09/23/2026
Once More, Like Rain Man
Dir. Sue Ann Pien
Zoe, an autistic teen actor, sits through yet another audition where the adults behind the table label her “the autistic one,” joke that she “doesn’t look autistic,” and ask if she has an “autism super power” — you know, “like Rain Man.” Her dad Gerry, a struggling screenwriter trying to keep them both afloat, hustles her from room to room while she’s forced into role after role that reduces her to a checkbox. When Zoe overhears that her mom plans to move her in to increase her payments for having a “disabled kid” at home, the day turns into a battle for control of her own life—not just a booking. At a crowded final call, a casting assistant says the quiet part out loud: they want the character to be “more autistic,” and Zoe has to decide whether to perform a stereotype or tell the truth. What follows is sharp, funny, and cathartic—building to the inevitable when they ask her to do it “once more… like Rain Man.”
ReelAbilities Film Festival Columbus presents: Spectrum Shorts
Join Art Possible Ohio and The Priscilla R. Tyson Cultural Arts Center for an evening of shorts for our October screening of the ReelAbilities Film Festival Columbus. Spectrum Shorts is a collection of shorts about different aspects of autism. The screening will be followed by a discussion with the curator, Tristan Turner.
Doors open at 6:30 PM, films will begin at 7:00 PM.
Address: Priscilla R. Tyson Cultural Arts Center
139 West Main Street, Columbus, OH 43215
Access: Open captions and assistive listening will be available. Ramps are on the east side of the building.
Cost: Free and open to the public!
Date: October 8, 2026
Time: 7:00 - 9:00 PM
Ticketing: To register visit our Humanitix here: https://events.humanitix.com/reelabilities-screening-spectrum-shorts
Registration is requested for this event due to limited seating at the venue.
Parking:
Metered street parking is available on Main St, Noble St, and on Civic Center Dr through the ParkMobile app.
Public transportation:
The Priscilla R. Tyson Cultural Arts Center is located on West Main Street and can be accessed from the Main Street COTA Routes #3, 6, or 9. For other nearby routes, visit COTA to plan your trip.
