The Participant

Starting his new job as an instructor at a New England school for the deaf, James Leeds meets Sarah Norman, a young deaf woman who works at the school as a member of the custodial staff. In spite of Sarah's withdrawn emotional state, a romance slowly develops between the pair.

Singer is a deaf-mute whose small world brings him in contact with a young girl, Mick, who cherishes a seemingly hopeless dream of becoming a concert pianist. At first hostile, Mick soon becomes friends with Singer, hoping to enlarge his small world. Three other central characters come to Singer for help also, each of them seeing in him a powerful force.

Maverick old-guard coach Jimmy McGinty is hired in the wake of a players' strike to help the Washington Sentinels advance to the playoffs. But that impossible dream hinges on whether his replacements can hunker down and do the job. So, McGinty dusts off his secret dossier of ex-players who never got a chance (or screwed up the one they were given) and knits together a bad-dream team of guys who just may give the Sentinels their title shot.

A father-to-be tries to figure out what is happening with all this AI insanity, and explores the most powerful technology humanity has ever created... and what's at stake if we get it wrong.

A student gets his senses enhanced by an experimental drug. But abuse is not an option.

In the Antarctic, after an expedition with Dr. Davis McClaren, the sled dog trainer Jerry Shepherd has to leave the polar base with his colleagues due to the proximity of a heavy snow storm. He ties his dogs to be rescued after, but the mission is called-off and the dogs are left alone at their own fortune. For six months, Jerry tries to find a sponsor for a rescue mission.

G.G. Sparrow faces off with her choir's newly appointed director, Vi Rose Hill, over the group's direction as they head into a national competition.

Marlon Riggs, with assistance from other gay Black men, especially poet Essex Hemphill, celebrates Black men loving Black men as a revolutionary act. The film intercuts footage of Hemphill reciting his poetry, Riggs telling the story of his growing up, scenes of men in social intercourse and dance, and various comic riffs, including a visit to the "Institute of Snap!thology," where men take lessons in how to snap their fingers: the sling snap, the point snap, the diva snap.

ZIM discovers his almighty leaders never had any intention of coming to Earth and he loses confidence in himself for the first time in his life, which is the big break his human nemesis, Dib has been waiting for.

An FBI informant has kept his new identity secret for 15 years. Now an old flame has recognised him, and the bad guys are back for revenge.

Blaise Starrett is a rancher at odds with homesteaders when outlaws hold up the small town. The outlaws are held in check only by their notorious leader, but he is diagnosed with a fatal wound and the town is a powder keg waiting to blow.

This time, there's no wedding. No bachelor party. What could go wrong, right? But when the Wolfpack hits the road, all bets are off.

As a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults), Ruby is the only hearing person in her deaf family. When the family's fishing business is threatened, Ruby finds herself torn between pursuing her love of music and her fear of abandoning her parents.

Those who knew iconic funnyman John Candy best share his story, in their own words, through never-before-seen archival footage, imagery, and interviews.

Calvin Campbell is a former professional baseball player sent to an early retirement due to his panic attacks at the plate. Even though he had all the talent for the big leagues, he struggles with the curveballs life has thrown him. Today, he mindlessly sleepwalks through his days and the challenge of raising his teenager daughter. His life is in a slow downward spiral when it is suddenly awakened and invigorated by the most unlikely person – Produce, a young-man with Down syndrome who works at the local grocery store.

A white blood cell policeman, with the help of a cold pill, must stop a deadly virus from destroying the human they live in, Frank.

After he’s grounded by an injury, a high-flying bachelor is saddled with two wide-eyed orphans as they come face-to-face with the dangers and beauty of the outside world.

Metal drummer Ruben begins to lose his hearing. When a doctor tells him his condition will worsen, he thinks his career and life is over. His girlfriend Lou checks the former addict into a rehab for the deaf hoping it will prevent a relapse and help him adapt to his new life. After being welcomed and accepted just as he is, Ruben must choose between his new normal and the life he once knew.

Four pals are stuck in a rut in adulthood: Adam has just been dumped, Lou is a hopeless party animal, Nick is a henpecked husband, and Jacob does nothing but play video games in his basement. But they get a chance to brighten their future by changing their past after a night of heavy drinking in a ski-resort hot tub results in their waking up in 1986.

Carlton Leach rises from one of the most feared generals of the football terraces to becoming a member of a notorious gang of criminals who rampaged their way through London and Essex in the late '80s and early '90s.

Suddenly laid off from a factory staffed by deaf-mute people, Sveta’s house loan pushes her into a highly unethical line of work.

