We're proud to support Journeys in their annual celebration of the creative talent of refugees and asylum seekers. On Monday, 8 October, the festival presents the UK premiere of Soufra, an inspirational documentary telling the story of Mariam Shaar, an intrepid social entrepreneur who sets up a catering company that transforms the lives of her neighbours in the Burj El Barajneh refugee camp south of Beirut, Lebanon. Bringing together a diverse team of refugees through the unifying power of food, Miriam's venture and Soufra's story is evidence of the ability of everyday connections to effect powerful social change.

Support from Film Hub North's Propeller Awards is helping the festival deliver two special screenings of Soufra with the aim of engaging women from migrant and refugee backgrounds and women seeking asylum in the Manchester area. The first is a parent and baby, women-only event, inviting audiences with young children to enjoy the film in a comfortable environment, while the second sees Alison Surtees from In Place of War leading a post-film talk and discussing her organisation's work with creative communities in post-conflict zones. 

Journeys Festival International are working with community groups across Greater Manchester to lower the barriers refugee and migrant groups face to attend screenings, be they linguistic, social, practical or economic. With support from our Propeller Awards, the festival is able to offer these audiences a number of discounted tickets and subsidised transport to HOME.