Matt Kaplowitz, a founding member of the Reelabilities Film Festival, is the parent of a child with disabilities, a jazz aficionado, social entrepreneur and President of Bridge Multimedia, accessibility providers and strategists for television networks, educational publishers, architectural companies, government agencies, corporations, non-profits, and foundations investing in socially progressive initiatives. Kaplowitz founded Bridge in 2002 with the conviction that accessibility increases the freedom, independence, and productivity of people with disabilities, and fosters a more open and dynamic society. Since Bridge Multimedia’s establishment, the company has worked to increase literacy access to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities through multi-sensory learning and to expand the benefits of audio description to children on the autism spectrum and English Language Learners.
As a Grammy, Emmy, Peabody and Webby award winning music producer, Kaplowitz has worked with Ravi Shankar, Joshua Bell, Stephen Sondheim, The New York Philharmonic, Carol Burnett, Christine Aguilera, Chris Botti, Dave Matthews and
Hannah Gallivan is a 17-year-old from Bristol, Vermont, who loves all things musical theater.
She loves meeting other people with disabilities and talking about her experience. She has
cerebral palsy and uses a walker named Clementine and a power chair named Bumblebee. She
is a very creative person and hopes to channel that into making art more accessible for
everyone
Connor (They/Them) is the co-founder of Cuéntame, a grassroots organization that seeks to
disrupt the mainstream narrative surrounding disability. They are a storyteller who uses mixed
media to convey their messages effectively. As a caregiver and a neurodivergent and queer
individual, their personal experiences, coupled with those of the disabled people they have
worked with, are often the inspiration behind their art.
Connor is passionate about adding to the disabled art archives, which they believe are currently
at a momentous point in history. Through their art, they aim to challenge stereotypes and shift
perspectives, showcasing the beauty, complexity, and diversity of disability. To Connor, their
work is a form of activism. They believe that disability art has the power to create meaningful
social change by challenging dominant narratives and creating space for more inclusive and just
representations of disability. They are dedicated to continuing to push boundaries and explore
new ways of using art to effect positive social change.
Ryan Michael Roach (they/them), MOT, is an occupational therapy practitioner who has worked
with pediatric, adult, and geriatric populations in the United States and South America. Their
passion within this field is providing resources on how to perform therapeutic activities at a
community level with accessible and cheap materials. Ryan is the co-founder of Cuèntame a
grassroots organization working to disrupt the mainstream narrative of disability. They are the
co-producer of the documentary film, Cuèntame: Historias De Activsmo and the co-author of
Exploring the Impacts of Ableism: A COVID-19 Photo Essay Series.
Alexander Hammer is a Director & Editor who explores many dimensions of storytelling. His work spans from scripted film & TV, feature documentary and music video to interactive content, experiential storytelling and live performances. Currently he is directing a documentary feature, ‘JENN SOLO’, the story of dancer and choreographer Jenn Freeman as she is thrust into the unknown, following a late diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder at the age of 33.
Recently Hammer’s project, HOMECOMING: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ won the Grammy for Best Music Film. He has served as Beyoncé’s Editor for a variety of projects ranging from her feature length visual albums (LEMONADE, self titled BEYONCÉ, 4), interactive visuals and subsequent concert films for her world tours (FORMATION, ON THE RUN, MRS. CARTER), and documentaries (LIFE IS BUT A DREAM). He continues to work with artists such as Lizzo, Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, Jay-Z, Madonna, Katy Perry, and Nicki Minaj garnering several MTV VMA nominations and wins.
Hammer continues to work on original and effective branded entertainment, multi-media campaigns and innovative content for brands like Nike, Rag & Bone, L’Oréal, H&M and in fashion for designers like Gareth Pugh, Ann Demeulemeester and others…
Katrin joined DRNY in October 2017 as a Marketing Coordinator and in 2018 became the Director of
Marketing and Communications.
Prior to joining DRNY, Katrin was the Executive Chef Owner of the Dali Mamma Café in Albany and continues as the principle owner of Idea Faqtory Consulting Company. She developed and underwrote the culinary education program “Traveling Tastebuds” for the Albany Boys & Girls Club and Katrin is a member of the Chef’s Consortium.
During her time at DRNY Katrin has created and implemented a marketing strategy to increase awareness for DRNY.
