Virgin Atlantic and Women Over 50 Film Festival launch new season of dementia-friendly short films

Virgin Atlantic customers can now watch a new collection of dementia-friendly short films curated by Women Over 50 Film Festival (WOFFF), as the airline continues its partnership with the festival for a third year. The new collection marks the third year of the partnership and will be available throughout the year on Virgin Atlantic’s in-flight entertainment platform, Vera.

The films have been selected to offer a calm, engaging and accessible viewing experience for passenger’s people living with dementia, who may find full-length films, complex plots or fast-paced editing harder to follow during a flight. The collection can also support families, friends and carers travelling together by offering a shared viewing experience that feels gentle, manageable and inclusive.

Since the collaboration began in 2024, WOFFF-curated dementia-friendly short films have been watched more than 60,000 times onboard Virgin Atlantic flights. The new collection includes animation, documentary, comedy and portrait films, with stories ranging from older women surfers in Australia and a third-generation New Mexico boot-maker to a Yorkshire farm shop, a village post office, a train journey through the Welsh countryside and family memories of Guyana.

The collection also supports WOFFF’s wider work to challenge ageism and sexism in the screen industries by increasing visibility for films by and about older women.

Nuala O’Sullivan, Founder of Women Over 50 Film Festival, said:
“We’re delighted to see a new season of WOFFF films available onboard Virgin Atlantic. Short films are a strong format for dementia-friendly viewing. They can offer story, humour, beauty and connection in a way that feels manageable for people who may find longer films difficult to follow.

“This partnership with Virgin Atlantic brings together two things WOFFF cares deeply about: championing films by and about older women and creating more thoughtful access to film for audiences who are often overlooked.”

Juha Jaervinen, Chief Customer Officer, Virgin Atlantic, said:
“At Virgin Atlantic, we’re always looking for ways to make the customer journey more inclusive. We’re proud to continue our partnership with the Women Over 50 Film Festival (WOFFF), bringing a new collection of dementia-friendly short films to Vera, our award-winning in-flight entertainment platform. We’re delighted to build on the overwhelmingly positive response to the collection and are committed to offering inclusive onboard entertainment that can be enjoyed by more of our customers.”

The new WOFFF-curated collection is available now on all Virgin Atlantic flights through Vera.