The Master & Mistress of Ceremonies for Deaffest 2022 are Julian Peedle-Calloo and Yvonne Cobb! We are very much looking forward to having them join us at the festival.
Julian Peedle-Calloo
Julian has presented BBC’s See Hear with Yvonne Cobb for over 4 years now. During his previous stint on See Hear, he presented a variety of programmes on subjects as diverse as the arts, health, education and exploring deaf communities in America, Australia and Ukraine. He was the first ever BBC prime time deaf news reporter and also the first deaf reporter for a regional BBC news programme. He won the first ever Best Male Presenter award from Remark!
He hosted one series of Under the Lamp with Julian interviewing a variety of notable deaf people. As an actor, his credits include Holby City (BBC), New Tricks (BBC), Four Deaf Yorkshiremen (BSL Zone) and several short films including Louder than Words. Julian’s theatre work includes playing a Deaf icon, Laurent Clerc, for Dreamatorium.
Julian is proud to be a factual Executive Producer for BSLBT and has overseen many of their new commissions. such as Sign2Win, This is Deaf, and You, Me, Garden?
Yvonne Cobb
Yvonne is a bubbly Deaf businesswoman, and she is also, a proud third generation Deaf woman. Yvonne has over 25 years experience as an Assessor and Teacher in a broad range of disciplines; language, ICT and personal development, to name but a few. For the last four years, Yvonne has presented, BBC’s flagship programme for deaf and hard of hearing people, See Hear with Julian Peedle-Calloo. She is also the BBC’s first Deaf female News reporter. She began her TV career via her involvement in the BBC’s Changing Rooms programme, and with Channel 4’s Love Poetry.
Yvonne is the founder and owner of Yumma Food, which specialises in cookery and the importance of nutrition, both for the Deaf community and the wider food community . She is known as ‘the Deaf Nigella’ and loves vlogging about food tips and ideas! Yvonne was the winner of ‘Best Business Personality of the Year’ with the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. She was also awarded ‘Best Regional Teacher’ with Signature. Additionally, she developed a successful baby signing training programme in the UK with a pool of trainers.
Yvonne has a passion for meeting new people, learning new skills and facing exciting challenges. She is married with three grown up children and a playful Springer Spaniel. She enjoys DIY, gardening, cycling and wild-water swimming.
Saturday 7th May 2022
9.00am – 5.00pm Deaffest Stalls Fair
Courtyard, Light House
Don’t forget to collect your Deaffest goody bag when you arrive at the Light House on the 7th of May, before browsing the stalls fair in the courtyard. You can also try some of the delicious food, buy something from the arts and crafts stalls, or source information from deaf-related businesses. It’s a great place to catch up with friends and professional associates, both old and new!
To purchase your Saturday daytime ticket please visit here.
We hope to see you there!
The Deaffest 2022 non-competition entries will be screened in Cinema One at the Light House on Saturday 7th May from 9.00am. All screenings are subtitled.
Bent | Dir. Martina Bell, USA
A deaf college professor setting out his irregular behaviour in his car, must confront his moral decision.
Count Rhapsody | Dir. Eri Tanahashi, Japan
”The rhapsody of a world without sound”
In line with the theme of joy, anger, sorrow and pleasure, I sought to create a tempo for the film through finger counting, facial expressions on masks and contemporary dance expressions using sign language.
Valentino is a young, quiet doctor. He lives with his pregnant wife and his mother, who is ill with cancer. He has to give her the bad news that her illness is already very advanced and that she has very little time left to live. As a result, she reveals a shocking truth about her past, a truth that overwhelms him and puts him through an existential crisis in the middle of the near death of his mother and the upcoming birth of their first child. Valentino decides to go after that truth and confront it… face to face.
Faith | Dir. Sahera Khan, UK
Taliha and Marlyn are very good friends, Marlyn came out as a lesbian a couple of years ago. Taliha is uncomfortable with this although she wants to speak to Marlyn about LGBT+ issues.
