Tickets available now for the first ever Deaf Way Film Festival

Deaf Way Festival is back! The legendary Deaf Way Festivals, hosted at Gallaudet in 1989 and 2002, brought thousands of people to Washington, D.C. to celebrate Deaf culture. The magic returns in October 2025 with a new biennial format, featuring smaller themed festivals every two years.

Tickets are available now for Deaf Way Film Festival, a four-day event featuring short and long films from Deaf and hard of hearing filmmakers, actors, and crew.

Deaf Way Film Festival is open to the public, including those who are new to Deaf culture or don’t know American Sign Language (ASL). Films will be made accessible for all through subtitles.

The New Deaf Way

The Deaf Way Festival brand is managed by the Gallaudet Office of Arts, Culture, and Experience (ACE). ACE Director Tabitha Jacques knew the Deaf community had been hungry for a new Deaf Way for years, and the time was right to bring it back.

Deaf Way will now be a biennial event, taking place every two years. Each festival will focus on one medium or topic, so that attendees can immerse themselves in the experience.

In the years since the original Deaf Way Festivals, the Deaf community’s access to art and technology has shifted. To bring Deaf Way into 2025, Jacques decided to make the festival more digestible and accessible.

“Deaf Way I and II were such huge and monumental events in Deaf history,” Jacques says. “Deaf Way festivals going forward will be different, and they will still meet the needs of the Deaf community by providing a space for creative expression.”

Deaf Way Film Festival

The new Deaf Way series will kick off with Deaf Way Film Festival, taking place October 16-19, 2025.

Ever since George W. Veditz was captured on video using sign language in 1913, film has been an integral part of recording the Deaf community’s language, history, and stories.

Deaf Way Film Festival will spotlight and celebrate productions created by deaf, deafblind, deafdisabled, and hard of hearing filmmakers. In addition to screening feature films and short films, the event will include social gatherings and industry networking opportunities.

Deaf Way Film Festival is co-chaired by ACE Director Jacques; MJ Kiego, a celebrated Deaf filmmaker; and Andrea Passafiume, an experienced hard of hearing programmer who has worked for film festivals around the United States.

Says Passafiume, “We are so excited to share a program of diverse films that highlight the work of Deaf creatives from all over the world, both behind the camera and in front of it. Deaf Way will bring an entertaining blend of features and shorts with storytelling that explores the Deaf experience across genres.”

Deaf Way Film Festival is a community event, with support from many people on the Gallaudet campus. The festival Co-Chairs have been joined by a committee of amazing Gallaudet staff and faculty who are dedicated to uplifting Deaf art.

Interested in volunteering for Deaf Way FIlm Festival? You can apply to be a volunteer now. Community members are welcome.

The Legacy of Deaf Way

The 1989 and 2002 Deaf Way Festivals were week-long Deaf culture events, with programming such as lectures, panels, visual art, theatre, dance, film, and more.

Deaf Way I brought over 5,000 people, from 81 countries around the world, to the Gallaudet campus. In the mornings, conference sessions were hosted that included keynote speeches and other specialized presentations. Afternoons featured art shows and performances from the international deaf and hard of hearing community.

Deaf Way II was so popular that it couldn’t be contained on campus. Events were hosted around Washington, D.C., making waves as the local community was flooded with almost 10,000 people from 121 different countries, most of them using sign language. Once again, attendees experienced a mix of conference presentations and art shows, including a film festival that screened over 55 films and videos.

The Future of Deaf Way

The new biennial format for Deaf Way Festival will carry on the legacy of the past in exciting ways. With a focused theme for each festival, the community won’t have to wait another 10 or 20 years for the next Deaf Way.

Deaf filmmaking is worthy of the spotlight this fall. Gallaudet is proud to uplift the deaf, deafblind, deafdisabled, and hard of hearing artists featured at Deaf Way Film Festival. We invite everybody in our local community, deaf and hearing, to join us for an unforgettable experience!

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Want to support the future of Deaf Way Festival? Consider making a donation to the Deaf Way Festival Fund or applying to volunteer for Deaf Way Film Festival.