When a Deaf hitman goes to kill his Deaf target, the two get caught up in an argument over what should constitute appropriate last words, as the evening becomes increasingly absurd.

Rinkoo Barpaga is a multi-discipline performer from the U.K. making a name for himself on the comedy circuit, but as a Deaf Asian man, his journey has not been easy. Barpaga shifts between performing stand-up comedy and reflecting on his life while visiting his old neighborhood with humor and poignancy.

Kitty O’Neil (1946-2018) was a racecar driver, stunt legend, and daredevil. Known as “the fastest woman in the world,” O’Neil broke the land speed record in 1976. The first woman to join with Stunts Unlimited, the leading stunt agency in Hollywood, O’Neil was also a stunt double for the iconic stars of both The Bionic Woman (Lindsay Wagner) and Wonder Woman (Lynda Carter) on television. And she also happened to be Deaf.

A Deaf woman scientist is experimenting with quantum physics in her lab on New Year’s Eve 1987. When she discovers a portal through time and space, she decides to use her scientific powers in unexpected ways. This funny and unique story from filmmaker Paul Sprangers is a delightful surprise.

In this engaging documentary, filmmaker MJ Kiego interviews Deaf parents of CODA children, who describe their feelings towards dealing with the barriers between the Deaf and hearing worlds while trying to parent. This unique and often underrepresented perspective on the CODA experience is both enlightening and refreshing.

As an important pioneer in the movement for Deaf rights in France, Jacques Sangla was responsible for ushering in a new era of access for the French Deaf community by advocating for sign language, equal access and television programming for the Deaf. His filmmaker daughter Audrey examines his legacy in this engaging portrait of one of France’s most important figures in modern Deaf history.

The large Sedláček and Půlpán family in the Czech Republic consists of two amicably divorced Deaf parents and their hearing children, known as CODAs. Focusing on their 16-year-old daughter Jolanka, this insightful documentary presents a fresh perspective from a modern family in central Europe.

5-year-old CODA Amanda is a precocious child who is celebrating her birthday with a family dinner. When her Deaf parents start arguing, however, she has had enough. Short and sweet, this cheeky short packs a good punchline.

In this fast-paced dark action comedy from filmmaker Kyle Emroe, two Deaf men set out to steal a painting from one of their brothers. As they scheme to plan the perfect heist, however, there is an unexpected twist.

When his daughter announces her sudden engagement, Angus worries that she may be marrying the wrong man. In the meantime, Angus and his grumpy buddies try to catch a burglar that has been menacing their village. This delightful comic gem is sure to put a smile on everyone’s face.

Aubrey brings her girlfriend Kat to meet her family for the first time at an intimate family dinner and is met with hostile disapproval. During the evening, tensions rise, and the toxic dynamic reaches a breaking point.

Raina, once the only Deaf and Disabled person in her film school, reconnects with her ex-boyfriend and former college Teaching Assistant, Sebastian, and soon it becomes clear the ways in which ableism had a hand in their relationship’s trajectory. Writer/Director Darian Slattery shines as Raina in this unique story that challenges expectations surrounding disability representation with humor and insight.

Following the loss of his fiancé, Jason struggles to process his haunted emotions. This touching drama takes a creative approach to remind us that grief is different for everyone and that real love is never forgotten.

Set in 1986, this riveting drama centers on Jeremih, a Deaf black painter who must navigate a tense racially charged confrontation with police on the very night his art is being celebrated. Filmmaker Chantay Taylor’s storytelling aims to rewrite the narrative of how black men are seen in history (and on-screen) and illustrate that there is more than what meets the eye when it comes to a diverse community and their art.

This beautifully crafted documentary short paints a vivid portrait of Ruaridh Lever-Hogg, a Deaf artist from the Scottish Highlands. As Lever-Hogg describes his creative process and personal background, we gain a better understanding of how his Scottish Highlands identity has informed his work.

Deaf British actor/performer David Ellington performs his powerful poem “Liberty” that draws on visual vernacular, sign mime and BSL to explore topics of equality, freedom, division and unity. Ellington’s commanding presence takes center stage, bringing life to his compelling original work.

When a long-distance relationship is put to the test, cracks begin to show. This thought-provoking short explores the complexities of toxic relationships in the modern world of technology.

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?

Lucie is a young Deaf woman born into a family of hearing classical musicians. Marginalized by her own family, she makes a choice to claim her own identity after an unexpected encounter with two Deaf people in the park.