Movies: Women in Cinema-Inclusive Project on the Importance of Accessibility in Film
Angela Prudenzi and Federico Spoletti Shine a Spotlight on Women in Film and the Importance of Accessibility
Women in Cinema-Inclusive Project (WICIP) is an international project pioneered by Angela Prudenzi and Federico Spoletti to promote accessibility in film and advance the involvement of women in film. This is the first international project dedicated to introducing films written, produced and directed by Italian women to different parts of the world. The project officially commenced in June 2022. It was designated a special project by the Italian Ministry of Culture.
The central theme in this project is inclusivity. The films in the project are multilingual; they are presented in their original language with appropriate subtitles added. To successfully achieve this, WICIP partnered with several companies including cultural and tech partners Sub-Ti access; a company focused on cultural accessibility for the media particularly for cinema, theater and TV content.
The Goal of WICIP Related to Accessibility:
One of the primary goals of WICIP is to guarantee film accessibility to people with sensory disabilities in line with internationally recognized standards. Generally, one in six persons at some point in their lifetime will become sensory impaired making social inclusion a priority.
WICIP is also in strategic partnership with Earcatch, an innovative Dutch company with over 5 years track record in developing ingenious applications to make all multimedia contents accessible; these applications can be adapted to any context. By virtue of this strategic partnership, all the films in the project are fully accessible with corresponding subtitles for the hard-of-hearing and deaf viewers. The films are also replete with audio descriptions for visually impaired and blind viewers. In addition, the films are presented using state-of-the-art technologies and as such the audio descriptions and subtitles can be downloaded onto the personal smartphone of viewers. Deaf audiences also get to enjoy a live subtitling service.
The project employs a dual viewing option in its drive to ensure accessibility in film. The project has arrangements for both in-person viewing in theaters and online streaming by virtue of its collaboration with MyMovies; the topmost cutting-edge Italian online streaming platform for films.
There are several international partners affiliated with WICIP which accounts for its widespread reach in several countries around the world. Currently, there are about 20 viewing locations in different parts of the world. This includes Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Ireland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, United Kingdom and United States. WICIP showcases Italian films in French, Portuguese, Slovak, Spanish and English.
Institutions and distinguished individuals involved in WIPIP:
ESIST (European Association for Studies in Screen Translation) https://www.esist.org
LEAD ME Cost Action (media European platform engaged in the research and promotion of innovative technologies, best practices and solutions in the field of media accessibility) https://lead-me-cost.eu/
ELIANA FRANCO (lecturer and accessibility expert both in Brazil and Portugal) https://aptrad.pt/1stAVTIntConf/speaker-eliana-franco/
SILVIA PAVONI (FT journalist) https://talkingbiznews.com/they-talk-biz-news/ft-appoints-pavoni-editor-of-sustainable-views/
Universities Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona
Galician Observatory for Media Accessibility/Universida de Vigo
University of Surrey
Montclair State University (New Jersey)
Università di Nitra (Slovakia)
University of Sydney
University of Antwerp
Università di Macerata
Women equality |women empowerment associations (WiCA) https://womenincinemaaward.com
WILL (Women in Leadership in Latin America) https://www.latamwill.org/
Film promotion associations, film festivals and other supporting institutions include: Cinema Italia UK (London), Tres Mil Mundos (Buenos Aires), Cinema Espresso (Paris), One World Film Festival (Bratislava), Sag Harbor Cinema (Hamptons), European Co-Production Forum (Brussels), Ibiscus Media (Los Angeles), Cinéma Paradiso (Toulouse), Semana do cinema italiano (São Paulo), ICFF Italian Contemporary Film Festival (Toronto), Italian Cultural Institute (Sydney)
Films & Events for WICIP:
The WICIP has been comprised of five films selected from the fiction features and documentaries features genres. These films include:
● THE MACALUSO SISTERS by Emma Dante
A fiction film showcased in competition at the 2020 Venice International Film Festival
● LA RAGAZZA HA VOLATO by Wilma Labate
A fiction film showcased in competition at the 2021 Venice International Film Festival
● BEING MY MOM by Jasmine Trinca
Fiction film showcased in competition at the 2020 Venice International Film Festival
● FAITH by Valentina Medicine
Documentary presented at the 2019 International Documentary Festival Amsterdam
● CORPO A CORPO by Maria Lovine
Documentary presented at Alice Nella Città 2021; Rome Film Festival.
Execution of WICIP project will be in the form of a one to three-day screenings coupled with events which will constitute a major part of the exercise. These events include Q&A sessions, roundtables and debates. The discussions in these events are centered towards fostering a culture of inclusivity and accessibility in film. This provides an invaluable platform for exchange of ideas amongst producers of different nationalities. In addition, this brings about a possibility of joint production projects.
WICIP is well on its way to attaining a standing of national and international repute. It's built on the pillars of social inclusivity, a very fundamental issue in today's present world. Accessibility in film has become a necessity in the development of any civil society. For more information, visit WICIP.