Deaffest Returns To Light House For Anniversary Year

Deaffest, the UK's only deaf-led film and television festival which celebrates the talents of deaf filmmakers and media artists, returns on Friday November 28 until Sunday, November 30 at Light House Media Centre for its tenth year in Wolverhampton.
Earlier this year, the festival was awarded funding from the UK Film Council for its development over the next three years with the aim for it to be the pre-eminent annual festival in the UK celebrating world-wide deaf media production and showcasing it to both deaf and hearing audiences.
This year's festival will feature a new conference element - Opening Doors to New Channels - which will look at how deaf filmmakers can successfully pitch for their own short or feature film and planning for a new deaf TV channel. This will be alongside screenings of films produced by UK and international deaf filmmakers including premiere screenings, Young Deaffest, showcasing work produced by talented young deaf filmmakers, archive films looking at how deaf people have been presented historically in film, and a free subtitled screening of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures.
Admission to the festival is free except for the Saturday night Gala Evening for which tickets cost £12.50 and are now on sale from Light House Box Office - contact: 01902 716055 or check out: www.theticketsellers.co.uk.
The highlights of Deaffest 2008 will include the Friday night launch featuring a screening of 3 films from the winners of a Young Deaf Filmmaker bursary scheme, which was awarded at last year's festival and a new premiere of comedy Four Deaf Yorkshire Men & A Missing Wife, directed by Charlie Swinbourne.
Saturday's Opening Doors to New Channels conference will feature speakers including BAFTA award-winning producer Natasha Carlish, writer, director and producer William Mager, Chief Executive of the British Sign Language Broadcasting Trust Terry Riley and Head of Innovation, New Markets and Skills at Screen WM Jason Hall, amongst others.
Saturday's Gala Evening, hosted by Miss Deaf World 2008 Rosanna Mazzocchio, will feature more exclusive premiere screenings and will be followed by a party and networking in the historic courtyard of the Chubb Buildings.
Sunday will see the culmination of the festival with a free screening of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures. Throughout the festival BSL interpreters will be present including Sign over and Voice over, Relay, International and Deaf/Blind interpreters.
(KMcA)