CINCINNATI — One of the beautiful things about film is how it allows an audience to experience the world through the eyes and ears of another. That's part of the reason why the nonprofit LADD founded what is now known as the Over-the-Rhine International Film Festival in 2013.
The unique festival returns to downtown Cincinnati this weekend. It will showcase dozens of pictures that celebrate diversity and "our shared humanity," according to event organizers. This year's theme is a "New Lens on Life."
"There are a host of stories waiting to be seen and heard," said TT Stern-Enzi, a movie critic and the event's artistic director. "The New Lens on Life that the festival is celebrating this year is the first step, a rallying cry for the film industry."
Through Sunday, July 11, the festival will feature 46 works that showcase people experiencing life differently.
Each movie will also have a virtual option. But organizers seem excited to once again host audiences at showings throughout Over-the-Rhine and the urban core. Screenings will take place at sites like Washington Park, the Woodward Theater, even Braxton Brewery in Pendleton.
"I enjoyed walking back from the Opening Night Panel interview with Rickey Alexander Wilson, one of the stars of Best Summer Ever, showing him some of the hotspots in OTR and then arriving at the 13th Street parking lot to find it full of spectators," Stern-Enzi recalled.
"He immediately pulled out his phone to capture the scene. This was his first in-person opportunity to promote the film at a festival and he was thrilled, which meant so much to me and the festival."
Film screening at OTR Film Festival 2021 (Provided)
One of the highlights of the festival is a special screening of the critically acclaimed CODA, a term that means "child of deaf adults."
Recently purchased by Apple TV+, CODA reveals the experience of a hearing teenage girl (Emilia Jones) growing up as a child with two deaf parents (Marlee Matlin and Troy Kotsur).
It took home multiple prizes at this year's Sundance Film Festival, including the Grand Jury Prize in the U.S. Dramatic category.
Lori Hogenkamp is a board member for the Ken Anderson Alliance, a sponsor of the Cincinnati event. She said the festival is about getting to know and understand people with disabilities through the "power of story."
"Diversity Inclusion is about seeing the world in a way that works best for everyone," said Hogenkamp, who founded the Center for Adaptive Stress. "The film festival is telling people's stories and lifting their voices. It will help find paths to successful inclusion."
Some may remember the Over-the-Rhine International Film Festival by its former name: Cincinnati ReelAbilities Film Festival. When LADD (Living Arrangements for the Developmentally Disabled) launched the festival nearly nine years ago, it served as a biennial celebration of the lives, stories and art of people who experience disabilities. The organization decided to change format, and its name, in 2018 to further highlight other prominent issues related to diversity and inclusion.
Panel discussion at OTR Film Festival. (Courtesy OTR Film Festival)
“LADD is proud to have brought this festival to Cincinnati and to really lead the conversation about what those films represent from an inclusivity and diversity standpoint,” said Nyketa Gaffney, communication manager for LADD. “We feel it’s been a decade of amazing artistry and talent brought to the city in a very diverse way."
While still inclusive of disability-minded programming, the OTR Film Festival now features movies that examine various hot-button social issues, like race, gender and sexuality.
One of those is Swan Song, the "comical and bittersweet" tale of an aging, gay hairdresser (Udo Kier) who embarks on a journey of rediscovery through his hometown of Sandusky, Ohio.
Black Cop looks at the challenges of being both Black and a police officer in the United States.
The screening of Black Cop is Friday night at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. A conversation with community members and Cincinnati police officers will occur after the closing credits.
Fostering community conversations is a huge part of the OTR Film Festival.
Each screening will feature a question-and-answer session with a distinguished panel of industry experts. They'll discuss the film's production as well as its relevance in today’s world.
"These films touch on a lot of issues that are sometimes tough to discuss. So the films, in a lot of ways, serve as a great starting point for allowing those conversations to occur,” Gaffney said.
Tickets are available for individual films or as group packages. Links for virtual viewing will come with the purchase of a ticket.
Additional details are available at www.otrfilmfest.org.
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