Festival for Cinema of the Deaf
Encyclopedia
The Festival for Cinema of the Deaf was founded by Joshua Flanders
who founded and ran the Chicago Institute for the Moving Image
(CIMI), a not-for-profit film organization, and was the first deaf film festival in North America
.
Their mission is to open the doors to the millions of deaf and hard-of-hearing people worldwide so they may enjoy and understand movies in the theater. They have created a forum for deaf writers, actors and directors to showcase their work under the heading of Deaf Cinema.
Chicago
festivals were held consecutively in 2002, 2003, and 2004, with CIMI-led deaf film festivals held in Tampa
, Boston and Texas
. Academy Award winning actress Marlee Matlin
hosted the 2004 Festival.
and classroom visits, as well as special free screenings for kids.
The Festival for Cinema of the Deaf worked to promote accessibility in theaters, encouraging captioned films for deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences. They also encouraged theaters to show captioned or subtitled films, in addition to promoting the works of deaf artists.
Joshua Flanders
Joshua Flanders is the founder of the Chicago Institute for the Moving Image and the Festival for Cinema of the Deaf.-External links:**...
who founded and ran the Chicago Institute for the Moving Image
Chicago Institute for the Moving Image
The Chicago Institute for the Moving Image, or CIMI, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to including audiences and filmmakers who have been overlooked by mainstream media....
(CIMI), a not-for-profit film organization, and was the first deaf film festival in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
Their mission is to open the doors to the millions of deaf and hard-of-hearing people worldwide so they may enjoy and understand movies in the theater. They have created a forum for deaf writers, actors and directors to showcase their work under the heading of Deaf Cinema.
Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
festivals were held consecutively in 2002, 2003, and 2004, with CIMI-led deaf film festivals held in Tampa
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
, Boston and Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. Academy Award winning actress Marlee Matlin
Marlee Matlin
Marlee Bethany Matlin is an American actress. She is the only deaf actress to win the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, which she won for Children of a Lesser God. Her work in film and television has resulted in a Golden Globe award, with two additional nominations, and four Emmy...
hosted the 2004 Festival.
Outreach Programs
In addition to film screenings, CIMI's mission includes extensive outreach programs aimed at making the world of motion pictures more accessible to children of all backgrounds. Their programs include animation workshops, motivational speakingMotivational speaker
A motivational speaker or inspirational speaker is a speaker who makes speeches intended to motivate or inspire an audience. In a business context, they are employed to communicate company strategy with clarity and help employees to see the future in a positive light and inspire workers to pull...
and classroom visits, as well as special free screenings for kids.
The Festival for Cinema of the Deaf worked to promote accessibility in theaters, encouraging captioned films for deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences. They also encouraged theaters to show captioned or subtitled films, in addition to promoting the works of deaf artists.