Virgin Atlantic has partnered with UK-based film festival Women Over 50 Film Festival to add dementia-friendly films to inflight entertainment
Virgin Atlantic and the Women Over 50 Film Festival (WOFFF) join forces this summer to create a more inclusive experience for passengers living with dementia and their families or carers.
Starting this month, a selection of short films from WOFFF filmmakers will be available as part of the inflight entertainment offer, Vera.
The films have been specifically chosen, with input from UK charity Carers UK, to provide a relaxing experience for travellers living with dementia.
Nuala O’Sullivan, founder of WOFFF, who has worked with filmmakers to provide the short films, said, “We’re absolutely delighted to collaborate with Virgin Atlantic to improve the inflight experience for those living with dementia.
“There are 944,000 people living with dementia in the UK and 55 million worldwide. It’s important that they aren’t excluded from participating in everyday life, pursuing hobbies or experiencing travel.
“By expanding their inflight entertainment to include specific films for people living with dementia, Virgin Atlantic is making the magic of cinema accessible to so many more people.”
WOFFF, known for celebrating the work of older women in the film industry with an annual film festival, also screens short films in care homes around the UK and has worked with Carers UK to develop the programme for Virgin Atlantic.
Micheal Shann of Carers UK said, “This is a fantastic initiative towards creating more inclusive environments for people living with dementia and their families. We worked with the team at WOFFF to review several of their short films and selected the ones we believe are most appropriate for those living with dementia. We also felt these films could be enjoyed by anyone, so they’re perfect for family members or carers to watch too.”
The films selected are gentle and engaging, using music and movement to convey the plotline, and they rely much less on dialogue than audiences might typically be used to.
From Scottish Ballet’s relaxing dance film to a nature animation with soft, muted colours, all the films have been chosen for their ability to captivate and soothe.
The films, which have all previously been shown as part of the Women Over 50 Film Festival, will be available on Vera, Virgin Airline’s inflight entertainment, from June to December 2024.
Vera’s dementia-friendly short film selection:
Entitled, director Adeyemi Michael
Eulogy for the Dandelion, director Gloria Civantos
Haud Close Tae Me, director Eve McConnachie
The Honeys and Bears, director Veena Rao
Lay Me Low, director Marlene Millar
Old Mother Blackbird, director Sophie Bancroft
Swim, director Maike Mahira Koller
Walks With Me, director Kati Kallio
Sophie Bancroft, whose film Old Mother Blackbird is included in the project, said, “I am thrilled that my short film Old Mother Blackbird is part of this dementia- responsive programme.
“Inspired by an extraordinarily brave and loyal mother blackbird that set up nest in my garden in a wee village south of Edinburgh, Scotland, I’m thrilled to see her universal story of maternal love and family taking flight across the world.”
This dementia-friendly programme is thought to be the first on any inflight entertainment system in the world. The partnership coincides with Virgin Atlantic’s 40th birthday celebrations and reinforces its founding mission that everyone can take on the world.
Sharon Noyau, Manager – Inflight Entertainment Content at Virgin Atlantic, said, “We’re committed to enhancing the travel experience for all customers, and so being able to expand our entertainment options with these thoughtful and inclusive films is something we’re very proud of. We hope our dementia-friendly short film selection will bring joy and comfort to our customers living with dementia and their families as they travel with us.”
ENDS
Notes To Editor:
About Women Over 50 Film Festival (WOFFF)
Founded in 2015 by Nuala O’Sullivan WOFFF champions the work of older women in film, showcasing stories told by or about women over 50. The festival takes place annually online and in person, and welcomes films by anyone, of any age, any gender and all life experiences, with just one condition: the film must feature a woman over 50 or have a woman over 50 as a director, producer or writer.
The festival provides a platform for voices often underrepresented in the film industry, promoting diversity and inclusion through cinema. WOFFF became a BIFA-Qualifying Film Festival in 2023.
Its Moving Pictures programme, founded in 2019, takes a ‘mini-festival’ of short films and creative activities into elder care homes and community centres across the UK.
For more information visit www.wofff.co.uk or Facebook @WOFFF Instagram and Twitter @WO50FF
About Carers UK
There are currently 5.7 million unpaid carers throughout the UK. Many are being pushed to breaking point, with 1.3 million people providing unpaid care for 50+ hours per week. Carers UK campaigns to make life better for carers and provides information and advice, as well as the practical and emotional support that carers so desperately need.
About Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Atlantic was founded by entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson in 1984, with innovation and amazing customer service at its core. In 2023, Virgin Atlantic was voted Britain’s only Global Five Star Airline by APEX for the seventh year running in the OfficialAirline Ratings. Headquartered in London, it employs more than 8,500 people worldwide, flying customers to 30 destinations across four continents throughout the year.
Alongside shareholder and Joint Venture partner Delta Air Lines, Virgin Atlantic operates a leading transatlantic network, with onward connections to over 200 cities around the world. In February 2020, Air France-KLM, Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic launched an expanded Joint Venture, offering a comprehensive route network, convenient flight schedules, competitive fares and reciprocal frequent flyer benefits, including the ability to earn and redeem miles across all carriers. Virgin Atlantic joined SkyTeam in March 2023 as the global airline alliance’s first and only UK member airline, enhancing the alliance’s transatlantic network and services to and from Heathrow and Manchester Airport.
Virgin Atlantic has been pioneering sustainability leadership for more than 15 years, committing to Net Zero by 2050 and continuous action that reduces environmental impact. The airline operates one of the youngest and most fuel-efficient fleets in the skies, with an average age under seven years. In October 2022, Virgin Atlantic welcomed the first of 16 A330-900neos to the fleet, continuing its transformation towards 100% next generation aircraft by 2028. In November 2023, the airline led a consortium to deliver the world’s first flight across the Atlantic on 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), demonstrating that 100% SAF can be used safely as a drop in fuel in existing infrastructure, engines and airframes. The need to scale production is an industry imperative and Virgin Atlantic is committed to radical collaboration across the energy chain to support commercialisation ahead of 2030.
For more information visit www.virginatlantic.com or via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @virginatlantic.
