Julie Gayet Named Godmother of Inaugural SignéCiné Festival for Deaf Accessibility

The first edition of SignéCiné, a festival entirely dedicated to audiovisual accessibility for deaf and hard-of-hearing people, will take place at Cinéma Katara and Hôtel Le Royal Monceau. Founded by Delphine Ienzer, an international audiovisual content acquisition and distribution specialist, the festival aims to make audiovisual media a truly universal language. It will bring together industry professionals, deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals, the general public, and associations for accessible screenings and discussions on inclusion. French actress, director, and producer Julie Gayet serves as the festival's godmother and programmer of the closing film. She has been given carte blanche to select the closing film, which will be Darius Marder's Sound of Metal. The festival opens with Sorda by Eva Libertad Garcia, followed by a roundtable on technological tools for accessibility. Short films from various countries will be screened, each preceded by a brief introduction teaching a few words in the sign language of the film's country. Over 7 million people in France are affected by hearing loss. Partners include L'Oréal, MotionSign, Cinésens, Unanimes, and La Fémis. Tickets offer reduced and full prices, with festival passes available.