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Home
Access Toolkits
  • Accessibility Checklist
  • Accessibility Terminology
  • Vendor Database
  • External Resources
Access Resources
  • Accessibility Scorecard
  • Scorecard Impact Report
  • NOFF Case Study
  • Dear FEAW
  • News and Events
About
  • About Us
  • Contact
More
  • Home
  • Access Toolkits
    • Accessibility Checklist
    • Accessibility Terminology
    • Vendor Database
    • External Resources
  • Access Resources
    • Accessibility Scorecard
    • Scorecard Impact Report
    • NOFF Case Study
    • Dear FEAW
    • News and Events
  • About
    • About Us
    • Contact

  • Home
  • Access Toolkits
    • Accessibility Checklist
    • Accessibility Terminology
    • Vendor Database
    • External Resources
  • Access Resources
    • Accessibility Scorecard
    • Scorecard Impact Report
    • NOFF Case Study
    • Dear FEAW
    • News and Events
  • About
    • About Us
    • Contact

About Us

Our Mission 

Accessibility Commitment 

Practices

Community Agreement

Who We Are

FEAW (Film Event Accessibility Working Group) was formed as a collaborative effort by film event representatives seeking to unify and enhance accessibility in film festivals, screenings, and programs across the industry. Through varied experiences and backgrounds, we identified a need to enhance the quality and availability of accessibility in film exhibition to better serve and represent the disability community. 


We believe that long-lasting sustainable change is made and strengthened by working together, sharing resources, experience, and vision. We are determined to expand our impact to support any film event organization that wishes to increase their accessibility and inclusion efforts.

Our Mission

As a collective of film event operations professionals, we seek to increase accessibility within film event spaces. We believe that accessibility is key to creating a fertile environment for creative expression that is truly representative of our multi-layered society. 


FEAW works to achieve an inclusive film community for disabled and non-disabled movie goers and makers to feel welcome and accommodated. We wish to build a community of event organizers that will elevate the quality of accessibility accommodations at in-person and virtual film events, enriching the inclusiveness of these spaces. 

Accessibility Commitment

Go beyond ADA compliance and to continuously expand the availability and quality of accessibility at our events.


Seek feedback and consult with members of the disability community on needs, language, and our exhibition conduct.


Partner with prominent decision makers in the film, disability, and arts communities. 

A group of smiling festival attendees stand and sit in wheelchairs in front of a step and repeat

Slamdance Panelists 2025

Practices

Create a safe environment

Publicly share resources and best practices

Create a safe environment

for members to continuously learn and grow their accessibility knowledge and offerings.

Commit the time

Publicly share resources and best practices

Create a safe environment

needed to actively engage in the group’s meetings and work.

Publicly share resources and best practices

Publicly share resources and best practices

Publicly share resources and best practices

with other organizations to maximize the opportunities for creating accessible spaces.

Streamline the film accessibility process

Seek out and compile evidence-based practices

Publicly share resources and best practices

in the best interests of filmmakers, event organizers, and audiences. 

Seek out and compile evidence-based practices

Seek out and compile evidence-based practices

Seek out and compile evidence-based practices

and updated research in a deliverable that is easy for exhibitors to understand and execute. 

Identify funding resources

Seek out and compile evidence-based practices

Seek out and compile evidence-based practices

that will support the implementation of accessibility standards across the film exhibition industry. 

Community Agreement

FEAW believes in the power of collaborative effort to lift the voices, work and creative expression of people with disabilities in all aspects of film. We ask that our FEAW members and community participants commit to:


  • Creating an accepting, open, and non-judgmental space for those who seek to improve their accessibility support.
  • Be inclusive and respectful of people of every type of disability, race, ethnicity, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, age, physical appearance and body size, language spoken, and immigration or economic status by supporting sensitive, affirming, and accommodating behavior and speech.
  • Be open to innovation and growth in practices, mind-set, and world views.
  • Acknowledging and accepting of the various definitions, identities, and needs of members of the disability community.
  • Prioritizing physical and mental health and safety above all. 

Who we are

Person with blonde straight hair and glasses.

Ariel Baska

Cassidy Dimon

Ariel Baska

Access: Horror


A multi-award-winning, multiply Disabled filmmaker, festival director, and speaker on advocacy and accessibility in film. They write, direct, and produce horror and documentary while centering authenticity and accountability.

Ariel created Access:Horror, a film festival and industry summit designed to celebrate disability in 

Access: Horror


A multi-award-winning, multiply Disabled filmmaker, festival director, and speaker on advocacy and accessibility in film. They write, direct, and produce horror and documentary while centering authenticity and accountability.

Ariel created Access:Horror, a film festival and industry summit designed to celebrate disability in the genre space. Access:Horror was recently recognized as one of the top 5 most accessible festivals in the world by Forbes. 

