Film makers have teamed up with University of
Greenwich students as part of a project to help put the spotlight on rare
diseases.
Students and academics worked with charities to help tell their stories for the Rare Film Festival, which takes place at the Regent Street Cinema on Monday 10 February. Organised by Genetic Alliance UK, the festival will showcase some of the best film-making talent in UK universities.
Hamidah Duffidah, 19, was one of three Greenwich students to work with CMT UK, a charity which helps people who have damaged nerves on the outside of the brain and spinal cord. She said: "Most of my work prior to this project has been fiction but I've always been interested in documentary. I felt this was a great way to learn new ways of storytelling."
Dr Lindsay Keith, Creative Research Fellow at Greenwich, said: "Rare diseases so often come with negative associations. There is less research funding, fewer drugs are developed, and for many patients and carers the outlook can be bleak.
"But the Rare film festival is shedding a much-needed light on these conditions. The response from patients, carers, and film-makers alike has been inspirational. Their obvious creativity, storytelling and pride in their work gives us a lot to look forward to."
The festival is designed to help raise the profile of the rare disease community and organisers hope that it will further collaboration with higher education.
Genetic Alliance UK CEO Jayne Spink adds: "We are thrilled to be hosting the UK's first film festival to illuminate the challenges facing the one in 17 people affected by a rare disease. We've been delighted, enlightened and moved by the entries we've received. The judges have had some tricky decisions to make in choosing the winners. Each of the winning films will make a valuable contribution to helping raise awareness of rare diseases and of the rare disease community."
The cinema, the oldest in the country, is owned by Westminster University which is a fimmaking partner together with UCL, Greenwich and Goldsmiths. Shortlisted films will be presented with awards in eight categories, as judged by a panel of 11 experts.
Genetic Alliance supports and represents the millions of people in the UK who are affected by rare, genetic or undiagnosed disorders.
The festival comes in advance of Rare Disease Day (Saturday 29 February) when Genetic Alliance UK will publish a report which will be presented to health minister Baroness Blackwood in the House of Commons.
