Deaffest will be returning in 2022, we will be announcing the dates in the near future.
Meanwhile, film submission is now open for Deaffest 2022!
Our end of the year newsletter is now out!
Over the next month we may go quiet online as we are currently working on several projects. If you need to get in touch with us, the best way is to email us at enquiries@deaffest.co.uk.
We would like to thank those who have supported Deaffest and we hope next year will bring a better year for all of us. We wish everybody good health and a wonderful festive Christmas.
Last summer Manda Woodburn fundraised for the Cornwall Mini Deaffest (CMD) by having her hair shaved off!
The festival was supposed to take place this year but due to the pandemic it has been postponed to next year. Manda is one of the volunteers for the CMD and thought it would be a good idea to raise money for the festival by setting up a Crowdfunding page. The event took place on 24th July at her home whilst adhering to COVID-19 rules. Co-Founder and Director of Deaffest Marilyn Willrich was the first person to cut Manda’s hair followed by Manda’s wife who got to work with the clippers!
The event has raised £1,178 in total – brilliant! Big thanks to Manda for her efforts and also thanks to those who have donated towards the festival. Your support is very much appreciated!
We will keep you posted about the date of the next CMD.
(Photos above by Jackie Bryant and photo on left by Marilyn Willrich)
Deaffest Co-Founder and Director Nikki Stratton attended the annual conference This Way Up on 4th December 2019 to give a presentation about marketing to D/deaf audiences.
The 6th edition conference took place at Broadway Cinema in Nottingham and was delivered by Film Hub North and Film Hub Scotland as part of the BFI Film Audience Network. Running under the theme of Celebration, Resilience and the Future, the two-day conference was an opportunity where film exhibitors could get together to connect, get involved in discussions and share experiences.
In Nikki’s presentation, she talked about how to market events to a D/deaf audience and gave advice and tips. We hope those who attended the event gained further awareness of how they can engage with D/deaf audiences more effectively.
“Thank you TWU for inviting me. It was a really positive experience where I could network and learn from other film artists/organisations about their work – this got me thinking about other ways of exposing Deaf Films to a wider audience. Showcasing and promoting professional Deaf films is of utmost importance to Deaffest and ensures that film screenings go beyond the Deaf World.” – Co-Founder and Director of Deaffest Nikki Stratton.
The next This Way Up conference will take place from 1st to 3rd December 2020 and will be presented as a digital edition.
