director: Lionel Goddard; Producer: National Film Board of Canada, U.S.
Far From Home [27 min.] Director & Producer: Elissa Moon, U.S.
The Art of Movement [9 min.] Director: David Levitt Waxman; Producers: David & Susan Levitt Waxman, U.S.
PAMELA K. WALKER AWARD
White Sound [6 min.] Director & Producer: Sarah Tracton, AUSTRALIA.
EMERGING
Je me Souviens: Excluded from the Montreal Subway Since 1966 [14 mim.] Director & Producer: Laurence Parent, CANADA.
SUPERFEST 2009
In 2009, the organizers selected films that had previously won a Superfest award, calling the festival “Superfest Classics.” The line-up can be viewed here.
SUPERFEST 2008
BEST OF FESTIVAL Body & Soul: Diana & Kathy [40 min.] Producer: Alice Elliott & Simone Pero, U.S.
EXCELLENCE AWARDS
Dragon People [24 min.] Producer: Rosa Rogers, U.K.
Including Samuel [58 min.] Producer: Dan Habib, U.S.
ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
Iron Genrikh [51:41 min.] Producer: Alexey Pogrelnoy, Russia
The Miracle [29 min.] Producer: Jeffrey Jon Smith, U.S.
Multiple [29 min.] Producer: Lucinda Broadbent, U.K.
MERIT AWARDS
The Collector of Bedford Street [34 min.] Producer: Alice Elliott, U.S.
Edges of Perception [14 min.] Producer: Eric Kutner, U.S.
Phoenix Dance [16:22 min.] Producer: Karina Epperlein, U.S.
Pushin’ Forward [39 min.] Producer: Izumi Tanaka, U.S.
Slide [3:52 min.] Producer: Sharon Katz, Canada
PAMELA K. WALKER AWARD
Tiresias [8 min.] Producers: Olimpias Disability Culture Productions, U.S.
OUTSTANDING PSA’S/PROMOS
PSA: School Love and Class Photo, Producer: Guzella Nikolaishvili, Russia
Sins Invalid: Trailer [3 min.] Producer: Patricia Berne, U.S.
For a complete list of Superfest Film Festival Winners going back to 1998, please visit Culture! Disability! Talent!
