The Kenya Film Commission has announced the Deaf Kenya Film Festival (DKFF) 2024, to be held on December 2nd and 3rd at Alliance Française, with the theme Film for Inclusion.
This annual event, established by the Deaf Artist Culture Association of Kenya (DACAK) in 2021, continues to empower the deaf community in Kenya by showcasing films featuring deaf stories, actors, writers, and directors.
Some of the films screened will be Jesus – A Mission directed by American filmmaker Joseph D. Josselyn , Idle Hands by American filmmaker Douglas Ridloff, Hair by Iranian filmmaker Mahmoud Ghaffari, Uganda, Signs Ahead by French filmmaker, Aki Fujiwara, Salt & Pepper by Norwegian filmmaker Con Mehlum, and Signs that Hurt by French filmmaker Enzo Serripierri.
The festival will also feature filmmaking workshops and keynote speeches from Rachael Wainaina, CEO of Youth Film Platform Africa, and Samuel Muriithi, CEO of Deaf Media Studio.
The festival comes at time when significant efforts are being made to improve accessibility for deaf audiences in film.
For example, Nairobi’s Human Rights Watch Film Festival has included open-captioned films, sign language interpreters, and wheelchair-accessible venues to cater to diverse audiences.
This initiative aligns with the growing movement to ensure inclusivity in cinematic experiences worldwide.
The Deaf Kenya Film Festival aims to continue breaking barriers by joining these global efforts to ensure the inclusion and visibility of deaf communities in the arts and beyond.
