18th Annual ReelAbilities Film Festival: Beyond Each Frame, Rag Dolls, and The Blind Reggaetonera — Short Films for Adults

The 18th Annual ReelAbilities Film Festival, the largest festival in the world dedicated to showcasing groundbreaking films by and about people with disabilities, returns to SNFL with this program of short films for adults. Features include "Beyond Each Frame", "Rag Dolls", and "The Blind Reggaetonera", and will be followed by a talkback with some of the filmmakers.

This year's selections include:

Beyond Each Frame (2026)

Dir. Andres Hernandez Machado | French | 18 min | Watch the trailer here.

A filmmaker's festival submission is rejected over a missing audio description, leading to an urgent collaboration that uncovers the power of accessibility to enhance storytelling and audience engagement.

Rag Dolls (2026)

Dir. Amy Adler | Spanish | 12 min | Watch the trailer here.

Two Mexican women navigate life with disabilities, discovering love, solidarity, and resilience. Rag Dolls celebrates human connection, independence, and the courage required to face everyday challenges.

The Blind Reggaetonera (2026)

Dir. River Zhihui Zhang | English | 27 min | Watch the trailer here.

A blind reggaeton artist pursues her dreams while mentoring disabled youth, redefining perceptions of ability and demonstrating the transformative power of music, mentorship, and determination.

To join the event in-person | Doors will open 30 minutes before the program begins. For free events, we generally overbook to ensure a full house. Priority will be given to those who have registered in advance, but registration does not guarantee admission. All registered seats are released shortly before start time, and seats may become available at that time. A standby line will form 30 minutes before the program.

The 18th Annual ReelAbilities Film Festival takes place April 23–30 across NYC and online. Additional information and tickets to the full festival are available starting March 26. Visit ReelAbilities.org for full festival information.

ACCESSIBILITY AT SNFL

In Person

• SNFL is fully wheelchair-accessible.


• The film will be presented with open captions.


• Assistive listening devices and/or hearing loops are available at our venue.


• ASL interpretation and real-time captioning (CART) are available upon request. Please submit your request via this form or contact SNFL at least two weeks in advance.

Learn more here.

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Please submit all press inquiries to Connor Goodwin at least 48 hours before the event: email connorgoodwin@nypl.org.

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All programs are subject to change or cancellation.

The 7 Stories Up Series at SNFL is made possible by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF).