“We are grateful to all the individuals, supporters and participants working hard to bring Houston a phenomenal 2025 Festival. We are excited to build bridges and connect with Houstonians at the various events slated for the 2025 ReelAbilities Houston Film & Arts Festival,” said Carl E. Josehart, CEO of Alexander Jewish Family Service Houston.
With the mission of bringing disability awareness and systemic change to the culture of Houston’s families, institutions, places of work and communities, the month-long ReelAbilities Houston Film & Arts Festival reaches thousands with its message of inclusion through numerous art forms. The 2025 Festival will feature award-winning films, the ReelPeople (formerly UP Abilities) speakers event, ReelMusic Concert and ReelArt, showcasing the work of Celebration Company artists and educational programs in schools and workplaces around Houston. All art, film and music events are free and a full schedule of events will be announced throughout the fall and winter.
“As someone with a disability, I believe this Festival is fundamental in teaching others how to build a more inclusive and welcoming city, ” said Jeffrey Feinstein. “I am honored to be chairing this amazing experience alongside my wife Alli and to show that those with disabilities are able to thrive and live lives of great purpose.”
After sustaining a severe neck and spinal cord injury in October of 2018, Jeffrey went through two intensive phases of rehabilitation and outpatient rehabilitation at TIRR Memorial Hermann. Throughout the initial recovery and rehabilitation, Jeffrey and Alli, who are also parents to three young children, realized that the path to recovery is long and winding in many ways including mentally, physically and financially. With this in mind, Jeffrey and Alli, along with a few close friends, created the Walk and Roll for SCI with the mission to help others navigate the various stages of SCI recovery and life particular to: access to education, access to vocation, exercise equipment and sociability. For Jeffrey, access to adaptive technologies was crucial in his recovery journey and even to this day. The Walk and Roll for SCI allows Jeffrey and Alli to raise funds to provide active gear and assistive technology equipment to spinal cord injury patients at TIRR Memorial Hermann, through the TIRR Foundation. In addition to their advocacy work, Jeffrey serves as Marketing Manager of Oil and Gas at Riverbend Energy Group while Alli is a dyslexia therapist at Condit Elementary.
“I am honored to be chairing this year’s Festival with Jeffrey,” said Alli Feinstein. “The Festival is a testament to the fact that people living with disabilities contribute significantly to the fabric of our society in powerful and positive ways.”
Founded in 2007 in New York, and now presented in 12 cities in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, ReelAbilities Houston is made possible by city host, the JFS Houston Alexander Institute for Inclusion and produced in collaboration with the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities; founding partner TIRR Memorial Hermann; and Joan and Stanford Alexander, lead sponsors; and the support of foundations, corporations, individual and in-kind sponsors.
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