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Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities Showcases Short Films
CommUNITY Film Fest is celebrating its 12th annual free movie festival, featuring short films made by individuals with developmental disabilities.
The two-to-five-minute films will debut on August 16 at the Maumee Indoor Theater from 1-5pm.
Nabil Shaheen, the community outreach and communications manager for the Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities (Lucas County DD), explains the point of the festival to challenge the amateur filmmakers’ creativity.
“It’s just a celebration of the creativity of individuals that we serve and a great opportunity for them to challenge themselves and their creativity and what they can come up with as far as films they’re creating.”
This year, 13 films will be shown. “We have a filmaker, a busboy at Texas Roadhouse, and he talks about his job, the pride he has in his job and what employment means to him as an individual with a disability. We’ve got a movie about what imagination would be like if you could see
how imagination works… A full range of really touching life stories and really funny shorts,” Shaheen said.
Most films were shot on a phone or tablet, and some professional local filmmakers volunteered their time to help shoot and edit the films.
“The cool part for me is when they finally get to see that movie on the big screen like watching any other movie in the theater,” Shaheen said. “It’s neat to see them seeing it… surrounded by their friends and family who have come to watch and support them.”
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More films, more awards
In the 12 years of the festival, it has grown not just in the number of filmmakers, but also in the number of awards. “These films are judged by a panel of five judges… the main categories (winners) are chosen and that is kept secret until the day of the festival. But we’ve also added a People’s Choice Award, with real-time voting at the theater.” Shaheen said.
Winners go home with a trophy commemorating their success as filmmakers. “They get a nice glass trophy engraved with their name and their film and the category that they won and then all participants get a little swag bag from our partners that have contributed to this festival,” Shaheen said.
At the root of the film festival is community: finding community. “The word ‘community’ is in the title and that’s what we really love about it… It’s a great way to showcase the creativity of individuals with disabilities and really humanize them. These folks have the same dreams and aspirations that you and I do,” Shaheen said.
The goal of the festival is to help everyone reach their “full potential.” “Each person’s full potential means something different to them… and really showcases the great work we are doing through public tax dollars that are entrusted to us to better our community and better our individuals and to make Toledo the compassionate community that it is.”
