| Deaf President Now! | |
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 Release poster | |
| Directed by | |
| Produced by |
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| Cinematography | Jonathan Furmanski |
| Edited by | Michael Harte |
| Music by | |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Apple Original Films |
Release dates |
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Running time | 101 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Languages |
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Deaf President Now! is a 2025 Americandocumentary film, directed and produced byNyle DiMarco andDavis Guggenheim. It follows the1988 student protest atGallaudet University, when a hearing candidate was elected over other deaf candidates.
It had its world premiere at theSundance Film Festival on January 28, 2025, and was released on May 16, 2025, byApple Original Films.
Follows the1988 student protest at Gallaudet University, a university for the education of the deaf and hard of hearing people, when a hearing candidate was elected over other deaf candidates. Bridgetta Bourne-Firl, Jerry Covell, Greg Hlibok, Tim Rarus andI. King Jordan appear in the film.[2]
In December 2024, it was announcedNyle DiMarco andDavis Guggenheim had directed a documentary revolving aroundDeaf President Now forApple Original Films.[3]
It had its world premiere at theSundance Film Festival on January 28, 2025.[4] It also screened at theSouth by Southwest Film & TV Festival on March 11, 2025.[5][6] It was released on May 16, 2025.[7]
On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes,100% of 46 critics' reviews are positive. The website's consensus reads: "Deftly chronicling a pivotal flashpoint in deaf community activism while skillfully folding inclusivity into its style,Deaf President Now! is a documentary that heartens as much as it informs."[8]Metacritic, which uses aweighted average, assigned the film a score of 82 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[9]
Daniel Fienberg ofThe Hollywood Reporter wrote, "A fine entry in the generally prolific 'Birth of a Movement' documentary genre,Deaf President Now! illustrates what is and was distinctive about theDeaf rights movement, but also the elements that connect it to many recent campaigns for visibility and recognition."[10]
Matt Zoller Seitz ofRogerEbert.com gave the film four out of four stars and wrote, "Roger Ebert famously described cinema as a machine that generates empathy. This movie is that machine: a relentless engine field by idealism and craft."[11]
The film was nominated forOutstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program andOutstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special at the77th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.[12] It was nominated forBest Documentary Feature,Best Director,Best Political Documentary, and Best Editing at the10th Critics' Choice Documentary Awards.[13]