Superfest 2022 is set to take place online from Thursday, October 20th, through Sunday, October 23rd, featuring in-person screenings on Saturday, October 22nd, at the Freight and Salvage in Berkeley and Sunday, October 23rd, at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco.
Keep an eye out for additional details, and take a look below for brief descriptions of the films featured in the 2022 lineup!
Aimee Victoria
USA, 2021 (Dramatic Short, 11 min)
Amidst the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Aimee and Victoria, both women of color who are deaf, face a strain in their relationship.
On their anniversary and separated by circumstances, Aimee is compelled to break free from her self-imposed apathy, demonstrating her love and commitment to Victoria.
Alpen
UK, 2020 (Experimental Short, 5 min)
Alpen presents visuals of Emma, who copes with chronic pain, navigating her kitchen along well-trodden paths.
Her intricate and choreographed movements involve shifting her weight between surfaces. Accompanying these visuals is a poem penned by Emma, delving into the nuances of her daily mobility.
The audio layer features the sounds of her footsteps and the wheels of her stool, harmonized with the backdrop of Swiss Alps snowboarders.
These multiple layers purposefully defy simplistic distinctions of space and time, rejecting a binary framework of before and after the onset of pain.
Bebe A.I. *Best of Festival (Short)*
UK, 2021 (Dramatic Short, 12 min)
Facing prejudice and peril, a young couple with Down’s syndrome endeavors to rescue the AI baby they aspire to adopt.
Between The Lines
Australia, 2021 (Dramatic Short, 10 min)
Filmmaker Blaise Borrer, who is autistic, presents “Between The Lines,” providing an impressionistic peek into the lives and bond of a mother and her twelve-year-old autistic son.
The recently added pressures of high school further strain their already limited communication.
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Changer: A Hand Telling *Best of Festival (Feature)*
“Changer: A Handtelling” is a groundbreaking filmed performance centered on Deaf and Native perspectives, featuring Deaf Native storytellers interpreting the Coast Salish myth of Changer through Native and artistic sign language.
The narrative follows mythic characters into a future shaped by tribes exercising their sovereign treaty rights.
Charlie by the Sea
Canada, 2019 (Experimental Short, 5 min)
Charlie Ekomiak, an Inuk man hailing from Kuujjuaq, Nunavik, welcomes us into his life through the lens of filmmaking.
Captured by Charlie on his birthday, this reflective documentary underscores the significance of friendship.
Divine Decadence, Darling
Denmark, 2020 (Experimental Short, 14 min)
Offering a unique twist on the conventional cabaret format, “Divine Decadence, Darling” presents a politically edgy and playfully erotic experience.
The audience is drawn into surreal, staged scenarios within an empty nightclub, featuring five disabled performers.
Don Julio’s Nails
Columbia, 2021 (Dramatic Short, 10 min)
Afflicted by Parkinson’s disease, Don Julio faces difficulty in trimming his own nails.
When his daughter is unavailable to assist, Don Julio embarks on a journey through his residential complex in search of a kind soul willing to lend a hand in clipping his nails.
Don’t Come In… Yet!
Australia, 2021 (Experimental Short, 10 min)
Jake, navigating life as a wheelchair user, is perpetually under the vigilant care of his father, earning commendations from everyone for his bravery.
At the age of 18, he experiences a newfound sense of independence as he is left at home without supervision, accompanied by his best friend June.
Their intention is to take advantage of the opportunity for intimacy. However, complications arise from his overprotective father, an unexpected encounter with a spider, and the involvement of an aging football superstar.
Above all, these factors underscore the somber reality of living as a disabled individual in society.
Ecstasy
Brazil, 2020 (Feature, 75 min)
Plagued by anxiety amidst the tumultuous political backdrop of 1990s Brazil, Clara discovers solace through self-imposed starvation, navigating the realms of both ecstasy and agony.
Within this non-linear documentary, Clara employs anorexia as a means to question and redefine her perception of womanhood, seeking her identity in a world marked by uncertainty, surrealism, and brutality.
Exit Strategy #5 *Innovation in Craft Award*
USA, 2020 (Experimental Short, 9 min)
A tale of origin and the resurgence of identity following trauma, entwined with blood, desire, and intimate connections.
This installment is the fifth in a series exploring the filmmaker’s emotional and physical ordeals.
Here/Not Here Disability Justice Award
UK, 2020 (Dramatic/Experimental Short, 29 min)
“Here/Not Here” blends dance elements, notably Krump and hip hop, with football, BSL, and Visual Vernacular (VV), a poetic and choreographic style of sign dance.
In a dilapidated space claimed by three distinct groups, the characters discover a shared language through movement, fostering communication and collaboration.
In The Upper Room
Austria, 2022 (Animated Short, 8 min)
Each season, a young mole pays a visit to his blind grandfather, residing in a well-appointed burrow deep underground.
As the two age, their relationship deepens, giving rise to crucial and significant questions.
It’s Personal
UK, 2021 (Documentary Short, 31 min)
This hybrid documentary/reality TV challenge delves into the evolving dynamic between Kyla and Lou as they transition from friends to Lou taking on the role of Kyla’s 24-hour ‘key worker.’
Over the course of a week, the two embark on a journey to assess whether Lou can attain a level of competence as Kyla’s personal assistant without compromising her autonomy.
The film addresses the inherent challenges of social distancing for those who require close proximity due to essential needs, emphasizing that Kyla’s survival is intricately tied to intimacy and proximity.
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Our First Priority *Advocacy Award*
USA, 2021 (Dramatic Short, 10 min)
A chilling narrative recounting a girl’s encounter with medical gaslighting and the celestial forces seeking retribution to maintain balance in our universe.
Pas de Deux
UK, 2021 (Experimental Short, 6 min)
Embark on the journey of Brogues and Sparkly Toes as they navigate the realms of love, sorrow, dance, and plenty of mud! Experience a poignant LGBTQ+ narrative uniquely conveyed through the language of feet.
Seeing Diane Arbus *Jury’s Choice Award*
USA, 2021 (Dramatic Short, 19 min)
A cinema projectionist, living with dwarfism, has a fateful and chilling encounter with the renowned voyeuristic photographer Diane Arbus.
Seife
Italy, 2021 (Dramatic Short, 15 min)
In Hadamar, Germany, in 1938, a young man with disabilities is transported to a clinic for so-called “experimental treatments.” This film offers an intimate look into the tragic fate of one individual amidst the many lives lost in Nazi Germany’s T4 program.
The Body is a House of Familiar Rooms *Best of Festival (Documentary)*
USA, 2021 (Documentary Short, 10 min)
A magical realist perspective unfolds, offering a glimpse into a man’s journey through chronic illness.
This narrative seamlessly blends paintings with live-action documentary footage, delving into his inner world and the dynamics of his relationship with his partner.
The Multi
USA, 2021 (Dramatic Short, 18 min)
A Black Deaf woman, living in isolation, has meticulously built a structured world to bury a childhood trauma deep within her psyche. However, an unforeseen twist of fate compels her to confront the demons from her past, jeopardizing everything she has painstakingly constructed.
