A unique film festival made up of short films created by people in recovery from addiction was opened in Liverpool this weekend Lord Mayor Erica Kemp.
Following its successful launch in London, the Recovery Street Film Festival set up shop in the city centre on Friday.
Using the medium of film, the festival showcased the experiences of people from around the country who have been in recovery from substance abuse, using the theme ‘deserving a future’. Onlookers were able to sit and watch the short films on an arrangement of benches, complete with headphones for the big screen.
The festival is organised by a consortium of treatment providers, including the UK-wide charity Action on Addiction, and is a way of celebrating the positive transformation of those battling with alcohol and drug addiction.
In her opening speech the Lord Mayor Kemp highlighted how proud the city was to be chosen for the showcase. She said: “In Liverpool we have been consistently non-judgmental in how we have spoken to people and wanted to help people. I think we owe it to our fellow residents to do everything we can to help them.
“That could be my daughter, my grandchild, it could be the lady that lives next to me or the gentleman who lives opposite.”
David Barnicle, manager of The Brink Café, a subsidiary of Action on Addiction in Merseyside, told JMU Journalism: “Once we got a chance to explain what was going on and why we were there, people were more inclined to get involved. It was great, we had a lot of people coming over and talking to us, it really was a successful day.”
Courtney Allen, the marketing and communications officer for one of the organisers, Phoenix Futures, told JMU Journalism: “The day in Liverpool went really well. It was one of the best events of the five we had so far. Audience response was most consistent and we think more people in Liverpool sat down to watch the films than anywhere else.”