After several years in the making, 2024 heralded the arrival of AFB’s documentary film Possibilities. The film, which captures the impact of Helen Keller’s life through contemporary blind voices, aims to break down misconceptions and build a more positive narrative around blindness.

The American Foundation for the Blind presents Possibilities. The first "i" in Possibilities is a cane with a rippling tap. Featured are 13 Laurel Awards the film received. Keller, who joined AFB in 1924, worked with the organization until her death in 1968. During her time at AFB, she traveled the globe as not just a voice for the inclusion of people with disabilities but also an ambassador for peace on behalf of the United States government. Having visited over 30 nations and authored multiple best-selling books, Keller left a lasting legacy that still resonates with people around the world a century after she joined AFB.

The film captures the stories of 33 individuals who, in reflecting on Keller’s impact, paint a vivid portrait of life as someone who is blind, deafblind, or has low vision. From the voices of those who have found success to those still struggling each day to gain full inclusion and independence in society, the film offers an authentic portrayal of blindness in the 21st century.

Following a handful of private screenings for donors in the fall of 2023, the film held its world premiere at the Golden State Film Festival in February 2024, where it was screened at the world-famous TCL “Grauman’s” Chinese Theater in the heart of Hollywood. The week before its premiere, Possibilities received the Impact DOCS Award for independent documentary filmmaking. At the time of the writing of this report, it has been accepted into 10 other festivals across the United States and in five international festivals in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.

The energy harnessed through the film is firmly rooted in the third programmatic goal AFB mapped out in our newly adopted strategic plan. This goal seeks to change the perception around blindness, breaking down misconceptions and building up a more positive narrative encompassing people who are blind across the globe. This goal took center stage at AFB’s annual Helen Keller Achievement Awards, held in tandem with a special public screening of Possibilities at the Tateuchi Center for Democracy at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles. The Tateuchi Foundation was a major funder for the film, making it possible to capture Keller’s impact across the Pacific in Japan, where she is still greatly admired to this day.

From left to right: Michael Kohn, Eric Bridges, Marilee Talkington, and Shawn Levy. Honorees hold their trophies with a smile. The theme for this year’s Helen Keller Achievement Award focused on the inclusion of people with disabilities in entertainment and the arts. Honorees for this year’s ceremony included filmmaker Shawn Levy, actor and advocate Marilee Talkington, and Lucasfilm. Throughout the evening, accolades were given out to those leading the way to change the perception of blind people through the arts and making the world more inclusive. The evening culminated with a special introduction to Possibilities from past Helen Keller Achievement Award recipient and 25-time Grammy winner Stevie Wonder.

Possibilities will continue circulating through the festival circuit in FY2025 as AFB seeks options for broader distribution and integration into educational settings.

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