Deaffest, the UK’s only Deaf-led Film and Television Festival which celebrates the talents of Deaf filmmakers and media artists,returns on Friday 28 - Sunday 30 November 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 on t: 01902 716055 or online at 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. William Mager, director of Stiletto, a darkly comic Hitchcock-style thriller which will screen at the Saturday Gala Evening, highlights the need for the festival: ‘Deaffest is one of the only events in the UK where Deaf filmmakers can show their work on the big screen, and get the feedback and respect of their peers. It can be a very rewarding experience. I think it’s really important for Deaf people to be able to show what they can do, and for them to be given an opportunity to tell the stories that they want to tell. These stories can be about anything at all - whether it’s deaf culture, or everyday life, or the surreal. Above all, what Deaffest does so well is give Deaf people a voice on screen.’

Deaffest is supported through Screen WM’s Investment Fund with funds from The National Lottery through the UK Film Council.
It is also supported by Light House, Wolverhampton City Council, Zebra-Uno and University of Wolverhampton.

For further info about the festival contact Light House on t. 01902 716055 / e. deaffest@light-house.co.uk or visit www.deaffest.co.uk for the
complete programme. To purchase tickets for the Saturday Gala Evening contact Light House Box Office or visit www.theticketsellers.co.uk