Tickets are now on sale for “The Remarkable Life of Ibelin,” which will be screened on Wednesday, July 24, 2024, at the Kenwood Theatre at 5901 Galbraith Road.
This screening is the third 2024 program event presented by Over-the-Rhine International Film Festival, organized by LADD. The Disability Pride Month event features the inspiring, yet-to-be-distributed Netflix documentary that shares the story of Mats Steen, a Norwegian gamer who built soulful relationships through his online persona, Ibelin, in World of Warcraft as Duchenne muscular dystrophy progressively robbed him of his mobility before his death at age 25.
Through animated reconstructions of Mats’ gameplay, blog posts and multiple interviews, Norwegian filmmaker Benjamin Ree reveals to audiences and Mats’ family the positive impact Mats’ online persona had on the real lives of fellow gamers. This documentary won the Director and Audience awards at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.
Following the screening, OTR Film Festival’s artistic director tt stern-enzi and CinemarcusLive! Podcast host, film critic, and documentary producer Marc Fried, also served by LADD, will present a recorded interview with Mats’ parents, Robert and Trude Steen.
“The Remarkable Life of Ibelin,” a pay-what-you-can ticketed event, will be shown simultaneously on multiple screens with reserved seating at the Kenwood Theatre starting at 6:30 p.m.
The documentary screening and exclusive interview are part of Disability Pride Cincy, a monthlong series of events throughout July celebrating Disability Pride and the passage of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990. For more information about Disability Pride Cincy, visit www.disabilitypridecincy.org.
Additionally, CinemarcusLive!, Disability Pride Cincy and OTR Film Festival-related merchandise will be available for purchase before the screening and after the interview.
The Kenwood Theatre is wheelchair accessible, and “The Remarkable Life of Ibelin” and post-screening interviews will be subtitled. Sign interpreters will also be present throughout the screening and discussion.
This event is made possible by the generous support of presenting sponsor JPMorgan Chase & Co., along with OTR Film Festival sponsors ArtsWave, CET, Duke Energy, the Haile Foundation, Huntington, Ohio Humanities, and the University of Cincinnati Center for Film and Media Studies, along with partners Cindependent Film Festival, Film Cincinnati, and Women in Film Cincinnati.
To purchase tickets click here.

MARTIN SHEEN AND EMILIO ESTÉVEZ: THEIR JOURNEY HOME
CINCINNATI, OH – June 20, 2023 – The Over-the-Rhine International Film Festival, organized by LADD, is looking for volunteers for a variety of roles during its event July 6-8, 2023. The highly anticipated event will screen over 50 films at a variety of venues in and around the OTR area of Cincinnati including The Art Academy of Cincinnati, CAC, Music Hall, and The Woodward Theater.
OTRIFF Film Activation & Film Announcement Party
Save the date! The Over-The-Rhine International Film Festival will return to Cincinnati this summer to celebrate another year of community, inclusivity, and creativity. The festival will begin on Thursday, July 6th and run through Saturday, July 9th. Stay tuned for more details about upcoming events and films.