Remark! Wins Deaf TV Award!

Remark!'s Wicked Series 2, programme 1 won the Best Television Programme Award at Deaffest on Saturday November 28th.

Wicked series 3 will be coming to your screens next year.

Success for British and International Deaf Filmmakers at Deaffest 2009

Deaffest, the UK's only Deaf-led Film and Television Festival which celebrates the talents of Deaf filmmakers and media artists took place at Light House in Wolverhampton from 27 - 29 November, and saw attendances of 1300 people with a diverse mix of Deaf and hearing filmmakers, media practitioners, industry organisations, students and the general public from across the UK and overseas. The eleventh Deaf film & television festival to be held at Light House in Wolverhampton since 1998, the event attracts films directed and produced by Deaf filmmakers from the UK and all around the world including Spain, Ireland, New Zealand, South Korea and Israel.

The highlight of the festival weekend was the Deaffest Film & TV Gala Awards which presented awards for the Best Drama, Best Experimental Film, Best Factual Film, and Best Deaf TV Programme. The red carpet event was hosted by Sabina Iqbal, founder of Deaf Parenting UK and nominated as one of the most powerful Muslim Women in Britain by The Times, with entertainment from Australian Deaf comedian and mime artist Rob Roy who passed through on his world tour. The festival also featured a well attended opening launch with speeches from Cllr Neville Patten, Leader of Wolverhampton City Council; Dr Judith Burnett, Dean, School of Law, Social Sciences and Communications, University of Wolverhampton and Anthony Hughes, Education, Archive and Audience Development Officer, Screen WM.

A Deaf History on Film session conducted by the Midland Archive for Central England provoked interesting discussion on rarely-seen archive TV material and the history and attitudes towards Deaf people and Sign Language. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures UK also donated a free screening of their latest animated adventure UP. The Young Deaffest Awards showcased work produced by young Deaf filmmakers and surprise guests to the festival Matt Littler and Darren Jeffries, previously known as Max and OB from Hollyoaks, presented prizes to the young Deaf filmmakers and talked about their varied television and presenting career.

Deaffest will be moving to May from 2010 with the dates of the next festival set for 21 - 23 May 2010. Deaffest is supported through Screen WM's Investment Fund with funds from The National Lottery through the UK Film Council, and through the UK Film Council Festival Fund. It is supported by Light House, Wolverhampton City Council, Zebra Uno and University of Wolverhampton. For more info about the festival visit www.deaffest.co.uk