TWEETFEST FILM FESTIVAL
How we support filmmakers from all walks of life.
Our inclusion policies
“Black and ethnic minority groups face tremendous levels of exclusion from the film industry, with the data revealing that film productions were over twice as likely to represent gender difference than Race/Ethnicity and other underrepresented groups across a vast number of key on-screen roles and off-screen positions.” These were just some of the findings in the report released by BFI in 2020*.
TweetFest actively wants to change this. TweetFest works to ensure that black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) groups are included in the festival and supported. Furthermore, as an independent film festival which actively encourages new and emerging filmmakers from all walks of life, we promote inclusion, and we push for our annual programmes to offer and showcase diversity, inclusion, all genders, all sexual orientation and beliefs, and most especially underrepresented groups. We want our festival to be known for this.
As an organisation we attempt to provide equality, fairness and respect for all volunteers, judges, our annual VIP jury, and all employees of TweetFest, at all times. We work to encourage diversity within the team and not to exclude or unlawfully discriminate on age, disability, race, religion, sexual belief or orientation, gender, or marital status (in conjunction with the Equality Act 2010).
We actively work to maintain our festival as one which is inclusive and one that is anti-bullying and anti-harassment. At the core of what we do is a long-term commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion so that we are truly representative of everyone in the UK.
We make opportunities for our volunteers and staff to do training and development, to conform with our inclusion policies and to protect against any indirect or direct discrimination to disability, victimisation, race, religion, and sexual orientation.
Unconscious bias
All staff who work on our festival, as a volunteer, first-round judge, VIP jury members, programmers, directors and support staff must carry out the Addressing unconscious bias: basic awareness in the workplace training provided online by ScreenSkills. Staff who help manage and run TweetFest are going through the BIFA Unconscious Bias training. This training provides participants with the knowledge and skills required to minimise the impact of unconscious bias across all parts of the industry.
Furthermore, a high proportion of our VIP jury members are also BIFA judges and as such, have already undergone the compulsory BIFA Unconscious Bias training. If they have not undergone this training, we ask that as a minimum they do the aforementioned ScreenSkills online training.
Accessibility
TweetFest Film Festival is committed to providing a safe and all-inclusive environment for all attendees at all live events. For wheelchair access, we ask that attendees contact the festival if they are concerned about accessibility. A number of our screenings are held in wheelchair-accessible venues. If we cannot support attendees with access to the live event, we will provide online access.
If you have a baby buggy, again please contact us to check access but we can almost always help you get your buggy in and out of any screening or event’s venue.
Text facilities
We are working to introduce speech to text facilities, so any talks and live events are accessible for all audiences. All foreign films have subtitles, and some English films have these too. As a festival, we are working to introduce subtitles for all shorts if screened online.
Carers and support staff
Any carer or support person to someone attending the festival will be granted free access. Please contact the festival in advance to arrange this.
Get in touch
For all other enquiries regarding accessibility, inclusion, support for those who can’t afford to pay full feels, or any other questions, please don’t hesitate to contact our festival team at info@uktweetfest.com
Extra support
If you would like to attend one of our events, participate in our film festival or join us at the gala, but really need help to cover the costs, please reach out. We allocate a number of spots every year to those who need some extra support in order to be involved. After all, if we can’t all be a part of the British film industry, then it’s not 100% inclusive is it. Get in touch and let’s have a chat.
We welcome feedback
If you have thoughts, ideas or suggestions you’d like to share, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the festival team at info@uktweetfest.com. We welcome your feedback.
Citations:
* Nwonka, C (2020) Race and Ethnicity in the UK Film Industry: An Analysis of the BFI Diversity Standards. London: LSE
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