Marlee Matlin and other Sundance Film Festival judges walked out of the premiere of Magazine Dreams after the film failed to provide subtitles
Marlee Matlin and her drama judges walked out of Magazine Dreams’ premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on Friday after the festival failed to provide adequate closed captioning for the deaf and hard of hearing.
The deaf Oscar winner, 57, along with fellow judges Jeremy O. Harris and Eliza Hittman, made the joint decision to leave the screening after a closed captioning device provided for the Coda actress malfunctioned, according to Variety.
The device was later repaired, but the incident revealed a major problem behind the scenes to make the films shown accessible to all viewers.
Walkout: Marlee Matlin and her drama judges walked out of a screening of Magazine Dreams on Friday after the Sundance Film Festival failed to provide adequate closed captioning for the deaf and hard of hearing audience
Marlee, who shared her excitement about being part of the judging panel on social media, co-wrote a letter to filmmakers explaining why accessibility is so important.
“The American independent cinema movement began to make film accessible to everyone, not just the most privileged among us.”
“As a jury, our ability to celebrate the work that you all put into these films is disrupted by the fact that they’re not accessible to all three of us.”
Magazine Dreams: All three judges said they plan to watch Magazine Dreams, a drama starring Jonathan Majors as a black bodybuilder, together at a later date
Letter: Marlee, who is deaf, co-wrote a letter with her fellow judges, which read in part, “As a jury, our ability to celebrate the work you all put into making these films was marred by the fact that you it is not accessible to all three of us’; Pictured 2023
The magazine spoke to multiple sources who claimed the jury had repeatedly expressed concern that films screened at the festival would be subtitled, as is common practice at other international events including Cannes and Venice.
When applying for credentials for this year’s festival, attendees were asked if they needed access to closed captioning.
The outlet reported that despite the requests, many filmmakers have declined for a variety of reasons, including the cost of producing a new print.
Sundance: Sundance CEO Joanna Vicente issued a statement that read, “Our goal is to make all experiences (in-person and online) as accessible as possible for all participants.”
Accessibility: Sources say the drama jury has repeatedly required films to have subtitles, in line with practices now in place at both the Cannes and Venice Film Festivals
Others have reportedly raised concerns that a film with subtitles might actually result in a lower selling price for the film when looking for a distributor.
Sundance CEO Joana Vicente issued a statement that read: “Our goal is to make all experiences (in person and online) as accessible as possible for all participants. Admittedly, our accessibility efforts are constantly evolving, and feedback helps drive them forward for the community as a whole.’
All three judges said they plan to watch Magazine Dreams together at a later date, a drama starring Jonathan Majors as a black bodybuilder.
Reasons: Many filmmakers have declined to provide subtitles for a variety of reasons, including the cost of making a new print and concerns that having a subtitled film might actually result in a lower selling price for the film when they are looking for a distributor