Fundraiser Update

Hi everyone, I hope you’re staying cool and healthy these days now that Summer has arrived in the Pacific Northwest. 

I wanted to provide an update on some organizational, policy, and structural improvements that Deaf Spotlight has in progress. These changes are the result of our commitment we made to the community with our letter in support of Black Lives Matter, in June 2020. As part of our ongoing learning and discussions with various community members, concerns were brought to our attention regarding the annual awards selection process and the lack of community representation in the nominee pool. For context, Deaf Spotlight honors individuals and organizations for their positive impact in the Pacific Northwest Deaf Arts Community at the annual fundraiser (Celebrate Deaf Arts: Awards Ceremony and Benefit).  

These conversations with the BIPOC community are to get a better understanding of the gaps in our process and historical/present candidate pool. We acknowledge there is much work to do within the organization to improve representation on our Board and committees, as well as confronting systemic racism within society that prevents our nominee pool from being diverse. We are in the process of updating and incorporating policies to ensure that we consider all members of the arts community for future awards. The current committee has been hard at work since last year searching for the current nominees for the awards and we thank them for all their work to date. From our conversations with the community, we now have a better understanding of the systemic barriers various BIPOC Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing (DDBHH) communities face, and as a values-driven organization, it is our duty to step back and re-evaluate our nominees and process for future awards.   

As a result, the Deaf Spotlight board has decided to forgo granting awards this year that we typically give out at the fundraiser. Instead, we will be using the fundraiser as a stepping stone towards better inclusion and spotlighting of BIPOC DDBHH artists within the community. Fifty percent of the funds raised during the Call to Action portion will help establish a grant to support BIPOC and other under-represented communities in their artistic journeys. We will establish a committee with proper representation to determine the criteria and process that we will use in selecting applicants. Further details to be shared with the community soon. 

In other areas, Deaf Spotlight is currently reevaluating all programming, collaborations, and activities to cultivate growth and recognition of BIPOC DDBHH artists and their work in the Pacific Northwest. By taking these steps, we hope to become a more inclusive space – expanding and diversifying the potential nominee pool for future awards. 

For those of you interested in being part of our committees, or have suggestions on ways we can improve, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at info@deafspotlight.org. We are looking for more community members to join us and provide  diverse perspectives that we need during these crucial times. We hope engagement with our organization leads to opportunities for individual growth and more exposure to the beauty of Deaf Arts.  

Thank you, 

Michael Anthony, Board Chair 

Winners of SDFF 2020

The community have voted for the best genres in our festival. Here are the results. Congratulations to all filmmakers! 

BEST DOCUMENTARY: I Want To Change The World

Director: Sebastian Cunliffe

Country: United Kingdom

BEST DRAMA: To Know Him

Director: Ted Evans

Country: United Kingdom

BEST COMEDY: LIGHTNING

Director: Cristina Isol

Country: United Kingdom

BEST OTHER: Dear Hearing World

Director: Adam Dockter

Country: United Kingdom

BEST KISSFIST FILM CHALLENGE: The Witnesses

Directors: Garrett Zuercher & Jared Johnston

Country: United States

Celebrate Deaf Arts with Deaf Spotlight!

Deaf Spotlight will host a virtual gala: Awards Ceremony and Benefit on September 12, 2020. Keep an eye out for updates!

Virtual Seattle Deaf Film Festival 2020!

Seattle Deaf Film Festival (SDFF) showcases the best Deaf, DeafBlind, and hard of hearing filmmaking in the world. Join us the weekend of July 10-12 to enjoy long and short films that span all genres to showcase the Deaf and hard of hearing experience. All films will be captioned or subtitled in English.

You don't need to come to Seattle to be a part of SDFF. The festival is now entirely online! You can watch from anywhere in the world. Buy a pass that gives you access to all 27 films at any time from July 10-12, or purchase tickets for individual feature films and programs. 

If you purchased an SDFF ticket in February or March, your ticket is still valid for the online festival.

Washington State Deaf and DeafBlind Organizations in Support of Black Lives Matter

​As Deaf / DeafBlind organizations in Washington State, we are deeply troubled by the recent and historical cases of police brutality against Black people: George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Nina Pop, Manuel Ellis and countless others. Their lives and dreams were cut short.We recognize that the root cause of police brutality and violence is anti-Black racism. Since they arrived on United States soil against their will, Black people have been stolen, oppressed, jailed, falsely accused, murdered and ignored because of white supremacy in white and non-Black communities. This includes the anti-blackness within our Deaf community against our Black Deaf, Black Hard of Hearing, Black DeafBlind, and Black Deaf Disabled community members.We are committed to addressing racial equity within our organizations and Deaf communities.

