Russia's 2nd International Disability Film Festival, November

Second International Disability Film Festival “Breaking Down Barriers”
November 11- 14 2004
Moscow, Russia

Perspektiva and the World Institute on Disability have organized the second International Disability Film Festival “Breaking Down Barriers II” in Moscow November 11-14, 2004 at the Salyut Film Theater that is supported by the Moscow Department of Culture. This project will be jointly carried out with the Moscow Mayor’s office, the Russian Ministry of Culture and other local and partner disability NGOs. Perspektiva also has endorsements and funding commitments from: the Russian Film-makers Union, UNICEF, Golden Telecom, USAID, Internews, the Program ARO (Assistance to Russia’s Orphans) and NobleGibbons and many others. The Ministries of Education and Culture as well as other state Russian bodies support the festival and will play a role in the activities.

Films and Workshops

120 films from more than 20 countries have already been submitted and reviewed and it is expected that a total of 30 hours of film will be shown during the 4 day festival. Nearly 20 countries will be represented: India, Great Britain, France, Sweden, Canada, the United States, Germany, Poland, Russia, Armenia, Georgia, Thailand, the Ukraine, etc. Although the majority of films are documentary, there are also feature, educational and art films and public service announcements. A selection of the best films of the festival will be copied and made available to disability NGOs throughout Russia and other countries to be shown to the public locally.

Workshops will also be lead by both international and Russian film-makers on such topics as “the image of disabled people in film,” “making disability films for children,” “educating the community with film,” etc. Film-makers will also present their films and take questions after the screening.

In addition to monetary support, the city of Moscow is providing unique advertising opportunities. 1000 posters will be mounted on street level bill boards around the city announcing the event, and for 7 days a video clip advertising the event will be shown on 4 huge screens at major intersections and squares. The TV station Stolitsa will be one of the official informational sponsors, along with the Moscow Times, Ekho Moskvy and Govorit Moskva. Perspektiva also expects to broadcast a video clip announcing the festival on 2 national and 2 local TV stations. Finally, a press conference will be held on November 10 to launch the event and attract both media and the public to the event. After the festival and in collaboration with Internews and Perspektiva’s regional disability NGO partners, some of the best Festival films will be shown on national and regional TV during the International Day of Disabled People.

Program Schedule

Blue Room

11.00-12.00 Opening Ceremony
Kinara, directed by Parvez Imam, India, 5'
Visual Sound: Music Videos For the Deaf, directed by Gregg Brokaw, 8'
Georgian Music Clip, Georgia, 6'
La terre est ronde/ The Earth Is Round, directed by Brigitte Coscas, France, 4'

12:00-12:30 Break

12:30-14:00 (Disability Art and Culture)
King Gimp, directed by Bill Whiteford, USA, 40'
Valssi/Waltz, Mikko Keinonen, Finland, 6'20'
We are PHAMaly, directed by Henry Ansbacher, USA, 19'
Self Preservation: The Art of Riva Lehrer, directed by Sharon Snyder, USA, 32'
Sharon or David (authors of Self Preservation and Disability on Display) present film and answer question after film

14:00-14:30 Break

14:30-15:30 Disability Art and Cilture
Born Freak, directed by Paul Sapin, UK, 50'
Disability On Display (Reconstructing Bodies: Disability Takes on the Arts), directed by Sharon Snyder, USA, 18'

15:30-16:00 Break

16:00-17:00 Discussion: Image of Disabled People in Art and Media
Sharon Snyder and David Mitchell, University of Illinois
Barbara Duncan, Rehabilitation International
Lena Taranova, Lotos, Azerbaijan
Moscow Talk Show Hosts: Together We Can Do More

17:00-18:00 Break

18:00-20:00 Striving for Independence
Happiness is a Gift/ Dar byt' schastlivym, directed by M.M. Taranchenko, Russia, 23'
Director and the main character, Vladimir Nabatov present the film and answer questions
Waiting for Ronald, directed by Ellen Gerstein, USA, 22'
Breaking the Silence, directed by Leszek Wosiewicz, Poland, 26'

20:30-22:00
Ghenghis Blues, directed by Roko and Adrian Belic, USA, 88'

Red Room

12:30-13:30 (Disability Art and Culture)
Disability Culture Rap, directed by Jerry Smith, USA, 23’
KickstART! A Celebration, directed by Geogg McMurchy, Canada, 13'
Theatre Unlimited, directed by Damon Molloy, USA, 10’
The Rumba Dance, Armenia, 5’
Axis Dance company, USA, 15’

Break 13:30-14:00

14:00-16:00 (Educational)
Lessons of Etiquette, directed by Natalia Artemyeva, Russia. 7’
Count Me In (part 1), UK, 30’
Other Children, directed by Victoria Annopolskaya, Ukraine, 25’
Access to Education in Russia, directed by Andrey Stankevich, Russia, 25’
Volga Summer Camp, directed by Natalia Artemyeva, Russia, 10’
Life to Live, directed by Maciej Adamek, Poland, 20’00”

16:00-16:30 Break

16:30- 18:00 (Striving For Independence)
Tsindima and Her Dog Peanut, directed by Pavel Shvedov, Russia, 14’. Tsyndyma and director present film and answer questions 15'
Legs, directed by Rob Meyer, USA, 9’
Each Person Chooses for Himself,directed by Natalia Artemyeva, Russia, 5’
Sometime …Somewhere … Time Traveller, directed by Parvez Imam, India, 27’

18:00-18:30 Break
18:30 – 20:00 (TV Shows)
You looking at me?, directed by Dan Jones, USA, 27’
"Moscow Stolitsa Program, Talk Show
Format “Together We Can Do More” – 25’"
Talk show hosts present and answer questions about program 15’.

20:30-22:00
Stille Liebe/ Secret Love, directed by Christoph Staub, Switzerland, 90'

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