Executive Director Mauricio Fuentes of Dreamsgate Pictures is hosting a campaign against discrimination, called Reflexions, after screenwriter Sean Marckos was twice denied access to the red carpet at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.

Reflexions in Response to Accessibility Discrimination
Dreamsgate and Fuentes will be hosting the Reflexions campaign the week of April 26, 2010, to raise awareness about image discrimination and wheelchair accessibility issues. The motivation for Reflexions came after film writer Marckos, who has muscular dystrophy and uses a wheelchair, was reportedly denied access to the red carpet two years in a row at the Cannes Festival, a prestigious film festival located in France.  
    
Cannes Rejects Wheelchair Access
Cannes Festival officials have denied the discrimination allegations. Cannes Festival’s Head of Communications, Marie-Pierre Hauville, pointed out in an interview with CBC News that the red carpet includes over 50 steps, making red carpet access practically impossible for somebody in a wheelchair.

Reflexions Result of Non-Compliance
Fuentes and Marckos counter this point, explaining to CBC News that after Marckos was denied access to the red carpet in 2008, legal papers were sent to Cannes personnel, asking for an access point to the red carpet to be made in the future. However, when the 2009 Cannes Festival came around, Marckos was once again denied access to the red carpet ceremony of the festival, illustrating a lack of effort by Cannes personnel to provide equal opportunity to individuals with disabilities.

Reflexions Campaign has Support
The Reflexions campaign has gained much support, including from American actors Danny Glover and Verne Troyer. Danny Glover has enjoyed a very successful career, including roles in “Angels in the Outfield” and the Lethal Weapon movies, while Verne Troyer is best known for his role as Mini Me in the Austin Powers movies. Learn more about the Reflexions campaign, being hosted by Mauricio Fuentes and Dreamsgate.

Additionally, Marckos is currently working on a movie about image discrimination, entitled “Just Imagine.” 

Photo of Sean Marckos at Cannes Film Festival courtesy Dreamsgate Pictures.