My Darling Christopher | Dir. Clare-Louise English, UK
My Darling Christopher tells the true story of Clive who contracted Meningitis and lost both his sight and his hearing during the outbreak of the Second World War. Clive is now 15 years old and attending Goring School, having been evacuated from Margate School for the Deaf.
Clive’s father, away serving in the Navy, receives a heartfelt letter from his wife, Dorothy. As Christopher reads the letter English, BSL and Visual Vernacular interweave to tell the shocking story of a war plane crashing to the ground meters away from Clive’s classroom.
Oddo – The New Vernacular | Dir. David Sands, UK
Oddo has arrived in a new dimension. Before then he never has encountered solid material.
Surdus Mundi: Audism | Dir. Oliver Aspinall, UK
Definition of audism: Discrimination against individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.
A short experimental documentary explaining Audism. Three Deaf people from different ages and backgrounds share their experiences of audism throughout their life, whether it was when they were younger or more recently in current society.
It is a simple message to the majority of the hearing population, explaining how deaf people still experience discrimination daily, how Audism has a huge impact on our confidence, and how the lack of support within the hearing world makes it difficult for us to be as independent as those around us.
The 32-Year-Old Letter | Dir. Alejandro Hidalgo Ramos, Chile
Valentino is a young, quiet doctor. He lives with his pregnant wife and his mother, who is ill with cancer. He has to give her the bad news that her illness is already very advanced and that she has very little time left to live. As a result, she reveals a shocking truth about her past, a truth that overwhelms him and puts him through an existential crisis in the middle of the near death of his mother and the upcoming birth of their first child. Valentino decides to go after that truth and confront it… face to face.
Taliha and Marlyn are very good friends, Marlyn came out as a lesbian a couple of years ago. Taliha is uncomfortable with this although she wants to speak to Marlyn about LGBT+ issues.
ix members of the Deaf community recall the fear that gripped Britain during the Covid-19 crisis, and give us an insight into how the pandemic and lockdown affected their lives.
The Naked Hands | Dir. Amanda Coogan, Northern Ireland
Continuing our investigation of the state of our nation, The Naked Hands explores the legacy of the Deaf community. How they have fought against the odds to use their suppressed minority language this play looks to the future with optimistic hope.
Two Deaf Travellers | Dir. Raabia Hussain, UK
Two Deaf travellers discover three different countries, exploring their cultures and national identities. Their task is to face the challenges of independent travel without any BSL interpretation. They will identify communication issues and access barriers; they desire to travel beyond their comfort zones and to be able to tackle any travelling issues they encounter.
U-Zone | Dir. Fernando Agudo, Norway
A girl wakes up in a dark room. She is trapped and seeking refuge.
With Love | Dir by Stacy Lawrence, USA
With Love is a personal documentary interview about a Deaf man caring for his Deaf mother in her final year with dementia. He and his Deaf wife find comfort and beauty in humorous stories told in ASL. Weaving through old home films and photographs, and a spontaneous interview with the mother, this truly deaf yet universal experience reveals that as dementia robs a person of coherence, we can still discover true expressions of beauty that bring a family together.
You Are Noted | Dir. Thorbjön Krischke, Switzerland
After a breakup with her boyfriend, Emma tries to start a new life. However she receives a mysterious note in front of her apartment and thus create fear and terror. A dark psychological thriller with terrible consequences by newcomer director Thorbjörn Krischke.
A hearing man reunites with his deaf cousin at a family funeral. Long-simmering tensions and resentments come to the surface.
Do You Understand? | Dir. Jack Smallwood, UK
A new film produced by Jack Smallwood will portray the emotions expressed by D/deaf people via a short BSL poem created specifically for this project.
The poem will tackle the concept of dual identity with D/deafness in relation to selfhood. This short film features people who are deaf/hearing of hearing and are born, raised and live in Wolverhampton.
Deaffest 