Nyle Dimarco; Bridgetta Bourne-Firl in Deaf President Now!, premiering May 16, 2025 on Apple TV+.
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Unless you’re a student at Gallaudet University or part of the Deaf community, you very likely know nothing about the Deaf President Now movement that rocked that campus during the spring of 1988. But Nyle DiMarco aims to fix that. And today, Apple has unveiled the new trailer for his directorial debut, Deaf President Now!
The model, reality star, dancer, activist, and Deaf U producer — who rose to fame after winning cycle 22 of America’s Next Top Model followed by season 22 of Dancing with the Stars almost a decade ago — is adding another title to his long list of professions, this time making his debut as a first-time filmmaker.
For his first documentary feature, DiMarco teamed up with Academy Award-winning director Davis Guggenheim (No Other Land) to bring a longtime passion project to life: the story of the Deaf President Now movement and the instrumental key players who stepped up and set out to change the course of Gallaudet University’s school board leadership forever.
Tim Rarus, Bridgetta Bourne-Firl, Greg Hlibok and Jerry Covell in Deaf President Now!Courtesy Apple TV+
For those not aware, the Deaf President Now movement was a student protest that erupted at Gallaudet University in March 1988 — the world’s first and only Deaf university.
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After learning that a hearing president was elected in favor of two very qualified, non-hearing candidates, the students made headlines when they banded together to protest and challenge the election. At the time, the university had never had a deaf president since its 1864 inception, and the students felt it was time for one of their own to rightfully carry that mantle.
Fed up with the Board of Trustees and tired of being told that Deaf people were “not ready to function in a hearing world,” (an infamous quote reportedly made by then-Chair of the Board of Trustees Jane Bassett Spilman, which you can hear in the trailer) the university shut down for eight days as the students loudly demanded that the board to reconsider their decision.
DiMarco’s film takes you to the frontlines of the fierce and fiery protests, rallies, and boycotts that took place over a chaotic eight-day span. The movement ultimately proved to be a big win for the students — one that would go down in history and eventually pave the way for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Jane Bassett Spilman and Elisabeth Zinser in Deaf President Now!, premiering May 16, 2025 on Apple TV+.Courtesy Apple TV+
As shown in the trailer, the film utilizes hours of archival footage handpicked by DiMarco and Guggenheim. And to get to the heart and soul of the story, DiMarco tracked down and conducted interviews with four key players: Bridgetta Bourne-Firl, Jerry Covell, Gregory Hlibok, Tim Rarus — best known as the DPN4. These four Gallaudet University alumni not only lived the event, but they are recognized as the influential students who stepped up as leaders during the history-making movement.
Loaded with emotionally raw testimonials, they tell their side of the story, offering an eye-opening perspective on how and why the pivotal movement was such an important game changer for the Deaf community. The film has already ushered in a wave of critical praise at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, so we can’t wait to see it.
Deaf President Now! premieres on AppleTV+ on May 16. Watch the trailer below.
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