Longmore Institute's Emily Smith Beitiks Discusses Superfest

FESTIVAL REVIEWS -- “Superfest provides an opportunity for filmmakers to tell stories about disability that are more nuanced and complex than what we typically see in Hollywood, unfortunately. We celebrate the work of filmmakers with disability and explore how the insights of living with a disability enrich their work,” Beitiks says. “In addition, we work closely with our filmmakers to help them get their films audio described and captioned. Even though the films are about disability, many filmmakers have never considered the importance of making films accessible to people with disabilities. We coach them on how they can go about this, as it is a mandatory requirement for all films that screen at our festival.” Growing up with a disabled mother, Emily Smith Beitiks witnessed how our society treats people with disabilities. She believes that disability need not be seen as tragedy or pity, and feels that having a disabled mother transformed her for the better.