Oska Bright Film Festival

Last updated

Oska Bright Film Festival (Oska Bright)
Location Brighton, East Sussex, United Kingdom
Founded2004
LanguageEnglish
Website oskabright.org

Oska Bright Film Festival is a film festival held annually in Brighton and Lewes in East Sussex. It showcases films made by or featuring individuals with learning disabilities, autism, and Asperger's and is the largest festival in the world with this focus. [1] Its programming spans every genre, from comedy and sci-fi to documentary and dance. [2]

History

Founded in 2004, the Oska Bright Film Festival (OBFF) was founded by a group of learning disabled artists involved with the nonprofit organization Carousel who were frustrated by the lack of representation and opportunities for publicly screening their film work. [3] [4] The festival continues to be affiliated with and receive financial support from Carousel. [5]

In 2019, Oska Bright was recognized as a BAFTA-qualifying festival and has been added to Section B of the BAFTA Qualifying Festivals List for both the British Short Film Award and the British Short Animation Award. [6] [7]

Some years of the festival have included satellite screenings held in different locations across the UK, [8] including the Barbican Centre in London [9] and the DCA in Dundee. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wim Wenders</span> German filmmaker

Ernst Wilhelm "Wim" Wenders is a German filmmaker, playwright, author, and photographer. He is a major figure in New German Cinema. Among the honors he has received are prizes from the Cannes, Venice and Berlin film festivals. He has also received a BAFTA Award and been nominated for three Academy Awards and a Grammy Award.

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual award ceremonies, BAFTA has an international programme of learning events and initiatives offering access to talent through workshops, masterclasses, scholarships, lectures, and mentoring schemes in the United Kingdom and the United States.

The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTA Awards, is an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to film. The ceremonies were initially held at the flagship Odeon Cinema in Leicester Square in London, before being held at the Royal Opera House from 2007 to 2016. From 2017 to 2022, the ceremony was held at the Royal Albert Hall in London before moving to the Royal Festival Hall for the 2023 ceremony. The statue awarded to recipients depicts a theatrical mask.

The Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) is an annual film festival held over three weeks in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It was founded in 1952 and is one of the oldest film festivals in the world following the founding of the Venice Film Festival in 1932, Cannes Film Festival in 1939 and Berlin Film Festival in 1951.

The Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival is the largest documentary festival in North America. The event takes place annually in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The 27th edition of the festival took place online throughout May and June 2020. In addition to the annual festival, Hot Docs owns and operates the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema, administers multiple production funds, and runs year-round screening programs including Doc Soup and Hot Docs Showcase.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leeds International Film Festival</span> Film festival

The Leeds International Film Festival (LIFF) is an annual film festival hosted in Leeds, West Yorkshire. It is the largest film festival in England outside of London. Founded in 1987, it is held in November in various venues throughout Leeds, including Hyde Park Picture House and Cottage Road Cinema. In 2022, the festival showed 140 films from 78 different countries, shorts and features, both commercial and independent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cambridge Film Festival</span> Annual film festival held in Cambridge UK

The Cambridge Film Festival is the third-longest-running film festival in the UK. Historically, the festival took place in early July, but now it occurs annually during autumn in Cambridge. It is organised by the registered charity Cambridge Film Trust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Urban Film Festival</span> Film festival for urban independent cinema

The British Urban Film Festival (BUFF) was formed in July 2005 to showcase urban independent cinema in the absence of any such state-sponsored activity in the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mania Akbari</span> Iranian filmmaker

Mania Akbari is an Iranian filmmaker, artist, writer, and curator whose works explore women's rights, marriage, sexual identity, disease and body image. Her style, in contrast to the long tradition of melodrama in Iranian cinema, is rooted in the visual arts and autobiography. Because of the taboo themes frankly discussed in her films and her opposition to censorship, she is considered one of the most controversial filmmakers in Iran.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justin Edgar</span> British film director, screenwriter and producer

Justin Edgar is a British film director, screenwriter and producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbican Centre</span> Performing arts centre in London, England

The Barbican Centre is a performing arts centre in the Barbican Estate of the City of London, England, and the largest of its kind in Europe. The centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exhibitions. It also houses a library, three restaurants, and a conservatory. The Barbican Centre is a member of the Global Cultural Districts Network.

The LA Shorts International Film Festival(LA Shorts) founded by Robert Arentz in 1997 is one of the largest international short film festivals in the world with more than 300 films screening annually.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disability in the arts</span> Inclusive practices involving disability

Disability in the arts is an aspect within various arts disciplines of inclusive practices involving disability. It manifests itself in the output and mission of some stage and modern dance performing-arts companies, and as the subject matter of individual works of art, such as the work of specific painters and those who draw.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UK Jewish Film Festival</span>

The UK Jewish Film Festival is an annual film festival dedicated to world cinema that explores Jewish life, history and culture worldwide. It was founded in 1997 and takes place in November, in London and in other cities in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tommy Jessop</span> British actor

Thomas Jessop is a British actor. He is the first actor with Down syndrome to star in a primetime BBC drama, the first professional actor with Down syndrome to tour theatres as Hamlet, and the first to become a full voting member of BAFTA. In 2021, he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of the Arts by the University of Winchester and became an Ambassador to Mencap and to the National Down syndrome Policy Group.

The Aesthetica Short Film Festival (ASFF) is an international film festival which takes place annually in York, England, at the beginning of November. Founded in 2011, it is a celebration of independent film from around the world, and an outlet for supporting and championing filmmaking.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Light Cinemas</span> British cinema chain

The Light Cinemas is a British independent cinema chain that exclusively screens films using digital cinema technology.

The Smalls Film Festival is an independent film festival which takes place annually in London. Founded in 2006, the festival is one of the UK's major short film festivals, featuring an international programme of short films, talks, panels, discussions and workshops. The festival has had many collaborative partners including BAFTA, Creative Review, Devilfish, UKTV, Panavision, and the London Design Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flickerfest</span>

Flickerfest is an international short film festival held annually in January at Bondi Beach, Sydney. It is an Academy and BAFTA recognised short film festival for both international and Australian film makers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dimensions UK</span>

Dimensions UK is a British not-for-profit charitable registered society and housing association that supports people with learning disabilities, autism and complex needs.

References

  1. Salman, Saba (October 15, 2019). "'It's powerful': how 'feelgood' films about learning disabilities are storming Hollywood". The Guardian.
  2. John McArthur (January 17, 2024). "Oska Bright Film Festival Announces 2024 Line-Up". MovieScramble. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  3. Jason Warner (March 11, 2022). "Oska Bright Film Festival 2022". Brighton Source. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  4. Becky Waldron (2017). "Oska Bright Film Festival 2017". BN1 Magazine. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  5. Ntim, Zac (April 13, 2023). "BFI To Invest $8M In Audience Engagement Projects". Deadline.
  6. Fraser, Celestine (March 30, 2022). "Oska Bright Film Festival: Celebrating Cinema and Inclusivity". Little White Lies.
  7. James Moore (October 12, 2019). "Why Oska Bright film festival is so important for people with learning disabilities". The Independent. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  8. Ingham, Jack (March 8, 2024). "Global festival celebrating filmmakers with learning disabilities and autism to be shown at Banbury Cinema". Banbury Guardian.
  9. "Best of the Fest: Oska Bright Film Festival 2022". Barbican. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  10. Colin Hambrook (October 24, 2019). "Oska Bright 2019 launches with original stories of learning disability and life". Disability Arts Online. Retrieved March 9, 2024.