#dimif

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Neurodivergence in Art - the ‘Dyslexic Aesthetic’

DYSPLA is at the forefront of artistic dyslexic/neurodivergent creativity - we have been campaigning and advocating dyslexic storymakers since 2007 and by our very existence have created a movement/community of like-minded artists. As an Arts Organisation, our main pursuit is the exploration of what connects dyslexic and neurodivergent artists aesthetically, setting them apart from the rest.

We believe in the ‘dyslexic advantage’, and that it can be channelled to create inventive and powerful art, which pushes modern conventions. DYSPLA believes that the ‘dyslexic aesthetic’ is an emerging artistic genre - which is why we are determined to pin down and articulate exactly what constitutes it. Currently there isn’t a very large body of academic research based around the artistic aesthetics of dyslexia and neurodivergence, which is why DYSPLA hopes to instigate and facilitate research in this field, becoming pioneers of the topic, and establishing it as a genuine academic area of study (and not just pseudo-science) within the next few years.

Most people might be oblivious to the fact that some of the greatest directors and filmmakers throughout history share dyslexia as their commonality, as well as their genius. DYSPLA prides itself on the rich cinematic heritage produced by the godfathers of dyslexic narrative, including: Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, George Lucas, Charlie Chaplin, David Lean, Milos Forman, Tim Burton and Steve McQueen. DYSPLA's mission is finding new emerging talent to join these ranks, helping them to leverage and celebrate their dyslexia in a way that will benefit their creativity as well as their lives.

How do dyslexic artists and filmmakers channel their creativity?

“One of the biggest misconceptions is that dyslexic brains differ only in the ways they process printed symbols, when in reality they show an alternative pattern of processing that affects the way they process information across the board. Dyslexic brains are organized in a way that maximizes strength in making big picture connections at the expense of weaknesses in processing fine details.” - Fernette Eide

Reference: http://www.wired.co.uk/article/dyslexic-advantage

A dyslexic artist’s ability to focus on the ‘bigger picture’ may help them direct and focus their vision, visualising the end product, and envisioning their themes and ideas come to life. Their subsequent lack of special attention to singular details or linearity (i.e. focusing on multiple things at once rather than concentrating on one thing after another) can often help to create a freer process of working, and one which includes a much broader spectrum of influences, methods and ideas.

This in itself can be an immense creative advantage, helping dyslexic artists to stand out and innovate. Their unique thought process is therefore the very thing that helps them stay original - and we can all agree that originality is the most valuable characteristic an artwork may have.

A look at some of the artists featured at DIMIF

The DYSPLA International Moving Image Festival will be showcasing the work of over 30 dyslexic and neurodivergent filmmakers. Among those we welcome the fantastic work of our award winners Mike Forshaw (Saturday), Emma Allen (Ruby) and Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese (Behemoth), as well as our special mention Stan Brakhage (Window Water Baby Moving). The films present a diverse array of techniques, working methods and themes:

Saturday is a dramatic look at the emotional wreckage the Hillsborough tragedy had left on the families of its victims. Without ever actually showing the event itself, the film subtly hints at the violence throughout.

Ruby is an examination of the stages of a person's life and death, ageing and spirituality. It explores the supernatural, and how we as humans fit into the wider context of nature and of the universe.

Behemoth is a critical insight into corruption, greed, religion and poverty, set against an African backdrop. Filmed in Lesotho, this film plays with the concept of money, and the psychological power it holds over people. The film is full of symbolic imagery and signifiers that relate to the status quo of our society as a whole, and the misguided, hipocritical ideas which people hold in regards to morals, money and religion.

Window Water Baby Moving is a documentation of the miracle of birth. The graphic images carry with them a shock value which makes the work really powerful - there is a juxtaposition between the physical pain of bearing a child, and the exultant joy of holding it in your arms for the first time.

DYSPLA is extremely excited to welcome our esteemed panel members for an academic discussion on the DYSLEXIC AESTHETIC. It will take place on the second night of the festival, 15th of March 2018 at 7:00 PM, so save the date if you're up for a debate! There are only 30 tickets available so book your tickets today.

Buy your Panel Discussion tickets here for £10

We will evaluate what connects the linear, feature-film-like narrative of Forshaw's work, with the cross-media style of Allen's time-lapse film, the passionate political rhetoric of Mosese, and the non-sequential, visceral imagery of Brakhage - and how this relates to the ‘dyslexic aesthetic’ as a whole.

Listing Information*

Awards Ceremony, Gala & Gin Reception: 14th March, 7:30 PM - 10:00 PM, £30.00

Industry Panel Discussion: 15th March, 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM, £10.00

Daily festival screenings: 15th March, 1-7 PM; 16th-18th March, 1-8:30 PM, £5.00

(All films will be screened continuously throughout the festival) *All tickets will include £1 booking fee. Tickets are an extra £5.00 on the door.

The Crypt Gallery, Euston Rd, King’s Cross, London, NW1 2BA Closest national rail and underground stations: King’s Cross & Euston

[aapplebluee]

I did the blushing meter meme with Felix and it turned into dimilix

[holalolall]

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Orasi parsli olmustu dimif ekwkdkwkkd

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DIMIF 2018: Stan Brakhage - A Key Figure in the History of Experimental Filmmaking

DYSPLA is very proud to have exhibited American dyslexic filmmaker Stan Brakhage’s Window Water Baby Moving at the DYSPLA International Moving Image Festival this month. Regarded as one of the most important experimental filmmakers of the 20th century, for DYSPLA, Brakhage represents the very inception of the ‘Dyslexic Aesthetic’.

He was one of the first artists to push the boundaries of the visual image, and to expand our view of what film can be. He wasn’t just simply a filmmaker, but an artist with a real love for his craft; a practitioner of what he often referred to as ‘pure cinema’.

His inclusion in our festival has given an all-important additional contextual layer to the curation. Not only is he an artist from a different era, who paved the way for those after him, but the experimental artistic aesthetic of Window Water Baby Moving helped in giving our film festival an innovative art gallery feel.

Brakhage’s goal was the liberation of the eye itself, the creation of an act of seeing, previously unimagined and undefined by conventions of representation, an eye as natural and unprejudiced as that of a cat, a bee or an infant. There were few filmmakers who went so far to train audiences to see differently, and that’s why DYSPLA was so excited to have Stan Brakhage’s work included at DIMIF.

It is perhaps unsurprising that Brakhage's films are usually both silent, and lacking in traditional story-telling - thus focusing the viewer’s attention on the pure visual experience. In that, they become more analogous to visual poetry than to prose or literature. Brakhage often referred to his films as ‘visual music’ or ‘moving visual thinking’.

