Deaf Way Film Festival

Kick off the festival with a pre-event panel featuring the founders of Deaf Culture Festival, followed by food trucks and social time. The evening continues with a special feature film screening, and concludes with a lively networking event for industry pass holders.

Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore
Shoshanna Stern
USA, 98 minutes

Marlee Matlin was thrust into the spotlight at age 21 as the first Deaf actor to win an Academy Award® for her work in Children of a Lesser God. As a trailblazer in the Deaf community, Matlin soon found herself in the spotlight as the most influential Deaf actor of her generation, and with that came the weight of responsibility and expectations that she had to navigate without precedent. In this powerful documentary from filmmaker,
actress and writer Shoshanna Stern (making her directing debut), Matlin reflects on her extraordinary life, its triumphs and sorrows, and the nature and meaning of the legacy she has created.

This full festival day features multiple film screenings, panels, and opportunities to explore the festival’s immersive experiences. The evening wraps up with social time on your own.

FRIDAY SHORTS PROGRAM

Fluent
Davide Chiazzese
Canada, 9 minutes

In this funny short narrative set in Canada, a quirky new hearing employee joins a Deaf-owned business and quickly begins to drive her boss crazy.

Dinner Table Syndrome
Charlie Ainsworth
USA, 12 minutes

A lonely Deaf boy has cochlear implants, but that doesn’t fix the barriers he must navigate at Thanksgiving dinner with a family that may as well be strangers to him.

The Power of Goodbye
Audrey Sangla
France, 23 minutes

Margot is a woman whose health is slowly degenerating from ALS. When she asks her mother Christiane to help her end her life on her own terms with dignity, Christiane is forced to confront a profound challenge to her maternal love.

Medal Chase
Kevin Shiva
Sweden, 9 minutes

Meet Rudolfs, one of the top Deaf competitive swimmers in the world. This exhilarating short documentary follows Rudolfs as he gives us a glimpse of his training routine and what drives him to push forward to the top of his game.

Talk
Jessica Perlman
USA, 2 minutes

When a Deaf man needs his air conditioning fixed, his CODA daughter plays referee when a repairman comes to the house to offer an estimate.

Money & Ducks
Veru Rodríguez
Spain, 19 minutes

In this sophisticated action comedy told in sign language, a woman police officer interrogates a drug trafficker about a missing box linked to a mafia network throughout Spain and Chile. What is going on with the rubber ducks, and are things really what they seem?

My Deaf Papa
Anthony Cheung
Hong Kong, 20 minutes

Wyatt is a Deaf man who works hard and enjoys a close relationship with his hearing daughter, Allison. However, when Allison starts posting popular YouTube videos teaching sign language, it sparks an unexpected family storm.

A Love Letter to the Light
MJ Kiego
USA, 8 minutes

A filmmaker redefines the essence of cinema by questioning the role of sound, inviting audiences to rediscover the power of imagery and light in storytelling.

FRIDAY AFTERNOON FEATURE

Loud Love
Bing Wang
USA, 97 minutes

Loud Love follows Alan and Brian, a Deaf gay couple in New York, as they raise their spirited hearing twins after a seven-year surrogacy journey. Blending cinema verité with intimate interviews, the film captures a decade of parenting across cultures, languages, and expectations — exploring Deaf identity, family dynamics, and what it truly means to
be heard. As love gets louder, so do the challenges.

FRIDAY EVENING FEATURE

Siren: The Voices of Shelley Beattie
Irene Taylor
USA, 103 minutes

Shelley Beattie, a Deaf woman and champion bodybuilder, found fame in the 1990s on the hit TV show American Gladiators, where she competed under the name “Siren” before her untimely death in 2008. While charismatic, gorgeous and a fierce competitor, Beattie also battled personal demons, struggling with mental illness, addiction and questions of her own identity. Framed by the insight of another Deaf woman in
Hollywood who found herself in the spotlight at the same time, Oscar-winning actress Marlee Matlin, this riveting documentary unpacks the fascinating story of Shelley “Siren” Beattie and her complex legacy entwined with beauty, mental illness and love.

Start the day with a thought-provoking panel discussion, followed by screenings and opportunities to engage with immersive experiences during breaks. In the evening, gather for the highly anticipated Awards Ceremony, followed by social time on your own to celebrate the weekend’s highlights.

SATURDAY SHORTS PROGRAM

Serendipity by Sofia
Audrey Sangla
Norway, 8 minutes

In this playful short narrative, Sofia is a woman who uses her vivid imagination to consider different approaches to win over another woman she has developed a romantic interest in.

Contours
Aisha Amin
USA, 12 minutes

A modern art museum provides the setting for a Deaf couple (played by Lauren Ridloff and John Autry II) who are desperate to rekindle their spark.

Refrain
Benjamin Anthony Slusarczyk
Australia, 13 minutes

A Deaf maximum-security prisoner undergoes an experimental medical procedure to acquire early release and be reunited with his daughter. However, the procedure results in unexpected consequences.

Glass Cage
Jules Dameron
USA, 12 minutes

A Deaf woman battles an internal force gnawing at her will to live, in a haunting cinematic mood piece that explores isolation and resilience.

Resilience
Julien Bourges
France, 18 minutes

Joseph is an isolated elderly Deaf man who lives alone and likes it that way. When his nephew gifts him a computer, he reluctantly learns to use the internet, which opens an unexpected door into his past.

Ghost Sandwich
Lymon Thorn
USA, 3 minutes

In this charming animated short, a Deaf entity tries to order a sandwich in a hearing restaurant, with humorous results.

Idle Hands
Douglas Ridloff
USA, 22 minutes

During a reluctant visit to his mother’s house with his son, a Deaf father (played by James Caverly) must confront a toxic family dynamic and find a better way forward for the future.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON FEATURE

The Way We Talk
Adam Wong
Hong Kong, 130 minutes

In this absorbing coming-of-age drama, Sophie, Wolf and Alan are young people in Hong Kong who are all Deaf, but with very different experiences, upbringings and philosophies surrounding their deafness. As they form a bond of friendship and navigate life together, the trio reflects deeply on issues surrounding identity, language and
acceptance.

Enjoy a free screening of pocket documentaries, open to all attendees. For filmmakers and industry professionals, the festival concludes with a networking brunch—an ideal opportunity to reflect, reconnect, and wrap up the weekend.