Access: Horror Virtual Film Festival Sheds Light on Disability by ‘Centering Ableism as the Horror Rather Than Disability’

Ariel Baska and Heather Petrocelli created Access: Horror to give disabled filmmakers and audiences greater access and representation, while challenging the way disability is portrayed in horror. The virtual festival reframes ableism and fear of difference as the source of horror, rather than treating disabled bodies as monstrous.

Running online from Oct. 4 to Nov. 1, the festival features films by emerging filmmakers, panels and Q&As across three programme blocks. Access: Horror provides participating films with content warnings, captions and audio descriptions, and asks filmmakers to budget for accessibility in future work. Founded in 2023, it is still building support and a place in the festival world.