THE RALLY

THE RALLY
2026 EasterSeals Disability Film Challenge Entry
Featuring Tal Anderson

​On a very special occasion, a young woman waits for a certain guest to arrive, but will they show?

Summary
Leah Johnson’s terminally ill mother is having a good day. To celebrate, Leah has called all the important people in her life. But the one person she wants there more than anything isn’t answering. Will Leah’s sister show up? Or will she leave Leah hanging?

Director's Statement
The Rally is a poignant, darkly comedic exploration of the messy intersections between chronic illness, neurodivergence, and anticipatory grief. At its heart, the film is about Leah, an autistic woman attempting to curate a perfect "celebration" for her mother, Janet, who is battling cancer. The tension of the film lives in the gap between Leah’s unmet expectations and the chaotic, fluid reality of end-of-life care. Our continuous, frantic opening shot means to visually capture this chaos and lack of control. Another primary goal of this film is to challenge the pervasive cinematic trope of the "dependent" autistic protagonist. With Leah as the person "in charge of everything," the film highlights that for many neurodivergent individuals, the challenge isn't a lack of capability, but rather the exhaustion of managing a world, and a family, that doesn't always meet them halfway. When Leah’s sister Ava doesn’t show up in the end, the disappointment forces Leah to confront a difficult truth: the people who actually "show up" in our moments of need are often the ones we least expect.

Producers: Vickie Anderson, Tal Anderson  Writer: Nicole Betz  Director: Jessica Cabot  Director of Photography: Harold Hall, Jr.  Editor: Tal Anderson  1st AD: Desiree Marisol Carcamo  Starring: Tal Anderson, Rachel Redleaf, Laura Walker, Eric Larson, Tyler Sopland, Anthony Purnell, Bella Martinez, & Ethan Drew
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