What is the virtual Dementia-themed Film Festival and how did it come to be?
The Dementia-themed Film Festival is a virtual event—taking place September to December 2025—in a celebration of storytelling. The festival, set at your own pace, showcases a curated lineup of films that explore the realities of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias and the resilience, humor and love found in the face of these challenges.
Registration to the event gains participants access to all feature films, viewable at your leisure on-demand. A new film will be featured each month with a live, interactive Q&A with the filmmaker. (The Q&A also is recorded and available for later viewing.)
The festival is designed for caregivers, healthcare professionals, families, and anyone touched by dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. It kicked off on Sept. 8 with Planet A by Mary Crescenzo, and continues with powerful, heart-centered films. The schedule is as follows.
September 22: No Country for Old People, Susie Singer Carter and Rick Mountcastle
October 6: Lousy: Love in the Time of Dementia, Frank Silverstein
November 10: Wine, Women, and Dementia, Kitty Norton
December 8: The Present, C Nathaniel Brown
RSVP to the film festival here.
What is AlzAuthors and what initially inspired you to grapple with dementia?
AlzAuthors is a global community of authors writing about Alzheimer’s and dementia from personal experience to light the way for others. With nearly 400 members on 6 continents, we are the most comprehensive single source in the world for dementia literature.
As daughters of dementia and authors of our own stories, AlzAuthors’ founders, Marianne Sciucco, Jean Lee and Vicki Tapia, came together to help promote each other’s work. This was not initially an altruistic endeavor. We found that marketing books on this sensitive and misunderstood topic was daunting and we needed help. We figured we’d be stronger together than on our own. What began as a 1-month project is still going strong 10 years later with close to 400 authors participating with various works: memoir, non-fiction, fiction, children’s books, poetry, films, podcasts, and blogs. The Film Festival is in celebration of these 10 years of supporting authors and dementia storytelling.
What is the value in sharing stories of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia?
The variety of experiences and stories highlighted in the AlzAuthors collection show the varied landscape of dementia and dementia care. No two stories are the same, but they are all alike. Knowing that others have been this way and survived gives others hope that they, too, will not only survive but thrive.
Understanding that we are not alone when dealing with dementia allows us to become better caregivers, to better understand our roles in the journey and the resources available, and to comprehend what our loved one is experiencing, which until recently, was a huge unknown. Authors within the AlzAuthors community are caregivers, family members, advocates and those living in the throes of dementia speaking out themselves.
How has AlzAuthors been received by the dementia community?
AlzAuthors has become a trusted spot on the internet for those seeking quality resources. Each book is carefully vetted by a member of our acquisitions team (an author and former caregiver) for quality, relevance, and accuracy before being added to our site. The authors are interviewed on our podcast and YouTube channel, are featured in virtual panel discussions, and speak directly to readers and caregivers.
Originally a book site, we have expanded our offerings to oral storytelling through our podcast and virtual events. We hope our Film Festival will provide another window into the dementia world, offering understanding and insight into what can be a lonely, confusing, harrowing experience.
This work is dedicated to: Our loved ones who have succumbed to Alzheimer’s or dementia and those currently on a dementia journey.
Find more information about the Dementia-themed Film Festival from AlzAuthors head to the website. More information about AlzAuthors can also be found on their website, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and other social media.
