Apple Original Films’ “Deaf President Now!” premieres at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival with co-directors Nyle DiMarco, Davis Guggenheim, and more. (I’m also proud of my son Jake Grafman, who worked on this movie as well).

At 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.