Ariel’s acclaimed speaking engagements include National Geographic, Lincoln Center, Toronto International Film Festival, and the Berlinale, where they have shared their expertise on disability representation, changing narratives, and improving access.

Image of Laura Benge with blonde wavy shoulder length hair and wired glasses.

Laura Benge

Cassidy Dimon

Ariel Baska

 Sundance Institute 


 Laura Benge (she/her)  is the Accessibility Manager for the Sundance Institute located in Salt Lake City, UT with her two large dogs. Her degree is in Rehabilitation Studies with an emphasis and certification in Orientation & Mobility. Laura has worked in accessibility for over 10 years and prior to working within fil

 Sundance Institute 


 Laura Benge (she/her)  is the Accessibility Manager for the Sundance Institute located in Salt Lake City, UT with her two large dogs. Her degree is in Rehabilitation Studies with an emphasis and certification in Orientation & Mobility. Laura has worked in accessibility for over 10 years and prior to working within film exhibition, she specialized in accommodating state services, employment opportunities, and community events for individuals with dual-sensory loss. She has worked within direct services and on a national level supporting the reformation of state systems through technical assistance, consultation and legislative efforts. Laura is a firm believer in equal opportunity and community engagement which has led her to working with mission-aligned art organizations, like the Sundance Institute.

woman with short gray curly hair and blue shirt stands leaning on a stone wall

Cassidy Dimon

Cassidy Dimon

Cassidy Dimon

FWD-Doc 

 

Cassidy Dimon is the executive director of FWD-Doc, a filmmaker and event producer with over 15 years of experience producing film events across the US. She has produced over 200 film screenings, numerous award shows and film festivals, as well as two iterations of the esteemed Getting Real Documentary Film Conference. As a film 

FWD-Doc 

 

Cassidy Dimon is the executive director of FWD-Doc, a filmmaker and event producer with over 15 years of experience producing film events across the US. She has produced over 200 film screenings, numerous award shows and film festivals, as well as two iterations of the esteemed Getting Real Documentary Film Conference. As a film professional with unilateral hearing loss, she has worked diligently to bridge the gap between accessibility and film events for the past five years, including producing the Film Event Accessibility Scorecard in conjunction with FWD-Doc and the Film Festival Alliance. Currently, she is the Director of Programs, Events & Accessibility for Full Spectrum Features in Chicago, IL where she oversees community based programming, execution of film events and a newly formed accessibility department championing access for both events and film production. 

Kebo Drew, a woman with dark hair, a white collared shirt and black jacket smiling.

Kebo Drew

Juliana Goode

Cassidy Dimon

QWOCMAP 


Kebo Drew (she/her/glitter femme) is the Managing Director responsible for strategic capacity, organizational development & data practice, resource mobilization, and communications. She also responsible for QWOCMAP’s intentional practices to create safety, welcome, and belonging. This includes disability justice as well as accessi

QWOCMAP 


Kebo Drew (she/her/glitter femme) is the Managing Director responsible for strategic capacity, organizational development & data practice, resource mobilization, and communications. She also responsible for QWOCMAP’s intentional practices to create safety, welcome, and belonging. This includes disability justice as well as accessibility for the International Queer Women of Color Film Festival. She serves as Executive Producer for QWOCMAP Productions, and has Co-Produced films including Madeleine Lim’s feature documentary Jewelle: A Just Vision, which has screened at BFI, Frameline, and is currently touring the world with screenings across the U.S. and Europe. Her mixed-genre short Ain’t I A Woman? has screened at Langston Hughes African American Film Festival and Translations: the Seattle Transgender Film Festival among others. She is a writer and dancer who has toured the U.S., Latin America, and Europe. 

Juliana Goode

Juliana Goode

Juliana Goode

New Orleans Film Society

Yaara Kedem, a woman with gray curly hair, wearing black turtleneck, faces camera with water and cit

Yaara Kedem

Juliana Goode

Juliana Goode

Freelance Film Event Accessibility Advisor


Yaara is a film event accessibility consultant, curator, and producer with passion towards storytelling and social change through film, education, and accessibility. She has served as International Director leading the ReelAbilities Film Festival network of 20+ festivals and events focusing on fil

Freelance Film Event Accessibility Advisor


Yaara is a film event accessibility consultant, curator, and producer with passion towards storytelling and social change through film, education, and accessibility. She has served as International Director leading the ReelAbilities Film Festival network of 20+ festivals and events focusing on film and disability, produced multiple annual film festivals and programs as Associate Director of the JCC Manhattan Film Department, and has led international tours and educational programs for neurodivergent children and teens working as Travel Director and Counselor at Summit Camp. Yaara is now consulting to film festivals and event organizers on improving inclusion and accessibility for people with disabilities in content, spaces, and outreach initiatives.  

