Member Article

Recovery Street Film Festival set to showcase in Liverpool City Centre

Following its successful launch in London, the Recovery Street Film Festival is set to showcase in Paradise Street next Friday (September, 19).

Organised by a consortium of treatment providers including Action on Addiction, Phoenix Futures, Turning Point, CRI, Blenheim, supported by Public Health England and Drugscope - the festival aims to celebrate and promote recovery from substance misuse.

At 12:30pm, the festival will welcome Lord Mayor of Liverpool, Cllr Erica Kemp, who will deliver an inspirational speech surrounding recovery in Liverpool.

Karen Hemmings, Head of Service at Action on Addiction Merseyside said: “The Recovery Street Film Festival is a way of celebrating the positive transformation of those battling alcohol and drug addiction, whilst promoting a greater insight regarding the road to recovery and the support that is available.

“Throughout the motivating and heartfelt event, multiple short films will be shown to the public, which will display personal experiences of those who have been affected by addiction. The day is set to be highly moving and encouraging.”

By taking a fresh approach to the societal issue, the Recovery Street Film Festival aims to challenge existing preconceptions about addiction and certify that long-term recovery is sustainable.

Mitch Winehouse, founder of The Amy Winehouse Foundation, announced the overall festival winner during the launch, this being ‘Harry’s Story’ made by the Community Film Unit. The budding filmmakers were awarded with £1000 worth of film related training and prizes.

Lisa Bryer, Film Producer, whose credits include The Last King of Scotland and who is a Trustee of Action on Addiction and a Recovery Street Film Festival judge said:

“I am honoured to be part of jury for the Recovery Street Film competition. Film has played a very important part in my recovery life. Right from an early age I was able to lose myself in a good film, give myself a break from all my self-loathing and terrible insecurities.

“Even during the worse days of my active addiction I would hold on to the fact that after working on a film, that if I ever did recover from this terrible disease, I would at least have found an interest in something that I could be good at.

“For the last 33 years of being clean and sober, being a film producer has been one of the best things that ever happened to me. I love film, I love making a good story come alive. I love the whole process of putting a film together.”

The Recovery Street Film Festival will take place in Paradise Street on Friday, September 19 from 9am to 5pm.

For more information about the festival visit www.recoverystreetfilmfestival.co.uk or you can follow the action on Twitter at #RecoveryStreet

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Jack Woods .