His films however, are not completely devoid of narrative, and DYSPLA’s choice of Window Water Baby Moving was not coincidental. The film tells a story of birth; a story of expectation, anticipation, pain, relief and joy - a story which connected immediately with our audience and exemplified part of the ‘Dyslexic Aesthetic’ which DIMIF sought to capture and showcase.

“How many colours are there in a field of grass to the crawling baby unaware of ‘green’? How many rainbows can light create for the untutored eye? Imagine a world alive with incomprehensible objects, and shimmering with an endless variety of movement and innumerable gradations of colour. Imagine a world before the ‘beginning was the word’.” - Stan Brakhage (Metaphors on Vision, 1963)

*Image Courtesy of the Estate of Stan Brakhage and Fred Camper.

*Many thanks to Lux, for their support and co-operation in providing us with the footage of Window Water Baby Moving.

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DYSPLA International Moving Image Festival, 14th-18th March at The Crypt Gallery

TICKETS ARE LIMITED - BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW!

Listing information*

Awards Ceremony, Gala & Gin Reception: 14th March, 7:30-10:00 PM, £30.00

Industry Panel Discussion: 15th March, 7:30- 9:30 PM, £10.00

Daily festival screenings: 15th March, 1:00-7:00 PM; 16th-18th March, 1:00-8:30 PM, £5.00

*All tickets will include £1 booking fee. Tickets are an extra £5.00 on the door.

DIMIF FINALISTS

Aurora Fearnley - Murmur

Aurora is an award winning writer/director with ten years of professional experience, and a visual storyteller inspired by science, myths and psychology. She graduated with a First BA Degree from The Northern Film School. In Leeds she started the company Little Northern Light and co-founded Production Company Left Eye Blind, through which she directed a number of promos and commercials. In 2009, the company signed to Academy Films.

“A young woman makes a dawn escape from a commune she has grown to distrust. It is a film about how we perceive events differently based on our past experiences. Comfort and security to one person is a confined prison to another.”

Sam Johnson - God’s Lonely Man

Sam Johnson is an independent filmmaker, currently working in short and experimental film. A graduate from Falmouth University, he has worked on a number of short films in a variety of roles taking particular interest in sound design, editing and directing. Sam’s most recent project is a short film for his final year entitled God’s Lonely Man, which he wrote and directed. He continues to pursue his interests in film and music and is currently working on a feature length script, which he hopes to pursue as his next project.

“In the moors of south-west medieval England, a delirious pilgrim voyages through perilous lands in search of a hallowed monastery, leading him to the site of a mysterious dream.”

James McColl - Celebrating Ageing

Originally from Devon, James McColl graduated from Southampton Solent University with a B.A. in film and has returned to the South-West to become a freelance writer and visual artist. I am one third of First Line Theatre, a small theatre group that creates site specific live art. As a writer and artist he strives to critically discuss art and its ability to communicate ideas with the aim to reach people outside of the art world. James loves film, live art and comedy and tries to create as much as possible. He also regularly writes for The Skinny, Made In Plymouth and several other magazines. 

“Having discovered the family archive of super-8 home movies, video artist James McColl has retraced the different parts of his grandmother’s life; stitching together family holidays, gatherings and present day interviews. He explores her coming to grips with deteriorating health, and how she reflects upon life through these gathered memories. This found footage documentary is an attempt to talk about our cultural fear of ageing.”

Kate Aries - Foil

Kate was recently awarded a Distinction Classification for her Masters Degree in Fine Art from the Winchester School of Art. She was selected as one of the best graduates in the region for inclusion in Platform, a project in association with five galleries: Aspex, De La Warr, Turner Contemporary, Milton Keynes Gallery and Modern Art Oxford. Outside of her institutional environments, she has been involved in a variety of exhibitions and projects; she collaborated with international artists on a residency to produce works that became part of a touring exhibition. She worked with a team of artists to coordinate the British Art Show 8 Southampton Fringe; as well as also being commissioned to solely project manage her own exhibition. She is also involved in the Filiart (Feminism in London) artist group and the Nasty Women Movement, recently showing her work at Nasty Women London, an exhibition that had over 3000 people attend the opening night. Since graduating, she has completed two Internships, one at A Space Southampton and one at the Theatre Royal Winchester. These experiences have led her to her current position, whilst still practicing as an Artist of course; she is also working in events management at an arts venue in Oxford.

I explore perception and illusion through experimentation with the camera, using different techniques to obscure and restrict my body. I use my body as a way of questioning my identity in the contemporary world as a woman physically, sexually, virtually and digitally: creating a tension between a position of sexuality and one of vulnerability. I have grown to realise how ingrained everyday sexism is in our society.

Feminism and female solidarity have become an important part of my practice, as well as the adverse effects of isolation and helplessness. The body is increasingly represented to us through digital mediation. My practice focuses not only on embodied experience, but also the manipulated and processed image and the mutability of identities in this increasingly mediatised society.

Gregory Hayman - Dog

Gregory Hayman is an artist member of Studio 1.1 Gallery in London and has a hybrid practice examining the themes of looking and memory often through the prism of Art History. He has exhibited widely in the UK and overseas.

Hayman’s practice is underpinned by extensive research and he produces a range of 'epistemic objects' or 'research artworks'. In other words, he makes artworks to investigate the subject of his study, linking practical outcomes in a virtuous circle. Last year, Hayman exhibited work in 10 exhibitions including Fountain17, a Hull City of Culture exhibition, alongside artists including Assemble, the Turner Prize Winners from 2015; and shows in Berlin, Athens, London twice, Newcastle twice, Norwich, Stoke on Trent.

This video artwork is a response to the migrant crisis and the death of the three-year-old Syrian boy Alan Kurdi. It takes as its starting point an artwork, as is usual with my work, and explores synergies between the artwork and events. The artwork I chose is Goya’s Dog, or El Perro or Perro Semihundido. It is one one of Goya’s so-called ‘Black Paintings’. It is an intensely moving painting where the dog is given almost human like expression in the way it looks up tragically pleading for help. I usually spend a huge amount of time researching each artwork, and this one is no exception. But, whereas the research is not shown, this work is the research conducted via browsing the web.

Kaiya Stone - Everything Is Going to Be KO

Kaiya Stone is a filmmaker, theatre director, and writer. She was born in Leeds and grew up in Cape Town, upstate New York and Batley, West Yorkshire. She studied Classics at St Hilda’s College, Oxford University where she was diagnosed with dyslexia and dyspraxia. Everything is going to be KO is a film and a one-person show with a book-in-progress. She is a co-founder of the production company Transgress - a collective focused on exploring disability, sexuality, and gender.

Downtown 500 Magazine - No, It Is Not; Not Always. The Self-Fear!

It is a story of the eccentric proto/antagonist of modern times (the Meta Man, the Metamodernist) who is balancing between the Modern vs Postmodern legacies. He/ she is a contemporary creative partner or a new authority – a new artist, an ambitious dilettante in his/ her purity and directness at his/her maximalist stage; explaining his/her achievements along fears, concerns, affairs, failures, addictions etc...

