The international festival “Documentary & Disability” will take place for a third consecutive year. Fresh and wired with pulse, it dynamically continues to present one alternative view regarding disability – topic, which does not affect only people with special needs but the whole society and every one of us individually. The disability subject is not presented as a separate social problem but in the context of war, destroying the environment, social and economic conditions, maternity, sexual orientation, etc. This year, the main theme revolves around politics, anti-war movements, which are directly connected with defending human values like peace, dignity and freedom.

From last year the festival built new communication bridges by traveling around Greece and organizing screenings and happenings in cooperation with local municipalities. Meanwhile, it spread its activity – many film festivals organized flashbacks for the awarded “Documentary & Disability” films and this year the Francophone TV channel TV5MONDE is the main sponsor. With the help of Stavros Niarhos Foundation, EMOTION PICTURES organized the distribution of children’s educational packages, which will be distributed according to the ages, with the awarded films from the last two years. They will be sent to 2 000 schools around the country. At the same time, planned are screenings with the cooperation of the teachers.

This year the festival chose the best documentaries from all over the world, in order to present to the public this avant-garde cinema, which is made by people with special needs. The films of more than 200 enthusiasts arrived at the offices of the festival from at least 20 countries, including Greece. Only 30 films were chosen and they will compete between 19^th and 22^nd of June during the festival, which will take place in the Benaki Museum on Pireos blvd. The directors will also be present at the screenings and after that, they will speak with the public.

Local and foreign acknowledged figures from the public and political sphere expressed their support for the festival. Among them are Karolos Papoulyas – president of the Republic of Greece, the Nobel Prize winner and chairwoman of international organizations dealing with children and women rights Betty Williams, the respected director Wim Wenders, Oscar winner for directing Slumdog Millionaire Danny Boyle, the famous directors Patrice Leconte and James Ivory, the Hollywood stars Richard Gere, Eva Mendez, Daniel Day-Louis and more.

This year the organizers of the festival have prepared events, which will create the celebration atmosphere for this holiday of art and life. At the opening, the “miracle child from Korea, who was born blind” will play the piano – the charismatic Yoo Ye-eun, who is described by the international media as the “5 year old Mozart.” She has the gift of playing any melody she hears without having any idea of music.