Monthly Film Festival | InFocus: Disabilities

NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) hosts its May Monthly Film Festival, which spotlights disability stories and talent with disabilities in front of and behind the camera with its annual InFocus: Disabilities program, including Seen in Full: Disabilities in Focus, in partnership with Minorities in Film (MiFilm). The day’s programming also presents the Los Angeles premiere of writer-director Honey Lauren’s debut feature narrative Mistake.

The day opens with the MiFilm x NFMLA | Seen in Full: Disabilities in Focus, a collection of films programmed in collaboration with Minorities in Film (MiFilm) that highlight and celebrate the work of emerging filmmakers with disabilities.  MiFilm is an organization dedicated to creating opportunities for filmmakers from underrepresented communities to showcase their work and engage with audiences. Through curated screenings and conversations, MiFilm aims to highlight diverse perspectives in filmmaking while fostering dialogue around identity, culture, and storytelling. 

Next in the line-up is InFocus: Disabilities, a program that spotlights disability both in front of and behind the camera. It features a blend of storytelling through the lens of visible and invisible disability, centering work made by disabled filmmakers and stories of disability told in close collaboration with their subjects or protagonists. From vampire stories to dreamy experimental landscapes to documentary storytelling to heartfelt dramas and comedies, this program showcases an impressive range of work from emerging talent.

The night concludes with the Los Angeles premiere of writer-director Honey Lauren’s first feature film, Mistake, a period piece about an intersex child growing up in the 1940’s that is unflinching, honest and told with so much love for its protagonist. “In telling Larry Benson’s story, I’m not only exploring his struggle to exist within a world that doesn’t see him—I’m also honoring the part of myself that’s still learning how to exist within mine,” says Lauren, an NFMLA alumni and award-winning writer, director, and actress, of her debut feature.   

NFMLA showcases films by filmmakers of all backgrounds throughout the year, across both our general and InFocus programming. All filmmakers are welcome and encouraged to submit their projects for consideration for upcoming NFMLA Festivals, regardless of the schedule for InFocus programming, which celebrates representation by spotlighting various communities of filmmakers as part of the NFMLA Monthly Film Festival. This project is made possible in part by grant support from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA), and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).  

The South Park Center is an ADA compliant venue and is wheelchair accessible. We request captioned films from all filmmakers participating at our Festival. For any accessibility needs, please send a request to info@nfmla.org at least 72 hours prior to the event.