During May 2021 I managed to get my Visa problems resolved and I could finally make my move to the USA. As soon as the Visa was stamped in my passport I headed to New York for the awesome Tribeca Film Festival. After it had finished I went to Texas for a meeting with a new Film Festival taking place in Frisco called the Champion Salon International Film Festival. This was a very interesting and important festival as it was a festival celebrating disabled filmmakers and films about disability.
The meeting began like any other meeting would with a festival director; they tell me about their festival, what kinds of films they’re looking for and if my company had any films that we could submit. However towards the end the meeting took a different – and exciting! – direction; the Festival Director Cary asked me if I’d like to come on board as the Festival Director.
As soon as he asked me I was super excited and couldn’t wait to learn more about the role. It would be a lot of responsibility as I’d be taking over running the entire festival. My team are continually growing and this was an opportunity and challenge that they would love to explore. Not only was I drawn to the role of becoming the Festival Director but also the festival itself and the type of films that it was showcasing excited me as diversity has always been one of my priorities to support. There are so many great disabled filmmakers around the world making films and I already knew when speaking with Cary that this will be one of the festivals that will make a difference and play a significant role changing our perception on this topic. I can’t wait to dive in!
The festival runs September 24th – 25th 2021 in Frisco, Texas.
Click here for further information and to book your tickets – https://www.cfsiff.com
