TALLAHASSEE, fla. (WTXL) — The Blind Can Film Festival is highlighting how blind people are living their lives in spite of their disability. The festival isn't just about creating and showcasing movies, it's also about teaching blind people how to use camera equipment to be able to become filmmakers themselves.
Anthony Ferraro has been blind for most of his life. He's also been around skateboarding for a long time. His older brothers all skateboarded. But he never thought it was something he could do until two and a half years ago when he met other blind skateboarders doing what some people might think is impossible.
"They taught me how to skate with a cane. I didn't know I'd ever be able to grind rails or ledges and things like that," Ferraro said. "I thought I could just go on ramps, but they really showed me how to progress and I fell in love with it right away."
Ferraro is in Tallahassee for the Blind Can Film Festival. Ben Fox, president of the festival, and a blind filmmaker invited him out to make a commercial about what he can do.
"We're kicking it off Friday by filming a white cane commercial live with Anthony Ferraro and his white cane in the skate park," Fox said. "Then you're going to see other people showing up celebrating the white cane."
Fox started the festival as a way to not only show people what the blind can do but also to empower blind people to share their stories.
"We make films about them, and we show them how to use cameras, how to make films, and how to promote them," Fox said. "You know what we make films about? People that are blind doing amazing things in the world...by the blind for the world."
Ferraro hopes to inspire people to keep going even when life gets tough.
"I've been through a lot of grief in my life," Ferrari said. "And you just learn through every situation that life does go on and really the only disability is a bad attitude."
The festival is launching a contest for people to create a commercial about the white cane that many people utilize to get around. The winner will get $1,000 at the next Blind Can Film Festival.
Events for this years festival are happening Saturday, April 8 from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Railroad Square Arts District. For information on how events and tickets you can go to their website.
