Deaf President Now!

The story of the greatest civil rights movement most people have never heard of. “Deaf President Now!” recounts the eight days of historic protests held at Gallaudet University in 1988 after the school’s board of trustees appointed a hearing president over several very qualified Deaf candidates. After a week of rallies, boycotts and protests, the students of Gallaudet University triumph as the hearing president resigns and beloved dean Dr. I. King Jordan becomes the university’s first Deaf president. The protests marked a pivotal moment in civil rights history, with an impact that extended well beyond the Gallaudet campus, and paved the way for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). “Deaf President Now!” features exclusive interviews with the five key figures of the movement, including the Gallaudet Four — Jerry Covell, Bridgetta Bourne-Firl, Tim Rarus and Greg Hlibok — alongside I. King Jordan, as well as archival and scripted elements. The film also incorporates an experimental narrative approach called Deaf Point of View, using impressionistic visual photography and intricate sound design to thrust the audience into the Deaf experience.

Credits

Directors: Nyle Dimarco, Davis Guggenheim
Producers: Nyle Dimarco, Davis Guggenheim, Michael Harte, Jonathan King, Amanda Rohlke
Executive Producers: Lizzie Fox, Casey Meurer, Laurene Powell-Jobs
Editor: Michael Harte
Cinematographer: Jonathan Furmanski
Music by Marco Beltrami, Buck Sanders
Featuring: Bridgetta Bourne-Firl, Jerry Covell, Greg Hlibok, I. King Jordan, Tim Rarus

Distribution

Apple TV+ (May 2025)
Awards & Recognition
Primetime Emmy Awards 2025:
Nominee, Outstanding Directing
Nominee, Outstanding Documentary/Nonfiction Special

Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards 2025:
Nominee, Best Documentary Feature
Nominee, Best Director
Nominee, Best Political Documentary
Nominee, Best Editing

SXSW Film Festival 2025:
Winner, Audience Award

International Documentary Association Awards 2025:
Winner, Video Source Award

Cinema Eye Honors 2026:
Winner, Outstanding Sound Design
Nominee, Nonfiction Film for Broadcast
Nominee, Editing in a Nonfiction Film or Series for Broadcast