The project explores CONTRADICTIONS AND ABSURDITIES like constructions vs. reconstructions, projections vs. rejections, apathy vs sensibility, postmodern irony vs metamodernist "here I am", prejudices vs freedom, manipulations vs. deviation etc...

ALL FILMS WILL BE SCREENED CONTINUOUSLY THROUGHOUT THE FESTIVAL

Listing information*

Awards Ceremony, Gala & Gin Reception: 14th March, 7:30-10:00 PM, £30.00

Industry Panel Discussion: 15th March, 7:30- 9:30 PM, £10.00

Daily festival screenings: 15th March, 1:00-7:00 PM; 16th-18th March, 1:00-8:30 PM, £5.00

*All tickets will include £1 booking fee. Tickets are an extra £5.00 on the door.

The Crypt Gallery, Euston Rd, King’s Cross, London, NW1 2BA Closest national rail and underground stations: King’s Cross & Euston

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DYSPLA International Moving Image Festival, 14th-18th March at The Crypt Gallery

DIMIF, with the support of Arts Council England, will exhibit the work of over 30 dyslexic and neurodivergent filmmakers from 14-18th March 2018 at the Crypt Gallery in Kings Cross, London, so do not miss your opportunity to witness the work and participate in the first-ever festival that will investigate the theme of the Dyslexic Aesthetic.

CLICK TO BUY TICKETS

We are very excited to welcome our incredible DIMIF filmmakers and our Award Winners. The work they produce is a massive contribution to the dyslexic/neurodivergent creative community.

We are proudly celebrating not only neurodiversity, but also other types of diversity:

Researchers on the AHRC-funded project ‘Calling the Shots: Women and Contemporary UK Film Culture’ have found that women made up just 14% of directors and 7% of cinematographers on UK films from 2003-15.

Of those women, only 10% of directors and 4% of cinematographers were of Black, Asian, or Ethnic Minority identity, making only 1% of all directors and only 3% of all cinematographers BAME women.

*Thank you to WFTV for providing an article on this research.

In the light of these findings, DYSPLA is proud to celebrate the fact that 2/3 of our award-winners are representatives of the BAME community, and that one of these is a woman.

The festival itself is a novelty, presenting the films in a way that will blur the lines between traditional film festivals and the art gallery experience. DYSPLA loves to challenge their audiences and this festival will challenge how the films are experienced and how the audience can/will interact with the films.

The Themes 

Our films explore themes of birth, life and death, and the fight for existence. 

How do we as humans deal with tragedy, corruption, inequity, prejudice, moral issues, ethics? 

These are the universal questions in all of DYSPLA work and in true DYSPLA fashion, we echo the stories of under-representation in our society.

MEET THE AWARD-WINNING FILMMAKERS

Mike Forshaw - Saturday (2015)

“As someone who was only diagnosed with dyslexia whilst at university, I strongly believe that open conversation is vitally important to raise public awareness and understanding for a condition that many people still do not fully understand. This event will hopefully provide an excellent opportunity to discuss how my dyslexia has shaped me as a director and why my diagnosis was so liberating.”

Born and raised in Liverpool, Mike studied film at Northumbria University before moving to London to study Fiction Direction at the National Film & Television School. His graduation film premiered at the BFI London Film Festival, and his shorts have screened at the numerous UK and international film festivals.

In 2013, Saturday was awarded a top prize during Nisi Masa’s European Short Pitch, and the film premiered at Sundance Film Festival in 2015. In 2014 Mike was selected for TorinoFilmLab’s AdaptLab workshop and is currently developing his first feature, King of Grain, with Agile Films.

Featured Film - Saturday (2015)

“A fictional account of how the Hillsborough stadium disaster – which claimed the lives of 96 Liverpool supporters – unfolded for one family back home in Merseyside.”

Although Saturday is very much linear and lucid in its style, director Mike Forshaw manages to incorporate some non-linear and dream-like, subtle, foreshadowing elements into the story. The film offers a fresh view on a well-documented national tragedy, by placing the focus well away from the actual event - creating emotional microcosms representative both of the direct violence of Hillsborough and the ignorance that led to it, as well as of the massive impact the tragedy had on its community.

MEET THE AWARD-WINNING FILMMAKERS

Emma Allen - Ruby (2013)

Emma Allen resides between Sri Lanka and London. She’s an internationally recognised artist that is entirely self-taught and produces work in a broad range of different mediums.

A maker at heart, and combines painting, body-painting, animation, sculpture, sewing and even light in her work. Despite such breadth her work has a clear focus on the human condition, and how it interacts with nature.

She’s best known for her body-paint animation work which has been exhibited all over the world, received millions of views online, and press coverage in print and online and featured as TV news stories in 12 countries.

Her work manages to combine critical acclaim with mainstream appeal, attracting audiences in many countries around the world. Emma is not afraid to tackle big issues with her work and through the course of it has helped a number of charities, worked with refugees, prisoners and founded her own arts charity for disadvantaged children in Sri Lanka.

Featured Film - Ruby (2013)

“An animated self-portrait exploring the idea of rebirth and illustrating the transfer of energy from one incarnation to another.”

Ruby is a stop-frame mixed media short film which encapsulates our festival’s themes of birth, life and death in a literal way - depicting the process of ageing, dying and being born again in a series of representative face-paints. It explores the wider context of how we as humans fit into nature and the universe. It also touches on ideas of belief and religion, spirituality, the supernatural, and life after death.

MEET THE AWARD-WINNING FILMMAKERS

Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese - Behemoth: Or the Game of God (2015)

Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese is an award-winning Lesotho/South African filmmaker and artist. He has worked as writer, director, cinematographer and editor since 2007, and currently spends most of his time between Lesotho, South Africa and Berlin. His work ranges from feature length to short films and image films to music videos.

Two of Mosese’s short films, Mosonngoa (2014) and Behemoth: Or the Game of God (2015) have been screened at over a hundred film festivals, including: Clermont Ferrand International Film Festival; Raindance International Film Festival; Kinodot Film Festival; Festival del Cinema Africano; d’Asia e America Latina; as well as the Durban International Film Festival and L’Étrange Festival.

Mosese is also an alumnus of the Berlinale Talent Campus (2011) and Focus Features Africa First (2012), as well as the Realness Screenwriting Residency (2017).

Mosonngoa won him the ‘Best Short Film’, as well as the special award ‘Premio Associazione Sunugal’ in Milan in 2016. Behemoth: Or the Game of God has won ‘Best Short Film’ at the Kinodot Film Festival in 2016; the ‘Signs Award’ at Festival International Signes de Nuit Student Jury Prize in 2016; and the ‘Special Jury Prize’ at Moscow International Experimental Film Festival in 2016.

