Over-the-Rhine International Film Festival, formerly the ReelAbilities Film Festival, is gearing up for its annual event which takes place this summer. In the meantime, they're hosting a virtual hour-long event which will bring celebrity-packed line-up to homes across the city.
A Celebration of Inclusion in Film and Media will take place virtually on March 11, at 6:30 p.m.
The event, preceding the nation’s only diversity film festival led by people in the disability community Over-the-Rhine International Film Festival, is set to take place July 8th through July 11th. The fest is organized by LADD, a Cincinnati nonprofit that promotes the inclusion and success of adults with developmental disabilities.
A Celebration of Inclusion in Film and Media features musical performances, comedy, event speakers, and a lineup of celebrity appearances. Participating celebrities include Lea DeLaria from Orange Is the New Black, comedian and former contestant on America’s Got Talent Ryan Niemiller and Mat Fraser from CripTales and American Horror Story.
Musical performances by Indigo Girls, BETTY and Sweet Honey in the Rock will also be featured at the event.
“As we look to heal, rebuild, perhaps return to some level of normalcy or begin anew after this past year, many of us are seeing life through a new lens,” said festival director Molly Lyons in a press release. “That’s what this virtual experience is all about: celebrating our shared humanity and discovering new perspectives.”
The film fest aims to amplify Cincinnati’s role in reframing how disabilities are viewed in the context of diversity in the entertainment industry, the release explains. At the Celebration of Inclusion in Film and Media, this year’s OTR Film Fest theme will be revealed and two new festival awards will be announced in collaboration with the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and the Harriet Beecher Stowe House.
Tickets for standard access are $30 each and can be purchased online. In addition to standard access tickets, there are three tiers of VIP packages:
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$65 VIP Package: includes access to the Virtual Event and a gift bag
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$165 VIP Package: includes access to the Virtual Event, a gift bag, and a chef-curated meal delivered to your door
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$1,000 VIP Group Package for 8: Each person will enjoy access to the virtual event, a gift bag, and a chef-curated meal delivered to their home, ready to be heated in their own oven at their convenience.
The dinners included in the VIP packages are curated by local chefs through Oakley Kitchen Food Hall. The gift bags consist of t-shirts, bags, and stickers designed by artists with disabilities and Happen Inc. Breadwinners.
For more info, visit otrfilmfest.org.