This statement is only the start. We promise to challenge racism and anti-Blackness within ourselves, our communities, and our organizations. We are committed to engaging with and advocating for our Black Deaf, Black Hard of Hearing, Black DeafBlind, and Black Deaf Disabled community members. We stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter and the call to end police brutality. We call on our Deaf, Hard of Hearing, DeafBlind, and Deaf Disabled communities to show their support to Black Deaf / DeafBlind communities through different ways:

• Donate to local and national Black Deaf organizations such as

  • Black Deaf Center

  • Helping Educate to Advance the Rights of Deaf Communities (HEARD)

  • National Black Deaf Advocates (NBDA)

  • Cascadia Deaf Nation

  • Visionaries of the Creative Arts, Inc

  • Urban Jazz Dance Company

  • National Deaf People of Color Conference

  • Deaf Women of Color Conference, and more.

• Support Black Deaf owned businesses

• Register to vote, update your residential address, and vote

• Educate ourselves about white supremacy, racism, and anti-Blackness

• Support Black Deaf leaders and activists

We invite other peer Deaf /DeafBlind organizations to join us on this path to an anti-racist society.

Here is a BLM resources sheet for you to learn and discuss with your friends, peers and families. This will be updated often. 

Black lives matter.In Solidarity, 

API Chaya

Deaf Spotlight

DeafBlind Services Center (DBSC)

Puget Sound Association of the Deaf (PSAD)

Spokane Deaf News (SDN)

Washington Advocates of Deaf & Hard of Hearing (WADHH)

Washington State DeafBlind Citizens, Inc, (WSDBC)

Washington State Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (WSRID)

Washington State Association of the Deaf (WSAD)

VIDEO IN ASL

In Support of Black Lives Matter

Representation matters. There is no Deaf arts community without Black Deaf / DeafBlind artists. We, Deaf Spotlight, acknowledge that we have not done enough to reach out to and spotlight the Black Deaf / DeafBlind community in the Pacific Northwest. To fulfill our mission “to inspire and showcase Deaf culture and ASL through the arts”, we must inspire and showcase Black Deaf / DeafBlind Culture and Black ASL.

Accountability matters. We will collaborate with Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Deaf/ DeafBlind artists, arts organizations, and arts groups to showcase their works. We will nurture new generations of BIPOC Deaf / DeafBlind artists and their authentic stories or artworks.

Anti-Black racism exists. This systemic and institutional hatred is built on prejudice, privilege, and ignorance. We commit to addressing racial equity on all levels within the Deaf community. We will begin the challenge of reversing a lifetime of internalized racism within ourselves, our organization, and our communities. We will challenge our peer organizations to do the same.

Our commitment includes the following steps:
-Listen, learn, understand, and discuss difficult issues to become an anti-racist Deaf arts organization
-Take actions to be more equitable and accessible to BIPOC Deaf/ DeafBlind communities
-Create more BIPOC artists and leaders through mentorship, outreach, and representation in the Deaf arts community
-Amplify BIPOC Deaf / DeafBlind artists/creators and their work through our events and on social media

We are on the path towards becoming an anti-racist art community that spotlights all Deaf / DeafBlind artists. Contact us at info@deafspotlight.org, if you have any concerns, ideas or feedback. Please join us on the right side of history.

Black Lives Matter.

Deaf Spotlight

June, 14, 2020

Seattle Deaf Film Festival Postponed

On March 11, 2020, Washington State Governor Jay Inslee announced proactive measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, including a ban on all events over 250 people, with a prohibition on smaller events if they are unable to conform to social distancing requirements. The press conference is available here.

 SDFF is one of Deaf Spotlight's most treasured events, giving us the opportunity to gather and watch new works by Deaf and hard of hearing filmmakers. After careful consideration, we have come to the conclusion that we must postpone SDFF 2020. We made this decision out of deep care for the health and safety of our community.

All current tickets will be honored, and further ticket sales are suspended for the time being. We will resume sales once we have a new date, which will be announced later this year. More details will be announced when available.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you. We look forward to continuing to explore, create, and share artistic inspirations with the community.

Thank you for your understanding. If you have questions, you may reach us at sdff@deafspotlight.org.

Sincerely,

Michael Anthony, SDFF Festival Director

Patty Liang, Deaf Spotlight Executive Director