28 November 2008

Deaffest 2008 opens new horizons to Deaf filmmakers

Deaffest, the UK’s only Deaf-led Film and Television Festival which celebrates the talents of Deaf filmmakers and media artists, took place at Light House in Wolverhampton last weekend from 28-30 November.

The tenth festival to be held in Wolverhampton since 1998, the event attracts films directed and produced by Deaf filmmakers from all around the world which are showcased to Deaf and hearing audiences.

This year’s festival also incorporated a conference - Opening Doors to New Channels - which looked at how Deaf filmmakers can successfully pitch for their own short or feature film and planning for the future of a new Deaf TV channel and opportunities opening up on the internet.

A special slot was dedicated to Young Deaf filmmakers in order to showcase their films and nurture their talents. The Saturday night gala event was hosted by Miss Deaf World 2008 Rosanna Mazzocchio, and featured exclusive premiere screenings. The festival saw attendances of over 1500 with a diverse mix of Deaf and hearing filmmakers, media practitioners, industry organisations, students and the general public from across the UK and overseas.

Deaffest 2009 will see the return of the Film Awards Gala, a competition for Deaf filmmakers all over the world to submit a film in various award categories, featuring special guests and live entertainment. The Film Awards Gala was last held at Deaffest 2007 and proved to be a sell out success and 2009’s Gala promises to be even bigger and better.

Deaffest is supported through Screen WM’s Investment Fund with funds from The National Lottery through the UK Film Council, and through the UK Film Council Festival Fund. It is also supported by Light House, Wolverhampton City Council, Zebra-Uno and University of Wolverhampton, AC2.com Productions Ltd and Walt Disney Studio Motion Pictures UK. The festival was sponsored by Skillset, the Sector Skills Council for Creative Media.