In January 2013, Mosese co-funded Mokoari Street Productions - a film and video production company, working on projects in Lesotho, South Africa and Berlin.

Featured Film - Behemoth: Or the Game of God (2015)

“An itinerant preacher declares to his followers: their God is in the coffin he is dragging along.”

Mosese manages to convey a very strong political rhetoric into Behemoth that touches upon themes of corruption, poverty and power - symbolised by a key referent in the film - money; and the control that it holds over people. Biblical language is used throughout; “I am the javelin in the hand of Cain”, shouts the preacher; “And I have come to bring you either life or death”. The apex of the film serves to illustrate the people’s hypocrisy and greed, which go against the very tenets of the religion they seek to protect so fiercely: “Have you lost your souls?” - cries out our preacher.

                       Stan Brakhage (Special Mention)

James Stanley Brakhage (January 14, 1933 – March 9, 2003), better known as Stan Brakhage, was an American non-narrative filmmaker. He is considered to be one of the most important figures in 20th-century experimental film. His work is often noted for its expressiveness and lyricism.

Over the course of five decades, Brakhage created a large and diverse body of work, exploring a variety of formats, approaches and techniques that included handheld camerawork, painting directly onto celluloid, fast cutting, in-camera editing, scratching on film, collage film and the use of multiple exposures. Interested in mythology and inspired by music, poetry, and visual phenomena, Brakhage sought to reveal the universal in the particular, exploring themes of birth, mortality, sexuality, and innocence.

Featured Film - Window Water Baby Moving (1959)

“The film documents the birth of the director's first child, Myrrena, by his then-wife Jane Brakhage.”

*Image Courtesy of the Estate of Stan Brakhage and Fred Camper.

The graphic imagery of Window Water Baby Moving carries with it a shock value which makes the work frank, honest and powerful. The non-sequential, non-narrative style of the film instead offers us something very visceral, instinctive and primal in conveying the miracle that is childbirth. Expectation, pain, joy, wonder and love all intertwine on screen in scenes leading up to, during, and after the birth.

*Many thanks to Lux, for their support and co-operation in providing us with the footage of Window Water Baby Moving.

      ALL FILMS WILL BE SCREENED CONTINUOUSLY                                       THROUGHOUT THE FESTIVAL

TICKETS ARE LIMITED - BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW!

Listing Information*

Awards Ceremony, Gala & Gin Reception: 14th March, 7:30 PM - 10:00 PM, £30.00

Industry Panel Discussion: 15th March, 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM, £10.00

Daily festival screenings: 15th March, 1-7 PM; 16th-18th March, 1-8:30 PM, £5.00

*All tickets will include £1 booking fee. Tickets are an extra £5.00 on the door.

The Crypt Gallery, Euston Rd, King’s Cross, London, NW1 2BA Closest national rail and underground stations: King’s Cross & Euston

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Introducing the DIMIF Panel Members

Deborah Williams - Panel Chair

“This festival is a vital next step in the growth of DYSPLA. I am looking forward to facilitating the panel discussion, getting to see the films and hearing from the artists.”

Deborah Williams is CEO of the Creative Diversity Network (CDN) - the body funded by the UK’s major broadcasters, which brings together organisations across the UK television industry to promote, celebrate and share good practice around the diversity agenda. As CEO, Deborah is responsible for the strategic direction of CDN, delivering all aspects of the organisation’s activities; including the ground-breaking Diamond diversity monitoring scheme, diversity talent databases, online resources and the CDN awards.

Prior to joining CDN, Deborah was Diversity Manager at the British Film Institute (BFI), where she opened and managed a £1m lottery fund for diversity, designed the BFI diversity standards for film, and contributed to the BFI business plan and strategy. Before joining the BFI, Deborah was the Senior Officer for Equality and Diversity at Arts Council England.

Deborah is also an award winning actress, as well as being a writer and theatre maker with 20 years’ experience in creating and presenting distinctive, high quality work that challenges ideas of difference and diversity.

D-Fuse

“I think that events like this are important because by facing the stigma of dyslexia and neurodivergence in our society head on, we almost supersede it and turn it into something positive.”

Our commissioned artist D-Fuse will be creating a live 3D installation on the opening night of DIMIF, as well as being part of our panel on the Panel Discussion night on the 15th of March.

D-Fuse are a London-based artist collective who work across a range of media. Founded in the mid-1990s by Michael Faulkner, D-Fuse’s output encompasses installations, film, experimental documentary, photography, live cinema performances and architectural projects.

Beginning in graphic and web design and VJing, D-Fuse’s work has evolved to address social and environmental themes and explore collaborative processes. Besides work with groundbreaking musicians from a wide range of genres including Steve Reich, Beck, Hauschka, Scanner and Swayzak, much of D-Fuse’s output since 2004 includes sound and music by audio director Matthias Kispert.

Their work has been shown internationally, including SFMOMA, WRO Festival [Wroclaw], Prix Ars Electronica [Linz], Sonar [Barcelona], onedotzero Festivals, Eyebeam and TriBeCa Film Festival [NYC], MU and STRPFestival [Eindhoven], Lisbon and Valencia Bienniale, Moscow Architectural Biennale, and many others. The D-Fuse-edited book VJ: Audiovisual Art and VJ Culture was published by Laurence King in 2007.

Chris Arnold

“I think it is great that we can both celebrate dyslexia and inspire others. For me dyslexia has been a gift and an opportunity to see things in ways others cannot imagine.”

Chris is a Creative Director and founder of the brand marketing and creative ad agency Creative Orchestra.

He is also the founder of The Garage, a specialist disruptive innovation consultancy that helps companies think differently and deliberately uses dyslexics. He was a board director and a Creative Director at Saatchi & Saatchi before setting up FEEL – the UK’s first ethical marketing & advertising agency.

He is one of the UK’s leading experts in ethical marketing and author of Ethical Marketing & The New Consumer (published by Wiley). Being a dyslexic himself, he is a champion of dyslexia – believing that “every board room should hire a dyslexic.” Despite being dyslexic, he has written a weekly blog on ethical marketing on Brand Republic for almost 10 years, as well as pieces for many other publications.

He has also written the mini-insights reports Why Women Shop on Venus & Men Shop on Mars and co-written insighst reports The Truth About Students and The Content insight Guide to Millennials and Students. He’s currently writing THUNK (a different way to think) which is based on his creative thinking workshops.

A former board member of the DMA (Europe’s largest marketing trade body) he’s been the Chairman of both the Agency Council and the Creative Council. He is passionate about community and founded the UK’s largest community arts festival – The Crouch End Arts Festival. He also runs The Intimate Space, “London’s smallest and coolest venue”, as it’s been described, based in a 500 year old church tower in Hornsey. The venture is designed to support young people’s creative talents.

