Sign on Screen Festival: Deaf President Now! + Imagined Touch (short)
The story of the greatest civil rights movement most people have never heard of.
Arc Cinema
1:00PM
Free
24 May, 2026
Sign on Screen Festival: Deaf President Now! + Imagined Touch (short) 24 May, 2026
2025 | D: Nyle DiMarco, Davis Guggenheim
Revisiting the 1988 protests at Gallaudet University in Washington DC, Deaf President Now! documents a pivotal civil rights moment led by Deaf students who demanded representation on campus, paving the way for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The film recounts the eight days of student action that followed the University’s appointment of a hearing president over several very qualified Deaf candidates, including beloved dean Dr. I. King Jordan. Incorporating an experimental narrative approach named Deaf Point of View, the film uses archival footage and firsthand accounts to capture the collective action in motion, foregrounding solidarity and heralding structural change.
‘An urgent reminder that access and power are inseparable.’ - Owen Gleiberman, Variety
Arc Cinema
We are situated in the heart of Canberra on McCoy Circuit, Acton, between the shores of Lake Burley Griffin and the grounds of the Australian National University. Just a 10-minute walk from the city and state bus interchanges.
1 McCoy Circuit, Acton, ACT 2601
Film Details
Year
2025
Details
DCP 100 mins
Director
Nyle DiMarco, Davis Guggenheim
Countries
USA