Big news! Deaffest Co-founders & Festival Directors Nikki Stratton and Marilyn Willrich are heading to France next month for the Film’Ô Festival in Toulouse! 🇫🇷
This international short film festival, immersed in Sign Language and Deaf culture, returns for its 2nd edition on 13-14 June 2025. As part of the programme, a short clip about Deaffest will be screened – giving audiences a taste of the UK’s leading Deaf-led Film & Arts Festival!
Un grand merci to the Film’Ô Festival Director, Michel Gonzalez, for the warm welcome – Nikki and Marilyn are excited to support this inspiring Deaf film festival and connect with new faces along the way!
It’s been 6 months since the exciting announcement that Deaffest Co-Founders and Festival Directors Nikki Stratton and Marilyn Willrich were named among the National Lottery’s Arts & Film Game Changers!
Following the October announcement, the striking gold 3D Deaffest sign was unveiled during Ouchhh Studio’s ’Symphony of the Game Changers’ illumination at the V&A Exhibition Road Courtyard in November. The news spread across the UK – even making its way into The Times!
The celebration continued at The National Lottery’s 30th birthday event in London, attended by well-known guests like Adrian Lester OBE (known for ‘Hustle’ and ’The Day After Tomorrow’), Adjoa Andoh (Lady Danbury in ‘Bridgerton’), and Radio and TV Presenter Chris Evans.
In December, Nikki and Marilyn attended an event hosted by the British Film Institute at BFI Southbank, where they discussed the essential role the National Lottery has played in supporting the festival. They shared inspiring stories of filmmakers, particularly highlighting the impact of the Ben Steiner Bursary – such as Ted Evans, whose project ‘Retreat’ is currently in post-production as a feature film. The event concluded with an engaging Q&A session featuring legendary Richard Curtis!
The year wrapped up with the ITV ‘New Year’s Eve Big Bash’ programme, which featured a glimpse of the Deaffest sign from the ‘Symphony of the Game Changers illumination’! Well done to all the incredible Game Changers involved – keep inspiring!
Who’s excited for the first episode of ‘Reunion’ this Monday, 7th April??
This thrilling revenge drama is one you won’t want to miss! It’s a four-part series featuring familiar faces, including Matthew Gurney, who previously performed at Deaffest and won Best Screenwriter for ‘Coffee Morning Club’ at Deaffest 2024, and Rose Ayling-Ellis, known for her role in ‘The Quiet Ones’ (a Ben Steiner Bursary project) and in BBC’s ‘Eastenders’.
Joining them are Anne-Marie Duff from ‘Bad Sisters’, ‘Rivals’ actress Lara Peake and Eddie Marsan, renowned for his performances in ‘Vera Drake’, The World’s End’, ’Snow White and the Huntsmen’ and more!
The series is written by William Mager, a long-time supporter of Deaffest, and was filmed in his hometown of Sheffield. William is known for his acclaimed shorts, like ‘Stiletto’ (which won Best Drama at Deaffest) and his brilliant mockumentary ‘Hands Solo’. He has also previously judged the Young Deaffest Film Awards.
Learn more about the series here and watch the trailer on BBC iPlayer.
Above photos taken by Mark Mecklenburgh, Willow Photography Ltd.
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