Chris has written for many publications, including the FT, Creative Review, Campaign, Marketing, Impact, The Times, Third Sector, Brand Strategy and Brand Republic – Europe’s largest marketing online site.

He’s also appeared as a marketing expert on BBC’s Working Lunch, Watchdog (3 times) and in a number of documentaries on marketing. On Channel 4 (Food Unwrapped, Superfoods and Despatches) and the BBC. On radio – BBC and LBC. Plus online TV channels.

He lectures around the world on creativity, marketing, brand, innovation & futurology, ethical marketing, Proximity Mobile Marketing and Disruptive Innovation.

Sara Putt

“I think the festival is going to talk about some key issues, and I'm excited about taking part in the festival's discussion on improving the diversity in the business.”

Sara runs Sara Putt Associates. Based at Shepperton Studios, her company is the leading independent UK agency for film and television heads of department - providing personal management and representation within feature films, TV drama, documentaries and entertainment for over 20 years. Alongside the Agency, the Diary Service provides diary management and production knowledge for crew.

Keen on nurturing new talent, in 2011 Sara Putt Associates launched the 'Trainee & Assistants Scheme' providing opportunities to those at the start of their careers. They collaborate with film and television agents in the US and work alongside literary agency ‘Sayle Screen’.

Sara also sits on the BAFTA Board and TV Committee Chairs, BAFTA’s Learning and New Talent Committee, and is Deputy Chair of WFTV.

Mike Forshaw

“I am very honoured and excited to reveal that SATURDAY has been selected for the DYSPLA International Moving Image Festival. During the festival I will be taking part in a panel discussion about dyslexia, and I could not be prouder. As someone who was only diagnosed with dyslexia whilst at university, I strongly believe that open conversation is vitally important to raise public awareness and understanding for a condition that many people still do not fully understand. This event will hopefully provide an excellent opportunity to discuss how my dyslexia has shaped me as a director and why my diagnosis was so liberating.”

Born and raised in Liverpool, Mike studied film at Northumbria University before moving to London to study Fiction Direction at the National Film & Television School. His graduation film premiered at the BFI London Film Festival, and his shorts have screened at numerous UK and international film festivals.

In 2013, Saturday was awarded a top prize during Nisi Masa’s European Short Pitch, and the film premiered at Sundance Film Festival in 2015. In 2014 Mike was selected for TorinoFilmLab’s AdaptLab workshop, and is currently developing his first feature, King of Grain, with Agile Films.

Jim Rokos

“After everything we have said about the creative gifts that the neurodiverse mind can bring to creativity, a festival of alternative thinking brings an enormous pressure to deliver the truly exceptional. With the red tape fallen away, I am very excited to see what will be achieved.”

Originally training as a model-maker in the film and TV industry (working on The Muppet Treasure Island, Band of Brothers, Tomb Raider, Victoria and Albert), Jim went on to teach at a school in London before completing a Master’s degree in Industrial Design at Central Saint Martins College.

In close collaboration with Ab Rogers, in 2016 Jim curated the very first ‘Dyslexic Design’ exhibition, which was hosted by designjunction, also at King’s Cross on Granary Square. The show challenged perceptions of dyslexia by accentuating its positive effects and its close association with design. ‘Dyslexic Design’ is a ‘Silver Winner’ in the London Design Awards; category: Pop-Ups, Display, Exhibit & Set Design. It was also nominated for the ‘iF Social Impact Prize 2017′ for Health & Demographic Change. Many now consider Jim's work to be a symbol of the gifts that dyslexia can bring.

Jim also runs 'Rokos'- his brand of playful and sculptural glassware that behave in unexpected ways... Exceptional products express their character - they come to life when they are used! They can take on the mood of the users (13° 60° 104° Decanter) or they can express the behaviour of the object contained (Gauge flower vase).

Rokos won the prestigious 2012 ‘Reddot Design Award’ for the 13° 60° 104° Wine Decanter and the Enterprise Europe Network Award 2014 for the Gauge vase. The vase also won the ‘German Design Award 2017′ for Excellent Product Design and the Smoke colour Gauge has won the ‘LUX Designer Awards 2018′ for 'Most Original Glassware Design'. In addition to this, Jim has been awarded the 'Best Glassware Designer 2018 - United Kingdom' by the LUX Designer Awards.

Jim's innovative cat-food bowl won BBC1’s Tomorrow’s World's Best Inventions pilot in 2001. His Blindspot series is Design Parade selected (2007). In 2008, he won an ‘RSA Design Directions’ award and in 2012, the ‘Faces of Design’ award.

Helen Taylor

“I am very honoured to be part of the Panel Discussion on the Dyslexic Aesthetic at the DYSPLA festival. The broader information processing style of dyslexics really lends itself to greater recombination and translation that underlies novelty and originality. It will be fascinating to see the films and hear my dyslexic panel members describe how their dyslexic cognition shapes their work.”

Dr. Helen Taylor studied initially at the Institute of Archaeology, University College London, she was diagnosed with dyslexia herself after nearly being thrown out of her undergraduate degree. She went on to achieve a 1st class honours for her degree as well as several prizes and won a scholarship to study her Masters. On completion she was awarded the highest mark in the history of the department along with several research awards including the Petrie Prize and Seton Lloyd Memorial Prize. After completing a Sackler Fellowship at The British Museum she won a full AHRC scholarship to study her doctorate at the University of Cambridge where she investigated the emergence of social complexity.

Alongside this she started mentoring undergraduate and Ph.D students with dyslexia, ADHD, dyspraxia and autism. Frustrated by the lack of appreciation of these kinds of cogition she became determined during her time at Cambridge to understand what these differences were. By combining insights from her Ph.D, and research into the cognitive differences and strengths found in dyslexia, she developed a new theory of human evolution named The Evolution of ComplementaryCognition. This shows that different kinds of cogntion were not only fundamental to the adaptive success of our species, but are critical to organisational effectiveness in the modern world. Helen is currently working to publish the results of her research. To learn more follow Helen on Twitter.

Tickets

DYSPLA is extremely excited to welcome our esteemed panel members for an academic discussion on the DYSLEXIC AESTHETIC. It will take place on the second night of the festival, 15th of March 2018 at 7:00 PM, so save the date if you’re up for a debate! There are only 30 tickets available so book your tickets today.

Buy your Panel Discussion tickets here for £10

Listing Information*

Awards Ceremony, Gala & Gin Reception: 14th March, 7:30 PM - 10:00 PM, £30.00

Industry Panel Discussion: 15th March, 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM, £10.00

Daily festival screenings: 15th March, 1-7 PM; 16th-18th March, 1-8:30 PM, £5.00

(All films will be screened continuously throughout the festival) *All tickets will include £1 booking fee. Tickets are an extra £5.00 on the door.

