Deaffest is the UK’s only Deaf-led film and television festival, which celebrates the talents of Deaf filmmakers and media artists from all over the world.
The 2012 festival will be held at Light House in Wolverhampton from Fri 25 – Sun 27 May. This dynamic and thriving festival helps to nurture talent in the Deaf community and showcase the work of Deaf filmmakers and producers.
he festival is managed by a steering group including representatives from Zebra Uno, Light House, University of Wolverhampton.
Light House is a media centre specialising in film, video, photography and creative media with a programme of film
screenings and festivals, media training, video and multimedia production, enterprise development, photographic exhibition,
education, media projects and events.
Zebra Uno have successfully delivered media training for Deaf people in the UK and provided Deaf Awareness and British Sign Language Training to businesses for the past 4 years. Zebra Uno directors Nikki Stratton and Marilyn Bueno Del Carpio have
industry experience, Nikki presenting Channel 4’s Vee TV programme and Marilyn as BSL Consultant for the programme.
Nikki Stratton’s appearance on TV has given her sufficient recognition throughout the Deaf Community, which led Nikki to win the UK’s Best Female TV Presenter Award at Remark! Film and TV Awards in November 2005. Recently, Zebra-Uno worked in
partnership with Bantock House Museum in Wolverhampton introducing a British Sign Language-based PDA guide, as well as ensuring greater online accessibility, with visitor information available in BSL on the museum’s website. As a result of this Zebra Uno won the Jodi Award 2007 for Excellence in Accessible Technology.
A bit of background info…
Since 1998, Wolverhampton’s Light House has hosted the annual Deaf Film and TV Festival. Originally a collaboration with the BDA, the festival took a hiatus in 2005 and was re-launched in 2006 as Deaffest with Zebra Uno, an innovative company specialising in Deaf media and Communication solutions, at the helm. Deaffest has since built up a national and international reputation as a Deaf-led festival that places great emphasis on showcasing films from Deaf filmmakers to a wider audience and nurturing Deaf talent. Deaffest 2010 will be the twelfth festival to be held in Wolverhampton since 1998.
The festival is managed by a steering group including representatives from Zebra Uno, Light House and University of Wolverhampton.
Check out their website for more info: http://deaffest.co.uk/about/