Recovery Street Film Festival to launch at Rio Cinema in Dalston

The Recovery Street Film Festival, which celebrates people’s journeys to recovery from drug and alcohol misuse, is launching for the third year running on Wednesday 7th September.

The launch event is open to the general public and will take place from 12 – 1:30pm at the Rio Cinema in Dalston, London. Mark Dempster, a former drug addict who turned his life around to become an addiction counsellor, will be hosting the event.

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A total of ten shortlisted films will be screened on the day, each three minutes long. A winner will then be announced with prizes for those in 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.

In 2014, a total of 3,300 people died from drug poisoning in England and Wales, the highest number since records began. The aim of the Recovery Street Film Festival, therefore, is to break down stigma by opening up conversations and to show what recovery can look like. The festival empowers people who have been affected by addiction, by giving them a platform to talk about their experiences of recovery and how they have overcome barriers.

Mitch Winehouse, father of singer Amy Winehouse endorsed the festival, stating: ‘Sadly we don’t hear much about recovery in the press or on TV, and as a result people who are struggling with addiction don’t know that they have got a chance. People have got to know that recovery is out there and it is possible.

‘Recovery is a concept that means different things to different people, and the Recovery Street Film Festival is a great opportunity to share their unique stories about how they or a loved one turned their lives around.’

The shortlisted films will be shown on the Community Channel on throughout September, broadcasting 24/7 on Virgin 269, Sky 539 and Freesat 651.