The Crypt Gallery, Euston Rd, King’s Cross, London, NW1 2BA Closest national rail and underground stations: King’s Cross & Euston

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Introducing the DYSPLA International Moving Image Festival Gala & Awards Ceremony

INTRODUCING D-FUSE, OUR COMMISSIONED ARTIST

Michael Faulkner is a moving image innovator and pioneer, and the founder of D-Fuse Collective. He has been commissioned by DYSPLA to create a 3D installation at The Crypt Gallery in St. Pancras on the 14th March 2018.

DYSPLA love D-Fuse’s socialist approach to collaboration, sharing of materials, ideas and working methods - thus producing an eclectic mix of aesthetics in the work and breaking new creative grounds.

We have met with him last week to run a series of test projections at our venue, and to talk about some of the things that had inspired Mike to work with us:

"Being part of a dyslexic film festival frees up my creativity and almost gets rid of any walls or ‘rules’ which could otherwise be present. I think that events like this are important because by facing the stigma of dyslexia and neurodivergence in our society head on, we almost supersede it and turn it into something positive." - Michael Faulkner

The festival will commence with the Awards Ceremony, Gala and Drinks Reception on 14th March 2018. Our Gala guests will be the first to experience all the award-winning films in an immersive gallery setting, opening with commissioned video artist D-Fuse, who will create a live multi-channel holographic smoke installation. There are only 50 tickets on sale for the Awards Ceremony and Gala, which is always our most popular event, so make sure you book your tickets in advance!

Buy Gala tickets now for £30

Listing Information*

Award Ceremony and Gala: 14th March, 7:30 PM - 10:00 PM, £30.00 Screenings + panel discussion: 15th March, 1-7 PM + 7:30 PM, £10.00 Daily festival screenings: 16th-18th March, 1-8:30 PM, £5.00

(All films will be screened continuously throughout the festival) *All tickets will include £1 booking fee. Tickets are an extra £5.00 on the door.

IN PREPARATION FOR THE FESTIVAL

Are you a fighter with a story?!

Are you a boxer or martial artist with a story? Want your story to be part of an innovative and exciting film festival?

We are filming this Saturday in North London, so please get in touch today.

Contact festival organisers

OTHER UPCOMING DYSPLA EXHIBITIONS

DYSPLA is participating in the Art.Number23 'Chapter I' art exhibition this week, which is the very first event in their new exhibition space! We are excited to be showing the film Washed Up Babies - our take on a modern-day psychopomp. Click the link to watch the trailer on our website.

Washed Up Babies has been exhibited nationally: at the Tea Break Festival in Hull; Underneath the Floorboards in London; and Blowing a Gail in Warrington, as well as internationally at: Alternative Film Festival in Toronto, Canada; Gstaadfilm Festival in Uruguay; 30th Minimalen Short Film Festival in Trodenhiem, Norway; and is set to exhibit at 21st ZOOM Film Festival in Poland this month.

'Chapter I' is a group show of international and UK-based artist. The theme of the exhibition relates to new beginnings and important changes in life. Let us know if you can make it!

Private View: 9th February, 18.30pm - 21.30pm Opening times: 10th February - 14th February, 11.00am-18.00pm For more info, visit the Facebook event page.

Another one of our short films, You Will Fail Her, is set to exhibit in March at both SHAPE Open 2018 exhibition in London, as well as SheFest festival in Sheffield.

You Will Fail Her is a one woman performance about mental health and the educational apartheid that blights British society. Click the link to watch the trailer on our website.

More information about the festival & our partners

DYSPLA was established in 2007 to exhibit and produce the work of dyslexic and neurodiverse story makers. From our early stages we have produced and exhibited work internationally, establishing ourselves at the forefront of the dyslexic and neurodiverse creative community.

DIMIF has secured mentorships with industry professionals and further development opportunities for their Award winning filmmakers. The Award Categories are: Best Story Innovator, Best Experimental Film, Dyslexic Creative Champion. These awards will be judged by DYSPLA's esteemed panel made up of elite members of the creative industry.

DIMIF is excited to be partnering with Canvas Media, an Arts Council-funded initiative aimed at helping arts organisations engage with audiences on digital platforms.

DYSPLA International Moving Image Festival was made possible by funding from Arts Council England. ACE are integral to keeping arts and cultural events like DIMIF alive, and DYSPLA would like to thank them for giving us the chance to showcase incredible dyslexic and neurodivergent filmmakers.

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Michael Faulkner Interview

LV: Lennie Varvarides, MF: Michael Faulkner

LV: How did you hear about DYSPLA?

MF: Being dyslexic and knowing that lots of film directors and artists are dyslexic, I searched out to try to find a dyslexic film festival, and the only one I could find was DYSPLA, which I found on FilmFreeway and subscribed to their mailing list.

LV: What made you want to be involved in the DYSPLA International Moving Image Festival?

MF: I was looking for an avenue to present some of my films through a dyslexic lens, so people could appreciate them in a different sort of way. Being part of a dyslexic film festival frees up my creativity and almost gets rid of any walls or ‘rules’ which could otherwise be present. I think that events like this are important because by facing the stigma of dyslexia and neurodivergence in our society head on, we almost supersede it and turn it into something positive.

LV: Can you describe what the dyslexic aesthetic is?

MF: The keyword is structure. I would say that one of the factors that sets apart a dyslexic filmmaker from the rest is an obsession with specific details, as well as fast-forwarding and re-winding of other elements. This makes the work seem ‘out of sync’ and gives it a very particular feel, kind of like going through things at a speed of light.

LV: Do you think your work is an example of the dyslexic aesthetic?

MF: Yes, because there is a focus of a non-narrative structure to it – it exists in a 3D space and serves to fill this space visually. There’s a certain intuitiveness about it. I like to speed things up and slow things down; not necessarily working with current time. Often certain images are associated with one another, but there is a strong de-fragmented approach throughout.

LV: When did you find out you were dyslexic?

MF: Officially about 5 years ago.

LV: So, you're quite new to the ‘gang’! Would you say life has improved since your diagnosis?

MF: Well I’d say yes and no in some ways, because it actually gives you an emotional crutch so to speak – and now I can just… blame dyslexia! Or maybe I should say thank dyslexia? It only frustrates me to think that had I known about it before, I might have been more equipped for it. But to be honest, I don’t think society was equipped for it anyway, and in many ways still isn’t. Things are changing though, and people now are a lot more open to topics like neurodivergence, which definitely gives hope for more understanding in the future.

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The End of an Era  - Blog Post 5 Week 5 of the #DIMIF Saga

Week 5: Door to Door Marketing -What it takes to promote a Film Festival in London.

