INTERNATIONAL DEAF FILM FESTIVAL Sydney, Australia Saturday 19th October 2013, 6pm - 9pm Wesley Theatre, Wesley Conference Centre, 220 Pitt St, Sydney, NSW 2000

International Showcase of Deaf Films Part 1 Producer Jacob's Story (Australia) – 6 minutes Jacob Clarke wanted to go to the same high school as his friends. But he needed something his friends didn’t; an interpreter. Jacob is Deaf, so this was essential, but the school didn’t think so. Buddy systems and note takers weren’t going to give Jacob the education he was entitled to. It ended up in court as a landmark case for Deaf rights and 5 years later, a result worth waiting for.

Kate Matairavula (Deaf) Producer Who Cares? (United Kingdom) – 27 minutes We see three English elderly deaf people who use British Sign Language as their method of communication, in their homes, at a social club or visiting their partner who is in residential care. We hear from them about issues connected with ageing: isolation, loneliness and worrying about future care provision.

Louis Neethling (Deaf)

LIBYA, The Third Brigade (France) – 26 minutes In February 2011, a civil uprising took place in Libya. The whole country was in turmoil, with open warfare between the “rebels” and the “proGaddafists”. During these nine months, an extraordinary group fought alongside the rebels: the “Deaf-Mute Brigade”. One year after the beginning of the Libyan Revolution, Daniel Abbou – host of the French weekly programme for the deaf ‘L’Oiel et la main” (Eyes and Hands) – visited the town of Misrata to meet these deaf soldiers who had not only changed their own destiny as “handicapped” civilians, but had taken an active part in the historic changes in their country.

Producer No image Igor Ochronowicz (Hearing)

SHORT FILM COMPETITION ENTRIES Producer

Dis-connected (Australia) – 3 minutes 33 sec The day to day life of the deaf and hearing people along High St, Prahran, a well-known path where deaf and hearing people intermingle, yet they are often disconnected.

Stephanie Linder Producer Jumping for Joy (Australia) – 1 minute 40 sec "I want to go there, up there where it is fair" says Jill. "It's nice up here, up here there's no mice" says Bill "Help me" says Jill. "Help you?" says Bill. They pull, jump and kick. In the end they are neither up nor down. They jump for joy!

Kate Matairavula (Deaf)

Producer

Through Thorns to the Stars (Russia) – 7 minutes Can deaf people fly into Space? In the USSR it was impossible due to technical inadequacies. Nowadays though....

Pavel Rodionov (Deaf) Producer

Equal (Australia) – 3 minutes 19 sec The most complicated of issues is also the simplest. Hands demonstrate the aspects of equality.

Paul Nordheim (Deaf) Producer

Stefan Kater’s Power Art (Australia) – 4 minutes 11 sec This film will feature a proud Deaf man's artwork representing his life as a Deaf person. There will be many arts that are symbolic such as growing up as a Deaf person, being Deaf and what is important in a Deaf person's life.

Stefan Kater (Deaf)

Producer DEAF-INI-TION (Australia) – 6 minutes 59 sec The film DEAFinitions is a play on the English language and how it relates to our everyday world. What do these words mean in a Deaf world and how do they relate. We often continue in our daily journey without reflection or thought, is Success, Love or Equality appreciated in our every day? The heart felt visual experiences exposes the essence of a Deaf Culture and its beautiful simplistic everyday life. The film was created silent to allow the hearing audience an opportunity to soak up the visual story without the clutter of sound.

Ricki-Lee Bernhardt-Turpin (Hearing)

International Showcase of Deaf Films Part 2 Producer

My Story: Wadud (Australia) – 3 minutes 52 sec Wadud tells of the barriers faced in his life as a deaf man in Bangladesh, but he also has several dreams. His group, the Saidpur Deaf Club, fight for the rights of deaf people and wants to improve the education of deaf children.

A J Clifford (Hearing) Producer

Dump my Dead Friend (New Zealand) – 6 minutes 58 sec Morning after a party that got out of control, the guys discovered a deadly mistake.

Mark Berry (Deaf)

Producer

Mom: Tell me a tale (Russia) – 2 minutes The film "Mom, tell me a tale" is about the importance of the use of Russian sign language to communicate with a deaf child. Well-known actors of the national cinema Tatiana Mikhina and Cyrill Rubtsov and the leading Russian TV Olga Shelest took part in this film.

Pavel Rodionov (Deaf) Producer Silent Odyssey (United Kingdom) – 45 minutes Silent Odyssey is a brand new documentary produced by 5 Minute Network and AC2com Productions charting the remarkable and heroic journey of Scot Gerry Hughes, the first deaf person to sail single-handed around the world passing all five great capes. The documentary charts the drama and excitement of his eight months at sea. It features exclusive on-board footage and key contributor interviews plus dynamic 3D animations. The scripted narration tells Gerry’s story and voiceovers for BSL are provided. A specially commissioned score encapsulates the drama and emotion of this one-off adventure story. The documentary also contains English subtitles.

Joel Kellhofer (Deaf)

THIS FESTIVAL IS HELD DURING THE NATIONAL WEEK OF DEAF PEOPLE, ORGANISED BY DEAF AUSTRALIA THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS NABS AND BRADLEY REPORTING