The Abloom Filmfestival was founded in 2002 by Faridah S. Nabaggala, a filmmaker and film enthusiast, born in Uganda, now living in Norway. She cherished a dream of dedicating a film festival to children and young people with a disability, in the conviction that every child has the right to be heard and seen and the right to blossom. It’s no coincidence that Abloom has a flower bud as a mascot. In 2015, this fast-growing event was granted the Oslo City Culture Award.
The non-competitive Abloom festival, every year in November, includes a kick-off and opening event, special days for kindergartens and schoolchildren, screenings and debates. The last festival day is dedicated to family audiences. As the young film enthusiasts are also eager in getting involved in film making, Abloom has produced several films on how to cope with disability. THE CHOSEN ONES, a short documentary that premiered at the festival in 2017, proves how difficult is to be heard when you don’t have a voice.
Last year’s festival theme was ‘role models’, this year the festival is all about ‘universal design’, with films focussing on tolerance and integration, debates, workshops, dance and music performances. During the Mini Abloom Days (June 7 & 8th) in Oslo’s Stovner district, children from the area will let their imagination run wild about planning the future of their district.
All this is organised by a small crew: Festival Director Faridah S. Nabaggala (faridah@abloom.no), familiar ECFA-face Eszter Vuojala as co-ordinator and programmer (eszter@abloom.no), and plenty of enthusiastic volunteers during the festival (18-25th November 2018). They will welcome you with a strong belief that every child and youngster with a disability should be seen, heard and cherished.
Contact: Abloom Filmfestival, www.abloom.no, post@abloom.no, +47-46-34-19-45, facebook.com/www.abloom.no.