It’s hard to believe that I am already finishing my fifth week here at DYSPLA… I guess it is true that time flies when you’re having fun! This week, I have done my fifth (and final) flyer drop off. I finished my last flyer drop off on Wednesday, November 29th leaving them at businesses across Soho, Central London. This last flyer drop-off could not have occurred on a better day considering submissions were due by the end of November.

Like I promised you all last week, a vlog of me dropping off flyers is coming. However, my video needs to be edited and perfected before I can share it with you all! Look out for it in my upcoming blog posts to come!

The places I visited this past week were very open and friendly. In addition, I received a lot of positive feedback about the DYSPLA International Moving Image Festival. Some venues that were exceptionally friendly were Jigsaw 24, Crumbs & Doilies and Press London.

I met three desk managers from the above businesses; Ester, Elena and Romy who were all intrigued by DIMIF and were very open to hearing more and possibly assisting us in finding a venue for the festival. It is this kind of reaction I hope to get out of every business I visit.

Similarly, Freya from Crumbs and Doilies gave me details regarding their catering options for cupcakes and allowed me to display the DYSPLA flyers near the window of the business. The shop sells delicious cupcakes with flavors to satisfy every person’s sweet tooth.

The cashier at Press London was very friendly too and she personally displayed the DYSPLA flyers for me with much care. The friendliness I received from Press London employees persuaded me to go back and buy a juice from them later in the day.  I needed fuel!

People were so excited about DIMIF, I guess most producers don’t promote their festivals on the street, door knocking might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but we are all about the Grassroots at DYSPLA, reaching out to one person at a time and pushing our festival out of our intimidate network. As well as the benefits of expanding DYSPLA brand around London, I have learnt so much about myself and what I am capable of. I feel like I have graduated for an intensive sales pitch masters and while I never thought I would be the type, I realise that nothing happens in life until someone sales something!

Reflecting on the type of person I was coming into this internship versus the type of person I am now is fascinating because I have grown so much over these past 5 weeks. This experience has been one that I wouldn’t change for the world. Its been incredible. In the beginning, I was very nervous about distribute flyers and talking to, ‘strangers’ all day.  I thought I would receive uninterested and annoyed reactions, but I guess people were pleased to talk about something different and lets be honest, the DIMIF is not your normal festival, in fact every traditional norm is being broken.

I describe the festival more like a gallery experience and the have never been combined before, hence the reason for DYSPLA successful Arts Council Funding. Its hard to keep coming up with original ideas and marketing strategies, but the DYSPLA team never seem to have a problem creating something out of thin air.

Next week, I will be hand delivering Christmas presents to all the casting directors that our sister company, MSFT Management has worked with this year. I am looking forward to meeting all the amazing people who are involved in the casting and production and to learn more about how the entertainment industry works.

Look for another post from me next week where I shall be reflecting on my time as “Santa Claus” delivering presents as well as more updates on the DIMIF Vlog posts.

See you next week and be sure to open those advent calendars… Happy December 1st!

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Time is Passing Quickly, Submissions Close the end of November - Week 3 of the #DIMIF Saga

Week 3: Seeking Catering Partners

I can’t believe I am already in week 3 of my blog. Time is definitely passing too quickly. However, the start of the new year brings with it many exciting events, most importantly being the DYSPLA International Moving Image Festival which is scheduled for 2018!

As a foodie, I don’t need much encouragement to get out and about and spend the day in restaurants, cafes and bars. And what better place to hang out than in Shoreditch.  My task this week was to get some catering suggestions and quotes and am very grateful to: Red Rooster Shoreditch, Radio Alice Pizzeria, Hache and Slice and more for all their help. While in Shoreditch, I discovered lots of brilliant bars such as the Old Blue Last Bar, Blues Bar and Kitchen and 333 Bar. 

Over the last 3 weeks, I have reached out to over 70 businesses. We are going to be keeping them all up to date with the festival, fingers crossed a few of them will come on board as either our venue, drinks or catering partner. Here’s hoping. If nothing else, we’re getting the word out about the festival, promoting DIMIF on a new level.

As a reminder, submissions deadlines is at the end of November and we’re keen for dyslexics to submit.  If you are a dyslexic filmmaker, writer, or director,  you still have time to get your film to us! Any filmmaker who identifies as dyslexic or neurodiverse is eligible for the festival.

Next week, I will be travelling to a new area of London to disperse our DIMIF flyers. Look out for flyers in restaurants, bars and galleries around Brick Lane, WhiteChapel and Bethnal Green. If you see one of our flyers, please tweet us with the handle: DYSPLA_festival - it will be good to know they haven’t ended up in the bin. 

Thank you for reading my blog, see you next time!

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Where Will DIMIF be Held? The Search Continues... Blog Post 2 Week 2 of the #DIMIF Saga

Week 2: The Search for a Venue

Going out and promoting events through connecting with local businesses has never been a strong suit of mine. However, after networking with venues over the past two weeks, I have gained a greater understanding of how to correctly promote an event.

This past week, I had the opportunity to explore the #Shoreditch area of London as well as bits of #BrickLane. Through exploring this interesting area, I was able to find many possible venues for the DYSPLA International Moving Image Festival. Some of these possible venues include the #RedGallery, #LondonUnderground venues and the #Barbican. Having the opportunity to meet with these companies is one of the most crucial steps in setting up an event because in order to hold a film festival, you must first find a venue.

In addition to finding a venue for #DIMIF, I have also been dropping off flyers in all the locations I visit in order to spread the word regarding what we are doing here at DYSPLA. We hope that by dropping off flyers we will create excitement and anticipation for the event. So far, we have dropped off flyers at locations such as Strongroom Bar, Joe & the Juice, Soho Radio and several different galleries across central London. 

On the opening night of the film festival, there will be a gala. Each filmmaker who submitted a piece to the competition is entitled to two tickets to the gala. In order to make this gala a success, we must find food and drink sponsors. This is another aspect of the process I have been promoting when going to different businesses, because we are looking for restaurants and pubs to sponsor the gala.

Over the past two weeks I have contacted many possible food and drink sponsors for DIMIF, such as #barefootwine and #lolascupcakes. Once the venue and sponsors are set, we can continue moving forward with the logistics of the festival itself.

Check back with me next week to get more updates on possible food and drink sponsor partnerships we are creating as well as a possible new venue location for DIMIF.

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What the World Needs are Stories, Sweet Stories- Week 1 of the #DIMIF Saga

Week 1: Introduction

My name is Audrey Zullinger, an American Intern from Elon University in North Carolina. I will be blogging my internship in the #DYSPLA office over the next seven weeks and look forward to sharing my experience with you.

My first week at #DYSPLA has been a very rewarding and eye opening experience for me. Having an uncle who is dyslexic, I’ve been exposed to many of the neurodivergent characteristics my whole life. In today’s society, between 10-20% of individuals are dyslexic like my uncle, which is a statistic that is not circulated enough. This being said, I never really understood the complications of dyslexia until working for DYSPLA. Through going out and networking with people regarding our upcoming event, the DYSPLA International Moving Image Festival, I have had the opportunity to share with these people how extraordinary our storymakers are.

