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The ADNA PresentsAuthor: The ADNA
The Audio Description Network Alliance presents this interview series with professionals and other experts. Language: en Genres: Arts, Performing Arts, TV & Film Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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From Unicorn to Community: John Stark and the Rise of Blind Film Critics (John Stark Part 2)
Episode 242
Monday, 1 September, 2025
In this episode, blind film critic John Stark shares his lifelong passion for movies and how it led him to watch and review over 500 films a year for more than two decades. From his early days reading Entertainment Weekly at age nine and being inspired by Jurassic Park, to becoming a recognized critic on Rotten Tomatoes, Stark explains what fuels his love of cinema and his unique perspective as a blind critic. He talks about founding the Blind Film Critics Society with Alex and Lee, with the goal of building a community of diverse blind and low-vision voices in film criticism-so audiences can hear more than just one “unicorn” perspective. Stark outlines his vision for the next one and five years: increasing representation in critics' organizations, doubling the amount of audio described content on streaming platforms, and shifting the narrative around accessibility from tokenism to true inclusion. The conversation digs into his views on audio description quality, the dangers of over-relying on text-to-speech, and the frustration of studios sitting on existing AD tracks without making them available. Stark also discusses the tension of being a critic in a small field-where honest reviews can sometimes clash with the companies he wants to support. Through it all, his message is clear: blind and low-vision audiences deserve full access to film, and blind critics deserve a seat at the table in shaping cultural conversations about cinema.
