TGDNN visits Deaf Way Festival!
TGDNN’s Rikki Poynter joined the third Deaf Way Festival that took place in October 2025 at Gallaudet University in Washington, DC! Deaf Way is a four-day celebration spotlighting the creativity, power, and stories of Deaf filmmakers and Deaf professionals in the film industry.
At Deaf Way, Deaf people are writing and telling their own stories. In most cases, real Deaf actors—not hearing actors playing Deaf characters—are being cast, along with disabled actors and Deaf people with additional disabilities. Sadly, we have found out that some roles were played by hearing actors. However, Deaf Way Festival provides a safe space for Deaf attendees to see themselves accurately represented.
The audience did not only consist of Deaf people, though. Everyone was invited: disabled people, hearing people, and allies. Having a diverse audience means that awareness can spread beyond the Deaf community, which is crucial. The general public thinks they know what being Deaf means because they watched Hollywood films such as Hush, Avenged, The Unholy, Boy Kills World, Creed, and others—all movies that portray Deaf people inaccurately. Moreover, Deaf Way empowers Deaf actors and film professionals to connect and find or create jobs for themselves.
Rikki noted that Deaf Way 2025 was a success: “People felt at home there. They were able to catch up with old friends they hadn’t seen since their Gallaudet days, see their close friends, and even make new ones!”
One of the most noticeable aspects of the event was the lack of stress around accessibility. ASL interpreters, BSL interpreters, CDIs (Certified Deaf Interpreters), designated seating for DeafBlind attendees, and live captions were all seamlessly integrated—accessibility truly took center stage.
“Overall, Deaf Way was a joy to attend,” said Rikki Poynter. “So many emotions were displayed: happiness, joy, sadness, and grief. Seeing yourself represented in the media—whether through a Deaf family or the struggles of language deprivation—was an experience many of us felt we needed. We need more people to be aware of these things and to allow us to break outside of the four walls Hollywood tries to confine us to.”
Deaf Way 2027 is already in motion, and we can’t wait!