Matt Lauterbach is a white man with short brown hair, a close shaven beard, and a broad smile. He we

Matt Lauterbach

Matt Lauterbach

Matt Lauterbach

Full Spectrum Features


Matt Lauterbach is a filmmaker, access artist, and founder of All Senses Go. He works as the Associate Director of Accessibility at Full Spectrum Features, where he oversees the creation of subtitles, captions, and audio descriptions that serve the creators’ vision and enable more inclusive cinematic experiences. As 

Full Spectrum Features


Matt Lauterbach is a filmmaker, access artist, and founder of All Senses Go. He works as the Associate Director of Accessibility at Full Spectrum Features, where he oversees the creation of subtitles, captions, and audio descriptions that serve the creators’ vision and enable more inclusive cinematic experiences. As a documentary film editor, Matt has contributed to over a dozen documentaries, including his most recent credit, For the Left Hand (2021). He is an Adjunct Faculty member in the School of Cinematic Arts at DePaul University in Chicago, where he recently launched one of the nation’s only courses in Accessible Cinema. 

Jordan Menashe

Matt Lauterbach

Matt Lauterbach

SFFilm

Image of Mashashi Niwano, man with dark hair, glasses, wearing an orange bow tie and jacket, smiling

Masashi Niwano

Matt Lauterbach

Masashi Niwano

SFFilm


 Since 2021, Masashi Niwano has been the Director of Artist Development at SFFILM. He focuses his time on supporting global filmmakers through a slate of grants, artist support and fellowships. For over a decade, Masashi Niwano was the Festival & Exhibitions Director at the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM), the US’s largest me

SFFilm


 Since 2021, Masashi Niwano has been the Director of Artist Development at SFFILM. He focuses his time on supporting global filmmakers through a slate of grants, artist support and fellowships. For over a decade, Masashi Niwano was the Festival & Exhibitions Director at the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM), the US’s largest media arts organization that amplifies Asian and Asian American storytelling. Prior to his time with CAAM, he was the Executive Director of the Austin Asian American Film Festival (AAAFF). He is a Bay Area native who holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Film Production from San Francisco State University. Masashi has been a jury member or panelist at dozens of prestigious festivals including Sundance Institute, The Gotham (formerly IFP), International Development Association (IDA), New Orleans Film Festival (NOFF) and FRAMELINE LGBTQ+ Film Festival. He has also participated in various industry conversations with leading media entities including AT&T, XFINITY, WarnerMedia, and HBO. He is an active advisory board member for Firelight Media’s William Greaves Fund. Masashi’s life mission is to support the diverse media-making community, especially filmmakers from historically under-served communities. 

Image of Kaitlyn Ryan, a woman with dark hair and glasses with a green jacket and silver necklace.

Kaitlyn Ryan

Isaac Zablocki

Masashi Niwano

CAFILM / Freelance  


 Kaitlyn Ryan (she|her) has worked in festival operations for the past 9 years with a current focus at the 9th St. Film Office in San Francisco for Frameline, JFI, and CAAM. Her focus is in Festival Operations, with micro focuses in Box Office and Theater Operations, and in the last two years, she has taken a personal 

CAFILM / Freelance  


 Kaitlyn Ryan (she|her) has worked in festival operations for the past 9 years with a current focus at the 9th St. Film Office in San Francisco for Frameline, JFI, and CAAM. Her focus is in Festival Operations, with micro focuses in Box Office and Theater Operations, and in the last two years, she has taken a personal initiative in growing accessibility within her contracts and produced an Accessibility in Exhibition Panel at the 2022 and 2023 Mill Valley Film Festival.   

Issac Zablocki, a man with light red hair and beard, wearing a light blue sweater.

Isaac Zablocki

Isaac Zablocki

Isaac Zablocki

ReelAbilities Film Festival

 

Isaac Zablocki is the Director of Film Programs at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan with a rich background in multiple aspects of the film industry. After graduating from Columbia University's film school, he worked at Miramax Films and later produced and directed feature films while also developing education

ReelAbilities Film Festival

 

Isaac Zablocki is the Director of Film Programs at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan with a rich background in multiple aspects of the film industry. After graduating from Columbia University's film school, he worked at Miramax Films and later produced and directed feature films while also developing educational programs for the Department of Education. He has been instrumental in shaping the film landscape at JCC Manhattan, including the establishment of the Israel Film Center and the annual programming of several film festivals such as the Other Israel Film Festival, which highlights the stories of Arab and underrepresented populations in Israel, and the ReelAbilities Film Festival, the largest festival in the world showcasing films by and about people with disabilities. 

  • Home
  • Accessibility Checklist
  • Accessibility Terminology
  • Vendor Database
  • External Resources
  • Accessibility Scorecard
  • Scorecard Impact Report
  • News and Events
  • About Us
  • Contact

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