02/27/2025
There are less than three weeks until Vinfen’s Film Festival which is always a chance to see some wonderful films. One of this year's films is The Ride Ahead, about a young man with Cerebral.
For more information, go to www.vinfen.org/film-festival.
FILMS
Gary Gulman: The Great Depresh (Feature Film)
Massachusetts-born comedian Gary Gulman offers candid reflections on his struggles with depression, interspersing stand-up comedy and documentary interludes that provide insight into his mental health journey.
Being Michelle (Feature Film)
An award-winning feature-length documentary film about a deaf woman living with autism and mental health challenges who survived incarceration and abuse, and who now uses her artwork to depict the trauma she survived and heal from her past.
The Ride Ahead (Feature Film)
Like many 21-year-olds, Samuel Habib wants to date, leave home, and go to college. But he drives a 350-pound wheelchair, uses a communication device, and can have a seizure at any moment. Determined to find his path forward, he seeks out guidance from America's most rebellious disability activists. Will they empower him to launch the bold adult life he craves?
Roads to Recovery (Short Film)
Substance use disorder is embedded in nearly every New England community. Roads to Recovery: Overdose and Brain Injury looks at one of the lesser-known effects of overdose - anoxic brain injury. Through the personal stories of survivors of overdose, the film looks at what happens to the brain during and after an event and how it can affect treatment and recovery.
Vince: The Punctual Vagrant (Short Film)
Sarah Falkiner‘s short drama offers a raw exploration of urban homelessness through the lens of Vince (Mike Green) and his makeshift family of fellow homeless individuals, George (Arch Harmon) and Cindy (Adria Dawn). The narrative delves into their daily struggles, highlighting the lack of societal support and respect they receive and the barriers they face in living with mental health challenges and addiction.
Jelly Brain (Short Film)
Following a devastating traumatic brain injury, Debra was thrown into a new twisted reality she did not understand. Through the unwavering love of her family, Debra will attempt to accept the implications of her injury, search for hope and unearth a new her as a person and a mother.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Registration
12:45 PM
Welcome and opening remarks from Vinfen President & CEO Jean Yang and Donna Danielewski, Executive Director of Accessibility at GBH.
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Feature Film: Being Michelle, followed by panel discussion, in the Calderwood Studio
Sophie Hansen, LICSW, Vinfen Director of Government Affairs and External Relations (Moderator)
Short Films: Roads to Recovery, Vince: The Punctual Vagrant, and Jelly Brain, followed by panel discussion, in the Yawkey Theater
Princess Alston, LMHC, CADC, Director of Substance Use, Vinfen (Moderators)
3:00 PM – 3:45 PM
Break
3:45 PM – 5:45 PM
Feature Film: The Great Depresh, followed by panel discussion, in the Calderwood Studio
Dr. Peggy Johnson, MD, Chief Medical Officer for Vinfen (Moderator)
Feature Film: The Ride Ahead, followed by panel discussion, in the Yawkey Theater
Patricia Middelmann, Autism Supervisor, Vinfen Autism Support Center (Moderator)
6 PM – 7:30 PM
Post-event Reception in the Fraser Performance Center (separate reception ticket required). After the films and panels are through, please join us for delicious passed hors d’oeuvres, beer and wine, and a chance to mix, mingle, and network with filmmakers and members of the Vinfen and human services community.
