Curated by Charlie Little, a queer, deafblind film access consultant and curator, ‘Signs for the Future’ is a collection of short films exploring intersections of identity and our (un)natural world. These films capture Deaf and disabled perspectives and intersectional identity, seeking to spark conversations about collective, intertwined struggles.

This special showcase will also feature the short film Bee’s Journey, which was produced by emerging Deaf filmmakers and created in response to the Scottish Sensory Centre’s ‘Rewilding BSL’ project. This project led to the creation of over 400 British Sign Language signs for climate and environment-related terms, making climate justice action and environmental discussions more accessible for BSL users. 

Bee’s Journey came to life during a filmmaking workshop, ‘Filming Our World: Rewilding BSL & Queer Ecologies,’ facilitated by Take One Action Film Festivals, SQIFF, and Edinburgh Deaf Festival this summer. The workshop presentations were led by Dr Audrey Cameron, Will Clark, and Klarissa Webster. 

FILMS

Bee’s Journey | Dir. Sandra Duguid, Audrey Cameron, Tania Allan | British Sign Language | 2024 | 3m

Filmed in the serene wildness of Salisbury Centre’s communal garden space, Bee’s Journey follows the perspectives of three individuals and their connection to nature and their identity. This film was imagined and manifested during a Deaf and climate justice-focused filmmaking workshop in collaboration with Take One Action, SQIFF, and Edinburgh Deaf Festival.

Scotland, Forgive Me | Dir. Will Clark | British Sign Language | 6m

Set against a picturesque Scottish beach, a Deaf person writes a love letter to Scotland and to people looking for a place to belong, using poetry to explore their struggles of identity and connection to the country they were born in.

Battery | 2024 | Dir. Ewan Marshall | English, British Sign Language | 14m

In this apocalyptic love story, Elliot uses his last remaining wheelchair battery to navigate a city devastated by climate disaster, hoping to reunite with his boyfriend.

Content notes: Brief violence

Octopus | Dir. Ella Glendining | English | 2022 | 12m

Upon returning to her sleepy seaside home town for a funeral, a young woman reconnects with the friends she left behind.

Content notes: Discussions of grief, death

The Beauty of Being Deaf | 2021 | Dir. Chella Man | American Sign Language | 3m 

Submerged underwater, three people explore and express their celebration of identity and hearing loss.

How to Carry Water | Dir. Sasha Worztel | English | 2024 | 15m

This punk rock fairytale doubles as a portrait of Shoog McDaniel – a fat, queer, and disabled photographer working in and around northern Florida’s vast network of freshwater springs, the state’s source of precious drinking water. 

Content notes: Nudity, sexual references, references to fatphobia

Access note: Strobe effects

ACCESS

All films will be presented with descriptive subtitles. The screening of Battery will have both a BSL interpreter on-screen and descriptive subtitles.  The event introduction and conversation will have BSL/English interpretation and live captions