Tokyo International
Deaf Film Festival
11.3.2018
Tokyo Deaf Film Festival Forum
We hosted Tokyo Deaf Film Festival Forum on November 03, 2018 in order to provide an opportunity to think about the challenges and developments regarding Deaf Film Festivals in the future. This report is to show everyone how the forum went!
【Part 1】Screening of a Short Film “The End” and the Teach-In Session
A short film titled “The End” was screened. And after the screening, there was a teach-in session by Satoshi Ezoe. He shared a story of what he talked with the director of “The End”, Ted Evans, about some of the meanings of this film and how Ted is doing with the production of his new films. Ezoe also introduced a group of British Deaf people who make films, called BSL Zone, and talked about what they are currently doing. BSL Zone is kind enough to introduce TDF on their website, and they even talk about our film submissions for TDF 2019!
Please check it out! → ◆BSL Zone News
【Part 2】Report about the On-site Inspection of Deaf Film Festivals in the World
Eri Makihara, the Director and the Producer of TDF talked about the current situation and the features of Deaf Film Festivals in the world such as CINEDEAF (hosted in Rome), Seattle Deaf Film Festival, and Shanghai International Deaf Film Festival, which she actually visited and experienced herself. Also, she shared her thoughts on the challenges and the future prospects of Deaf Film Festivals.
【Part 3】Behind-the-Scenes Story of the Collaboration Event of Shizuoka-Cannes Week and TDF
Mr. Takuma Kishida, the chairperson of the executive committee of Shizuoka-Cannes Week, and Eri Makihara, the Director and the Producer of TDF took a platform in this session.
Shizuoka Cannes Week (hereinafter Shizu-Can) is an event where outdoor film screenings and French style marché are held. This event was invented because Shizuoka and Cannes are sister cities.
After TDF was held for the first time in 2017, Shizu-Can and TDF started to collaborate in 2018, and have hosted picture book reading sessions in sign language, and screening of the film “LISTEN”, which was directed by Eri Makihara and Dakei. In this talk session, the two talked about this collaboration event very friendly.
From Mr.Kishida’s story he shared, we were able to feel the boundary between Shizu-Can and the local people of Shizuoka. Also, we felt the passion of the two that they believe they can create new value to the world by making the most of TDF’s artistic feature and Shizu-Can’s own feature.
★See here for the report on Shizu-Can and TDF Collaboration Event
Collaboration event of Shizuoka-Cannes Week
We thank for those who came to this forum and participated passionately by taking notes or nodding their heads along with the talk session. We were also glad to receive the good reviews from them on the questionnaire.
We will continue to do our best to make TDF 2019 enjoyable for everyone from all over the world. We look forward to seeing you!
5.5-5.13.2018
Collaboration event of Shizuoka-Cannes Week
and Tokyo International Deaf Film Festival
Between Shizu-Can and TDF
by Shuwaemon
Mr. Kishida, Mr. Xavier Person and Ms. Makihara
Between Shizu-Can and TDF
We, Tokyo International Deaf Film Festival (TDF) were lucky enough to get an offer to collaborate with Shizuoka-Cannes Week (Shizu-Can) who was willing to introduce TDF to Shizuoka. For Shizuoka is a sister city with Cannes, Shizuoka city has held a film festival called “Shizuoka-Cannes Week” in May, which is the same month as the Cannes Film Festival is held in France, since 2010. Its main goal is to create a place to “go see films”, and the selection of films are screened in marché or outdoor.
We had an opportunity to collaborate with Shizu-Can this year, and the following events were held on May 5th and 13th, 2018.
【Shizu-Can x TDF Collaboration Program】
・May 5th, 2018
10:00am- Signing Ceremony between Shizu-Can and TDF
13:30pm- Screening of “In the Land of the Deaf (the original title: Le Pays Des Sourds)”
14:00pm- Picture Book Reading Session by Shuwaemon
19:00pm- Outdoor Screening of “LISTEN”
・May 13th, 2018
14:00pm- Screening of “Letters to Vincent ～with Deaf Eyes～ (the original title: J'avancerai vers toi avec les yeux d'un sourd)”
Signing Ceremony between Shizu-Can and TDF
Shizu-Can and TDF have come to conclude a cooperative agreement to communicate with each other more and work on promotion/PR together. Mr. Kishida, the chairperson of the executive committee of Shizuoka Cannes Week and Ms. Makihara, the director and producer of TDF signed at the ceremony.
Screening of “In the Land of the Deaf (the original title: Le Pays Des Sourds)”
PARCHÉ (JR Shizuoka Station Building) was kind enough to host a screening of the film “In the Land of the Deaf (the original title: Le Pays Des Sourds)”, which was also screened in TDF 2017. All the audiences seemed to be very passionate about the film, and some of them were actually nodding their heads while watching the film.
Picture Book Reading Session by Shuwaemon
One of the main events of this collaboration of Shizu-Can and TDF was the picture reading session by Shuwaemon. Shuwaemon is a group which plays a role in educational support to create a comfortable place for Deaf children and all the people who are involved with Deaf children to communicate with each other. Its main goal is to give each one of them a motivation to shine as an individual.
This session was planned in hopes of TDF that the people in Shizuoka would experience themselves that beautiful scene from the film “A Letter to Vincent ～with Deaf Eyes～” where a Deaf father reads a picture book to his kids by signing. With the support of Shizuoka Association of the Deaf, we were able to invite Shuwaemon for this event.
This event went on in a form of workshop where the participants did not only enjoyed Shuwaemon’s beautiful signing with full of emotions, but also created their own original ways to sign together by discussing how they can express their emotions in the best way. There were 35 people attended in total including children and adults, which we consider a big success.
Outside Screening of “LISTEN”
It was the very first time for Shizu-Can to screen a silent film.
The audience seemed to have been drawn into the film that was screened on a huge screen outside. There were almost no people chatting or leaving their seats while the screening. It was a beautiful moment where everyone just could not take their eyes off the film.
“ Barrier-Free” Screening of “A Letter to Vincent ～with Deaf Eyes～ (the original title: J'avancerai vers toi avec les yeux d'un sourd)”
As one of the main events of collaboration with Shizu-Can, we had an opportunity to hold an advanced screening of “A Letter to Vincent ～with Deaf Eyes～”. In TDF 2017, this film was screened with a different title, “New In the Land of the Deaf”. This event was hosted by Shizuoka-city and held in a shopping street called Shichiken-cho.
We felt so grateful for all the people who came even though it was pouring with rain outside.
The director of Institut français Yokohama, Mr. Xavier Person was kind enough to come to this event and gave us a little speech about his opinion on the film. It struck us when he said “it is important for Deaf people who are directly involved in the issue to stand up and speak up for themselves.”
It was our very first time to collaborate with Shizu-Can. Mr. Kishida, the chairperson of the executive committee of Shizu-Can, was kind enough to tell us that he would continue to promote “Deaf films” as one of the many genres of films. Also, getting numbers of feedback from the guests of Shizuoka who came to this collaboration event, we realized how important it was to actually take actions like this. We promise that we continue to introduce the Deaf films that only we can introduce, and host the events concerned with the Deaf culture that only we can come up with.
