On April 11, the Gallaudet community packed Elstad Auditorium for a special screening of Deaf President Now!, in partnership with AppleTV+. The groundbreaking documentary is co-directed by Gallaudet alum Nyle DiMarco, ’13, who teamed with celebrated documentarian Davis Guggenheim of Concordia Studios.

Deaf President Now! premieres on AppleTV+ on May 16. The world premiere took place at Sundance Film Festival in January, where it was a runner-up for the Festival Favorite Award. The Gallaudet Archives partnered with Concordia Studios on the project, sending archival materials and equipment.

During the screening, the audience laughed, gasped, and cheered as they experienced the ups and downs of the Gallaudet movement that changed the world. In 1988, university students protested for one week to demand that Gallaudet hire its first Deaf president ever. The outcome of the protests traveled far beyond the campus, influencing the eventual passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Afterwards, the air resonated with feelings of inspiration and excitement. DiMarco and Guggenheim were on hand for a Q&A moderated by Trent Mora, President of Gallaudet’s Student Body Government. They were joined by two of the DPN4, Jerry Covell, ’89, and Tim Rarus, ’88. Rounding out the panel were I. King Jordan, ’70, the first Deaf Gallaudet President, as well as Producers Jonathan King and Amanda Rohlke.

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