Pharrell’s “Happy” in ASL | Deaf Film Camp at CM7

This video is an ASL interpretation of Pharrell Williams’s “Happy.” An expression of music in ASL composed by Rosa Lee Timm and Azora Telford. The video was produced by a team of Deaf campers & staff from Deaf Film Camp 2014 at Camp Mark Seven.

Makaton – Dominick the Donkey – SingingHandsUK

Makaton – Holly Jolly CHRISTMAS – SingingHandsUK

Makaton – CHRISTMAS ALPHABET – Singing Hands

EMOTIONAL GOLDEN BUZZER for Sign Along With Us | Britain’s Got Talent

Sign Along With Us scored a Golden Buzzer for their uplifting performance of ‘This Is Me’, combining music with sign language for a truly inspiring Series 14 moment.

Deaf Actors&Actresses Breakthrough 2025: Performances That Made History

This year has been monumental for deaf representation in film and television. From Netflix crime thrillers to award-winning international cinema, deaf actors and actresses are commanding the screen in roles that showcase their full range—not just as “deaf characters,” but as complex, multi-dimensional humans.

🔥 TROY KOTSUR – “Black Rabbit” (Netflix, 2025)

The Oscar Winner Returns as a Deaf Mobster

Fresh off his historic 2022 Oscar win for CODA, Troy Kotsur returned in 2025 with his most unexpected role yet: Joe Mancuso, a ruthless deaf mob boss in Netflix’s crime thriller Black Rabbit.

Why It Matters:

  • First deaf mobster in mainstream TV – “I’m sure folks in the audience have really never seen a mobster who happens to be deaf,” Kotsur told People.
  • Co-starring alongside Jude Law and Jason Bateman
  • Uses ASL with his criminal associates in tense, high-stakes scenes
  • Released September 18, 2025 on Netflix

In his own words: “It was really fun for me to develop this character, a fresh take and a new perspective. It will open up new roles in the future, I hope. We’re not just actors who use sign language, we’re characters and we can play all different types of characters.”

Watch the trailer: https://www.netflix.com/title/81630027

🏆 MIRIAM GARLO – “Deaf” (Sorda, 2025)

Berlinale Winner & Spain’s Oscar Submission

Spanish deaf actress Miriam Garlo delivered what critics are calling the performance of the year in Eva Libertad’s Deaf (Sorda), a deeply personal film about a deaf woman navigating motherhood.

The Achievement:

  • Won the Panorama Audience Award at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival (February 2025)
  • Shortlisted as Spain’s official submission for the 98th Academy Awards
  • 7.4 IMDb rating – Critics praised it as surpassing CODA in emotional depth
  • Premiered in Spanish theaters April 4, 2025

The Story: Ángela (Garlo) is a deaf pottery artist expecting a baby with her hearing partner, Héctor (Álvaro Cervantes). The film intimately explores her fears about connecting with a hearing daughter in a world that refuses to accommodate her needs.

Why It Resonates:

  • Semi-autobiographical – Based on the real fears of Garlo and her director sister Eva Libertad
  • Filmed in Spanish and Spanish Sign Language
  • Critics call it “profoundly nuanced” and “a revelatory performance”

Critical Acclaim:

  • Screen International: “Authentically explores the challenges faced by deaf individuals in a hearing world”
  • Cinemanía: 5 out of 5 stars – “A film about the terrible, deep and secret fears that come with motherhood”
  • Journey Into Cinema: “Deaf completely outshines the sentimental CODA by keeping the focus where it belongs: on Ángela”

📽️ SUNDANCE 2025 – DEAF DOCUMENTARIES

January 23 – February 2, 2025

Two groundbreaking deaf-directed documentaries premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival:

1. “Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore”

  • Directed by Shoshannah Stern (herself a deaf actress from This Close)
  • Chronicles Marlee Matlin’s journey from the first deaf Oscar winner (1987) to today’s advocacy work
  • Explores her 40-year career breaking barriers in Hollywood

2. “Deaf President Now!”

  • Directed by Nyle DiMarco (America’s Next Top Model winner, Dancing with the Stars champion)
  • Documents the historic 1988 Gallaudet University protest
  • Features Troy Kotsur, who was a student protester at Gallaudet during the actual movement
  • Coming to Apple TV+ in 2026

💡 WHY 2025 IS DIFFERENT

Authentic Casting = Authentic Stories

  • All three major 2025 projects feature actual deaf actors in deaf roles
  • Directors actively consulted deaf communities
  • ASL used naturally, not as exposition

Beyond “The Deaf Character”

  • Kotsur plays a mobster who happens to be deaf
  • Garlo’s character wrestles with universal maternal fears amplified by societal barriers
  • These aren’t “inspiration porn” – they’re complex human dramas

Global Recognition

  • Spanish film winning at Berlinale proves deaf stories transcend language
  • Hollywood A-listers (Law, Bateman) sharing screen space with deaf actors as equals
  • Major streaming platforms investing in deaf-led productions

🔗 WHERE TO WATCH (December 2025)

STREAMING NOW:

THEATRICAL/INTERNATIONAL:

  • Deaf (Sorda): Playing in select international markets; check local listings
  • “Deaf President Now!” documentary – Apple TV+ (2026)

📊 BY THE NUMBERS – 2025 IMPACT

  • 1st deaf mobster in mainstream television (Kotsur)
  • Berlinale Audience Award winner (Garlo)
  • Spain’s Oscar submission for Best International Film (Deaf)
  • 2 Sundance documentaries directed by deaf filmmakers
  • Netflix, Apple TV+, Disney+ all investing in deaf-led content

💬 THE CONVERSATION

What deaf actors are saying about 2025:

Troy Kotsur on playing against type: “We can play ALL different types of characters.”