Simply having a ‘disability’, or a #learningdifference, is not something that should prevent people from doing what they love. #DYSPLA is a perfect example of this because the overarching goal of the entire company is to encourage and push both dyslexic and neurodivergent writers to do what they love— create stories.

My mother is a creative writer who has just finished her first novel, so storytelling has always been a huge part of my life. At her graduation, one of the students named La Rue Cook said something that i think is one of the most important messages of life. So today, i want to leave you with this quote from La Rue, because i think it encompasses everything we as #DYSPLA are attempting to accomplish through working with dyslexic and neurodivergent storymakers:

“Driving here on Wednesday; I thought how sad..., how scary, it will be to leave this place, of our stories, this place where we found our voices. And then I smiled. Because I have never been more excited, more anxious to read the stories that you’re going to tell. So please, please do not let anyone convince you that they belong in a drawer.” — La Rue Cook

When it comes to the art of writing, no story should be left untold. My story, over these next seven weeks, will unfold all the amazing work that both myself and #DYSPLA are doing to promote our upcoming film festival. Stay tuned for my next blog post next week where I shall tell you about all the different businesses I’ve visited and networked with.

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“MAKING VALUABLE CONNECTIONS IS REALLY HARD!” Blog Post 4 Week 4 of the #DIMIF Saga

Week 4: The Importance Of Human Connection

Yesterday was one of the most popular American holidays, commonly known as  Thanksgiving. I know people may think of Thanksgiving as Americans just stuffing their faces with turkey and pie, but it is much more than this for me. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because I get to spend the whole day with all family without anyone worrying about work! This is the first time i have ever missed Thanksgiving, which has made me truly think about the value of human connection.

Since being at DYSPLA, I have spoken to over 100 London business and I have learnt on my feet how to make genuine connections with strangers. If I was knocking on doors in New York City, I would not have been met with such warmth and respect. I really want to give a big shout out to Paradise Slice Pizza Shop for showing me the warmth and respect every customer should feel when they walk into a restaurant. The overall atmosphere was very welcoming and made me feel important. I had this same feeling of being respected in Satyrio Italian Restaurant. I strongly encourage you all to visit both of these restaurants - their customer service is amazing!  The moment I walked into Paradise Slice Pizza Shop, I felt like I was being listened to and respected, unlike some other businesses I visited this past week. I met a guy called Dan that actually stopped making his pizza in order to listen to what I had to say and personally showed me where to put the flyers for our DIMIF festival.  Paola from Satyrio Italian Restaurant was very welcoming too, and took time out of her day to sit down and discuss our festival.

Strangers have the power to have your day and I have been so lucky with the kind of interactions I have received.  People have been genuinely interested in the DIMIF - Another example of the positive reactions was from the barista at Yumchaa, (they have some of the most valued tea in London, so if you’re looking for your next afternoon tea location, Yumchaa is your place!) He was very intrigued by the DIMIF festival and showed me where to display the flyers so that all customers would see them. After visiting 113 businesses throughout November, I have learned the importance of positive interactions.

When I have negative interactions with businesses, it affects the way I approach the next business because I feel like I am not important. However, when I have experiences like those from Paradise Slice, Satyrio and Yumchaa, I feel empowered and confident.

Restaurants, pubs, galleries, bookstores: you name it, I’ve been there. I wish I  could tell you that it has been a piece of cake for me going to all of these places, but I can’t.  In reality, this has been a very challenging and eye opening experience for me. Imagine going to another country, being handed 500 flyers, and being told to go distribute them throughout the city… scary, right? That’s what I thought when I was handed those same 500 flyers my first week on the job. However, what I’ve learned over the course of the weeks is that it doesn’t matter if I go to 10 or 50 businesses… what truly matters is the connection I’ve made with people.

The overall experience of dropping off flyers to different locations throughout London has been a whirlwind of emotions for me: excitement, anticipation, fear, frustration and anxiety. This being said, I would not trade this experience for the world because it has made me independent, confident and more professional.

Next week, I will be “vlogging” (video logging) throughout the day my experiences dropping off flyers, so you can see what it’s like and what it takes to promote a film festival. Look for my final post,  “A day in the life of Audrey Zullinger: An American pretending to be a local in London.”

See you next week!

 #film #filmfestival #DIMIF #London #dyslexic #dyslexicfilmmakers  

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DYSPLA Produced DIMIF Film

Daniel Bendelman

Featured Film - The Life and Death of an Anonymous Autistic Man

Daniel Bendelman is a neurodivergent installation artist and academic who’s work and practice is concerned with exploring the effects that the stereotypes produced within autism representation through the media has in the public sphere. His practice embodies the post-dramatic and Kafkaesque radical aesthetics of 21st century live art and works to make spectators confront urgent issues surrounding the politics of autism today. His previous installation ‘We Were Here…’ has been exhibited at The Autism Arts Festival at The University of Kent, and ‘Fragments’ was exhibited at The Brink Festival at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London.

'Hello, Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening, have you had a nice day?’

Daniel Bendelman's experimental film installation 'The Life and Death of an Anonymous Autistic Man' (made in conjunction with DYSPLA), invites the viewer to confront the question of mortality and the role that pathology and the dehumanisation of the self has within the lived experience of autism.

"On average autistics die at 36 due to isolation and depression, I'm 31. Are pills my only saviour? Or my ultimate downfall?"

Come and play witness

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DIMIF - More info about our sponsors, contributors and partners

DYSPLA was established in 2007 to exhibit and produce the work of dyslexic and neurodiverse story makers. From our early stage, we have produced and exhibited work internationally, establishing ourselves at the forefront of the dyslexic and neurodiverse creative community. DIMIF has secured mentorships with industry professionals and further development opportunities for their Award winning filmmakers. The Award Categories are: Best Story Innovator, Best Experimental Film, Dyslexic Creative Champion. These awards will be judged by DYSPLA's esteemed panel made up of elite members of the creative industry. POET have been supporting DYSPLA since 2011 and their contribution has allowed Sunday Surgery Scripts to exist. Their funding has also allowed DYSPLA to reach out for additional support and contributors. DIMIF is excited to be partnering with Canvas Media, an Arts Council-funded initiative aimed at helping arts organisations engage with audiences on digital platforms. DYSPLA International Moving Image Festival was made possible by funding from Arts Council England. ACE are integral to keeping arts and cultural events like DIMIF alive, and DYSPLA would like to thank them for giving us the chance to showcase incredible dyslexic and neurodivergent filmmakers. A special thank you to Karma Cola, with whom DIMIF is also partnering, and who will be providing soft drinks throughout the festival.