Seattle Deaf Film Festival returns to the big screen with a 'hearing-friendly environment'

Deafness is a spectrum. That's one message that the Seattle Deaf Film Festival stresses this year as it presents filmmakers' work from China, Chile, Kyrgyzstan, the United States, and more.

The films being screened center Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, and Hard of Hearing filmmakers and communities, festival director Patty Liang said.

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"[It's] not often we can go to any film festivals at any time because they do not provide all films with subtitles or advertise that they have subtitled films," she said. "We can just show up at the Seattle Deaf Film Festival and enjoy the films without having to do additional steps to ensure access needs are in place before. This is a Deaf [and] sign language-centric space."

What: The Seattle Deaf Film Festival, featuring 44 films from 11 different countries, as well as panels, interviews, and Q&As with filmmakers.

Where: Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Avenue, Seattle. The festival is also selling virtual tickets for those who cannot attend in-person, as well as hybrid tickets for both in-person and virtual screenings.

When: April 5-7, 2024 (virtually from April 8-22)

According to Director of Programming Andrea Passafiume, it's important for Seattle's hearing community to know about the Deaf Film Festival, "because it is for them, too. "Passafiume noted that the festival is a "hearing-friendly environment."

"Some people think that sign language is universal. It's not," she said. "There is ASL — American Sign Language — and there are different sign languages used all over the world. It's an opportunity in these international films ... to see different types of signing. We have a couple films from the UK and they use British Sign Language, so it's all different."

Accessibility is a major theme for festival organizers. All 44 films in the 2024 lineup are in sign language and subtitled in English. There will also be vocal and Deaf interpreters for panels and audience Q&As. Tickets are sold across four price tiers with the aim of reducing financial barriers.

Films span comedies to thrillers, and everything in between. The festival has curated programs, each featuring films in a related genre (see a schedule of programs and films here).

While this is the seventh Seattle Deaf Film Festival (it is held every two years), it's the first time since 2018 that it will be held in person, inside a movie theater. That's not the only reason 2024 is significant. In addition to the theater screenings, the festival will also be held virtually (streaming films), and in a hybrid format.

"It is our first time to do this and we are optimistic!" Liang said. "We learned from the Covid-19 experience and used [a] disability justice lens to ensure that everyone is able to enjoy the arts without any barriers."

Barriers such as financial, physical, or health constraints.

All films featured at the Seattle Deaf Film Festival boast authentic representations of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community. Three-quarters of the films are made by members of the community. Also, 27% are made by filmmakers of color, 39% of the stories feature a person of color, and 14% of the movies include LGBTQ+ themes.

The festival began in 2012, when a group of Deaf film enthusiasts formed Deaf Spotlight, the organization behind the festival. Organizers note that it is the only Deaf-led arts nonprofit in Washington state. Currently, its 14-member committee consists of eight Deaf members, four Hard of Hearing, and two hearing members. Its screening committee includes 10 people from across the USA who screen and weigh in on which films to include each year.

Check out a schedule of movies and events at the 2024 Seattle Deaf Film Festival here.

KUOW's Dyer Oxley contributed to this report.