Eva Libertad (director, Deaf): “We have been preparing our whole lives to make this film.”

Miriam Garlo on representation: “It’s about exploring the complexity of the bond between the deaf and hearing worlds.”

🎯 WHAT’S NEXT?

Coming 2026:

  • “Flash Before the Bang” – Russell Harvard & Daniel Durant star in the true story of an all-deaf high school track team (1980s Oregon)
  • Produced by Matt Damon, Ben Affleck & Jessica Alba
  • More than half the cast will be deaf actors

DeafActors #TroyKotsur #MiriamGarlo #BlackRabbit #Sorda #DeafFilm #ASL #DeafRepresentation #Berlinale2025 #Netflix #Sundance2025 #DeafCinema #AuthenticCasting #DeafCulture #Oscar2026

When Hands Paint Movies in the Air: The Magic of ASL Storytelling

Did you know ASL storytelling is basically watching a movie come to life right in front of you? 🎬👐

When a Deaf storyteller takes the stage, their body becomes the camera, their hands paint the scenes, and their facial expressions ARE the soundtrack. It’s called Visual Vernacular (VV), and it’s one of the most captivating performance arts you’ll ever witness.

Here’s what makes ASL storytelling MAGICAL:

🎭 Role-shifting – The storyteller becomes EVERY character in seconds 📸 Cinematic techniques – Zoom in, zoom out, slow-mo, fast-forward… all with body and space 🎨 Visual rhyme – Instead of words that sound alike, signs flow into each other like a choreographed dance 💫 4D storytelling – Using height, depth, movement, and time to create layered narratives

From ABC stories (where every sign follows the alphabet) to poetry slams that’ll give you CHILLS, ASL storytelling proves that language isn’t just heard—it’s FELT.

Shoutout to legends like Bernard Bragg who pioneered VV, and today’s powerhouses keeping the art alive! 🙌

Want to dive deeper? Check out these resources:

🎤 ASL Slam NYC – Monthly poetry events
📍 Instagram: @aslslam
🌐 https://www.aslslam.org

🎥 Handspeak – ASL storytelling techniques & examples
🌐 https://www.handspeak.com/learn/245/

🏆 Slam Row Films Festival – Celebrating 20 years of ASL SLAM in 2025!
🌐 https://www.slamrowfilms.com/srff

📺 PBS: Deaf Jam – Documentary on ASL poetry slam
🌐 https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/documentaries/deaf-jam/

📚 DawnSignPress – Classic ASL storytelling masters
(Ben Bahan, Sam Supalla, and more!)

Have you experienced ASL storytelling? Drop a 🙋 if you want to see more content like this!

#ASLStorytelling #VisualVernacular #DeafArt #ASLPoetry #DeafCulture #SignLanguageArt #ASLSlam #DeafPerformance #DeafCommunity #VisualPoetry #ASLLiterature #DeafArtists #SignLanguageLiterature

🎬✨ LET’S TALK ABOUT REPRESENTATION ✨🎬

2025 is turning out to be a MOMENT for deaf storytelling!

We’ve got City of New York TWO major documentaries making waves this year – “Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore” and “Deaf President Now!” – and they’re getting Emmy nominations! 👏👏👏

But here’s the tea ☕: While CODA opened doors and gave us Troy Kotsur’s historic Oscar win, 68% of deaf viewers say they can tell when a deaf character has been written by a hearing person Variety. We FEEL the difference!

What we’re fighting for: ✅ Deaf actors (we got that!) ✅ Deaf writers & directors (still waiting…) ✅ Stories that go BEYOND “being deaf” ✅ Authentic representation

The bottom line: It’s not just about giving us roles. Deaf people and deaf creators need a seat at the table to tell our OWN stories.

ASL Interpretations of Trending Songs & Sounds

Deaf creators like Chrissy Marshall are Rochester Institute of TechnologyIZEA Worldwide, Inc dominating social media with ASL interpretations of trendy TikTok songs, with her channel attracting over a million followers. Scarlet Watters, who has 4.4 million TikTok followers, creates ASL musical covers and is known for her elegant, fluid hand movements that fans describe as “sassy” RevRev. This trend bridges the gap between mainstream viral audio trends and deaf culture, making popular content accessible while showcasing the beauty of sign language.

Why it’s hot: It’s the perfect blend of entertainment, education, and cultural pride. Deaf creators are taking viral moments and making them their own, while hearing audiences gain appreciation for ASL as an art form.

Click here to watch Chrissy’s YouTube videos.

Schuyler Sisters in ASL | YouTube – ASL Theatre

This is an ASL interpretation, student project of select songs from “Hamilton.”