ReelAbilities Kicks Off on Upper West Side
"It's such an important topic-sexuality and disability-and it is often kept hidden in corners," he said.
It was these types of conversations that Zablocki wanted to inspire when he first created the ReelAbilities film festival five years ago. Working as the film director at the JCC Manhattan, Zablocki often had the opportunity to collaborate with his colleagues on programs for people with disabilities and began to gain a better understanding of this diverse community. He also started collecting films that were directed by or featured storylines around individuals living with disabilities. Wanting to share this wealth of content with others, Zablocki sought out the help of Anita Altman, an executive at the UJA Federation, to get the festival off the ground.
"My goal was not to show blockbusters but to bring films to the community that they otherwise wouldn't have the opportunity to see and that would potentially impact the way people think and feel," Zablocki said.
Stephen Wampler, who is the subject of one of this year's featured documentaries, Wampler's Ascent, directed by Jacques Spitzer, shares the same goal as Zablocki. Wampler, who has cerebral palsy and is wheelchair bound, invited Spitzer to film him as he took on the daunting feat of climbing the famous El Capitan Mountain in Yosemite Park (see sidebar). His main goal was to impress upon others that even living with disabilities, it is still possible to realize a dream. He explained, "I just want to help kids set goals and aspirations and believe that they can achieve anything if they put their mind to it."
Wampler, who is California-based and runs a camp that provides outdoor experiences for children with disabilities, is also one of the few United States-based participants in this year's festival. Zablocki pointed out that this might have to do with the way in which Hollywood views disability.
"It's a frustration that we screen more films from Europe," he said. "The American film industry is more commercial and the topic of disability is often something they don't feel will do as well at the box office."
While we are not yet seeing a bevy of wide-release movies about disability in this country, the festival has succeeded in reaching an ever-widening audience of filmmakers and fans. In its first year, the selection committee, which is comprised of film professionals, individuals living with disabilities, and everyday film buffs, received one hundred submissions from around the world. This year, they received closer to three hundred. In addition, with the support of the Saul Schottstein Foundation B, the festival has expanded to 13 other cities across the United States.
Wampler, at this point in his life, had never climbed a mountain. He is also wheelchair-bound and has cerebral palsy. Nevertheless, he took on a rigorous training schedule that had him spending five hours a day at the gym five days a week for more than a year in preparation for his climb. He also invited videographer Jacques Spitzer to film his experiences for a documentary debuting at the Reelabilities: NY Disabilities Film Festival later this week, Wampler's Ascent.
Now that he has taken on this grand feat, Wampler has no future plans to climb mountains. He has another goal in mind