Virgin Atlantic and the Women Over 50 Film Festival (WOFFF) are delighted to announce the continuation of their innovative collaboration, rolling out a new season of dementia-friendly short films on board.
This thoughtful collection, available via the airline’s Vera inflight entertainment platform, provides a gentle and inclusive cinematic experience designed to support customers living with dementia alongside their families and carers.
Since its launch in June 2024, the initiative has already attracted more than 60,000 views, highlighting the strong appetite among travellers for inclusive and meaningful in-flight entertainment.
Sharon Noyau, Manager – Inflight Entertainment Content at Virgin Atlantic, said: “The response to our dementia-friendly film collection has been incredible, and we couldn’t be more delighted to continue this partnership with WOFFF. Our customers have told us how meaningful it is to have content that can be enjoyed by everyone, regardless of cognitive ability. We’re proud to lead the way in inclusive inflight entertainment and can’t wait for customers to experience this beautiful new selection of films.”
Nuala O’Sullivan, founder of WOFFF, added: “It’s wonderful to know that over 60,000 people have already enjoyed our dementia-friendly films on Virgin Atlantic flights. Cinema has the power to connect us, to calm us, and to bring joy.
“We’re honoured to keep working with Virgin Atlantic to ensure that everyone, including those living with dementia, can share in the magic of film, wherever they are in the world.”
This dementia-friendly programme, created by the Women Over 50 Film Festival, is designed especially for people living with dementia and their companions. These short films feature gentle soundtracks, simple storylines and moments of calm, with a mix of animation, dance, poetry and documentary.
The new dementia-friendly short film collection on Vera includes:
- And Yet, directed by Lucretia Knapp, Lynne Yamamoto | Experimental: A film that glides from silence to gentle music. If you’re living with dementia, the “kitchen dancing” might spark memories of dancing with someone you love.
- Call of the Cranes, directed by Vilma Tihilä | Experimental: People in a forest hear birds calling. They gather together and dance in response. If you live with dementia, you may enjoy the calming beauty of the Finnish countryside.
- Clearing, directed by Karen Kaeja | Experimental: This calming film features a woman dancing on a snowy Canadian morning. People living with dementia may find the simple colour scheme of black, white and yellow pleasing to watch.
- Magicland, directed by Celia Willis and Emily Stein | Documentary: Jenny Myers is the first Black woman invited into the Magic Circle. If you live with dementia, you may find this joyful, colourful meditation on magic and intergenerational relationships enchanting.
- The Past Is Another Country, directed by Magda Rakita | Documentary: 76-year-old Bridget Sojourner reflects on fashion, allotments and life. There’s no room for beige here. If you’re living with dementia, you may enjoy Bridget’s vibrant colour choices.
- The Piano Forest, directed by Eva Sjöblom, Åsa Linder | Documentary: Pianos placed in a Swedish forest create an art installation exploring the fleeting nature of life. If you’re living with dementia, you may find the peaceful forest soundscape soothing.
- Treasure, directed by Samantha Moore | Animation: In the Shropshire hills, a mother’s love connects through the ages to a treasure hunter’s quest. If you’re living with dementia, you may find this soothing animation relaxing to watch.
- Wait a Minute, directed by Marta Renzi | Experimental: On a sunny pier, people dance and play to upbeat music, creating a joyful invitation to savour the moment. People living with dementia may enjoy the upbeat music and the people dancing in the sunshine.
- You Can’t Shrink Love, directed by Veena Rao | Documentary: Artist Lucy Francis crafts tiny, lifelike dogs, bringing joy and memories of beloved pets to life. People living with dementia may enjoy Lucy’s craftwork. Some viewers may be reminded of dogs they have known and loved.
Samantha Moore, director of Treasure, one of the films showing on Virgin Atlantic said: “I am thrilled to be included in this dementia-friendly programme for WOFFF and Virgin Atlantic.
“My mum had early onset dementia, and our experience was that she retained a lot of emotional intelligence, despite losing so much. Music, images, colour, and texture remained potent connectors between us, and I hope that these films will similarly connect with a curious and friendly audience.”
The programme has been positively received by passengers from around the world, including Ipsit Vahia, MD Chief of the Division of Geriatric Psychiatry at McLean Hospital who came across the programme during a flight and took to LinkedIn to say:
“On an international flight on Virgin Atlantic this week, I spotted an interesting option in the movie selection menu – it said, simply, ‘Dementia-friendly shorts.’
“A closer look showed a selection of nine short films, ranging from 2-9 minutes and scripted to be gently contemplative. Each of them was designed to engage a person living with dementia in a calming way, and could be played on loop, taking rapid forgetting into consideration.
“Being 7 hours into a 9-hour flight, it made me think about what it is like for someone with dementia and their carers to take a long-distance flight. In that moment, I felt relieved on their behalf that their needs were considered by the airline.”
This collaboration remains one of the first of its kind in inflight entertainment, highlighting the potential of cinema to create more inclusive experiences for travellers worldwide.
