The Forum Presents Academy Award Winning Best Picture ‘CODA’ on May 18

The four principal members of the cast of “CODA” (Submitted photo)

The Forum Film Festival 2022 presents “CODA,” the comedy-drama film that won all three of its nominations at the 94th Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay. The film will begin at 7 p.m., Wednesday, May 18, in the Prior-Jollek Hall, Antilles School Campus. At 6 p.m., before the show, small meals and desserts by Amalia Café in the Courtyard.

There will be an additional presentation by the Disability Rights Center of the Virgin Islands (DRCVI) which will be introducing the VI Deaf/Hard of Hearing Advocates. They will talk about the film, their lives and more, with an interpreter (sign language) present.

“CODA” is a 2021coming-of-age comedy-drama, written and directed by Sian Heder. An English-language remake of the 2014 French-Belgian film “La Famille Bélier,” it stars Emilia Jones as the “Child Of Deaf Adults” (CODA). She is the only hearing member of a deaf family, who attempts to help her family’s struggling fishing business, while pursuing her own aspirations of being a singer.

“All three deaf characters are played by three actually deaf people,” Rikki Poynter, a 30-year-old YouTuber, writer and accessibility expert, told TODAY via email. “And when you get that right, the ASL is right.” The deaf actors also used their own experiences in their roles, which added richness in some scenes.

When Troy Kotsur accepted his Academy Award for best supporting actor for his performance in “CODA,” he became only the second deaf actor to win an Oscar — the first was his “CODA” co-star Marlee Matlin who won in 1986 for “Children of a Lesser God.”

“CODA” has highlighted the need for better representation of deaf people and their stories, and Fischtrom Beacom hopes there’s room for more deaf writers, producers, actors and show runners.

Click to Buy TICKETS

Tickets: Adults – $10 and Students – $5

Online ticket sales: Forum Film Festival – Promotix

For more information, email: theforumusvi@gmail.com  or call: 646-725-3353