Apple Original Films’ “Deaf President Now!” premieres at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival

Published: January 28, 2025 — Today in Park City, Utah, Apple Original Films’ riveting documentary “Deaf President Now!” premiered as part of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Attendees at the premiere included co-director and producer Nyle DiMarco, Academy Award-winning co-director and producer Davis Guggenheim, and the original “DPN4” — Tim Rarus, Bridgetta Bourne-Firl, Jerry Covell and Greg Hlibok — alongside producers Jonathan King and Amanda Rohlke. The film will stream globally on Apple TV+ later this year.

“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.

“Deaf President Now!” is produced by Concordia Studio, with Davis Guggenheim, Nyle DiMarco, Michael Harte, Jonathan King and Amanda Rohlke serving as producers. DiMarco and Guggenheim are co-directors of the film.

Apple TV+ offers premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, and kids and family entertainment, and is available to watch across all of a user’s favorite screens. After its launch on November 1, 2019, Apple TV+ became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service in its debut. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries and series have earned 538 wins and 2,553 award nominations and counting, including multi-Emmy Award-winning comedy “Ted Lasso.”