USA / 2024 / 87 min / English / Documentary
An unflinching, emotionally raw story of courage, transcendence and the healing power of self-belief, BLIND AF tells the journey of a blind female Paralympic champion and multiple world-record holder, Shawn Cheshire as she becomes the first blind person to ride a single, non-tandem bike across the United States—3600 miles in 60 straight days–while confronting painful truths about her past that she spent a lifetime trying to outrun. Driven as much by the determination to live independently as by the restlessness and vulnerability borne of her complex PTSD, Shawn forges a brave – and often dangerous – path through fear that stands as a powerful testament to the human spirit, and an encouragement for all of us to live our most authentic lives, whatever the risks.
DIRECTOR: Gina works nationally and abroad for clients such as ESPN, Smithsonian, IGK/Sephora, Vanity Fair, TIME and Worldwide Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Her award-winning documentary work about the legendary NYC miners, The Sandhog Project, premiered at New York’s Grand Central Terminal and later was published as a book by powerHouse. LeVay’s work is exhibited in the US and Europe, including Museum of Contemporary Photography, Museo d’art Contemporanea Roma (MACRO), American Museum of Natural History and Museum of the City of New York. LeVay received an MFA in Photography, Video and Related Media from The School of Visual Arts.
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT: Shawn’s story explores topics of disability/inclusion, PTSD/mental health, domestic abuse and women’s empowerment. Our vision is to cultivate impact campaigns at grassroot levels to ensure that Shawn’s story is amplified and accessible to a diverse, expansive audience. Making the film accessible in audio description and closed captioning is an integral part of Blind AF and Shawn will be involved in the process. The accessibility features will be deliberate, meaningful, artistic and true to the film experience.
Contact: gina@ginalevay.com
Special Guest: Shawn Cheshire