Katrin is a certified Yoga & Meditation Instructor and teaches at various studios in the Capital District. She received her BA Art Criticism from Russell Sage College.
NYWIFT CEO Cynthia López (Moderator) is an award-winning media strategist, and former Commissioner of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, where she implemented strategies to support film and TV production throughout the five boroughs. López is the recipient of many coveted industry awards including: 11 News and Documentary Emmy Awards, a Special Emmy Award for Excellence in Documentary Filmmaking, three Peabody Awards, and two duPont-Columbia Awards. In addition, she received the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) Award for Commitment to Corporate Diversity. Prior to working as Commissioner, López was Executive Vice President and co-Executive Producer of the award-winning PBS documentary series American Documentary | POV, and was involved in the organization’s strategic growth and creative development for 14 years. Her ability to forge strategic partnerships among corporate and public interest media has been a signature of her work. Notable partnerships include: New York Times, Reuters, Al-Jazeera Network, Discovery Communications, The Moth, Story Corps, Harpo Studios and ABC News, NIGHTLINE with Ted Koppel. López is a founding member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP), and is proud to have spent her career collaborating with independent filmmakers across all portions of the film and television industry. She served on the Board of Trustees for the Paley Center, NYC & Company, Museum of the Moving Image and the Tribeca Film Institute Latin America Fund Advisory Board. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Color Congress, Latino Public Broadcasting, Manhattan Neighborhood Network, WIFTI and The Peabody Awards Board of Jurors.
Flavia is currently Head of Business Development & Strategy at Music:Not Impossible, a vibrotextile™ wearable technology that translates sound on the skin through vibration, providing a unique music experience. Initially inspired by the deaf & hard-of-hearing community, M:NI is enjoyed by all regardless of hearing abilities. Convinced that technology and empathy can and must co-exist, and to foster the love for technology in early education, Flavia co-founded Zaniac Greenwich in 2013, an after-school & camp enrichment program focused on science, technology, engineering, arts & math (STEAM) for students in grades PreK-8th grades. Between 2015-2018, she operated and franchised retail learning centers throughout the US. She is the recipient of the Entrepreneurial Success Award issued by Connecticut Small Business Administration, the Deb Ziegler Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence, and Entrepreneurs of the Year Award issued by Moffly Media. She currently serves on the Board of the Women’s Business Development Council in CT whose mission is to support economic prosperity for minority women and strengthen communities through entrepreneurial and financial education. She also served as Board Member of the BrazilFoundation, a non−profit with the goal of generating resources and innovative solutions to challenges faced by communities throughout Brazil. Flavia is fluent in Portuguese, Spanish and French.
Simi Linton is an author, filmmaker, and arts consultant. Her writings include Claiming Disability: Knowledge and Identity, My Body Politic, and “Cultural Territories of Disability” published by Dance/NYC. She is the subject of the documentary Invitation to Dance (Christian von Tippelskirch and Simi Linton). Linton’s organization, Disability/Arts Consultancy, serves cultural institutions throughout New York City and works to shape the presentation of disability in the arts. Projects include multi-year contracts with The Whitney, The Shed and Dance/NYC. She has produced events at the Public Theater, Writers’ Guild of America, HBO headquarters, the Smithsonian, and Margaret Mead Film Festival. Linton was a founder and Co-Director of Disability/Arts/NYC [DANT] from 2016-2019. Linton holds a Ph.D. in psychology from New York University and was on faculty at CUNY from 1985-1998. She received the 2015 Barnard College Medal of Distinction, an honorary Doctor of Arts from Middlebury College (2016), and was appointed by Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2015 to NYC’s Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission [2015-present] and to the She Built NYC Committee. Linton will be a Visiting Research Scholar at New York University’s Center for Disability Studies from June 2021 to May 2023.
Kathy Collins, a congenital quadruple amputee who uses a wheelchair and, sometimes, prosthetic arms, is an attorney who retired from The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey after working there for thirty (30) years. She is on the board of Disabled In Action of Metropolitan New York, Inc., a co-coordinator for Downstate New York ADAPT, as well as a member of the Greater New York Council of the Blind, the Amputee Coalition of America and the League of Women Voters, New York City Chapter.
