Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth attended the recent Focus on Ability Short Film Festivals Awards Ceremony in support of Australians with disability
Half of people with disability feel ‘inaccurately represented’ in current movies and TV shows, as per a recent study
Winners of film awards at the ceremony include Australian filmmaker parents with intellectual disability and an Australian with cerebral palsy.
Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth attended the Focus on Ability Short Film Festival recently to celebrate the success of filmmakers with disability, a group that is seemingly underrepresented in media and film.
Researchers of one study found that people with disability are ‘34 percent more likely to feel they’re not represented enough in the media and more than half [of people with disability] say they’re inaccurately represented.’
At this year’s Focus on Ability Short Film Festival, Compare the Parents, a film made by a group called Positive Powerful Parents won the Judge’s Choice Award— Official Selection Short Film.
Positive Powerful Parents, a self-advocacy group run by and for parents with intellectual disability, created Compare the Parents to illustrate the reality of a new parent with intellectual disability, compared to a new parent without disability, based on their own experiences.
You can watch the winning entry on the Focus on Ability website.
Intellectual disability can impact a person’s ability to learn new skills and affect everyday independence, although this can vary greatly among the approximately 450,000 Australians with intellectual disability.
This team of filmmakers received prizes including return flights to the Sundance Film Festival to see their film played, accommodation, career sessions, mentoring sessions and the opportunity to be a featured guest on podcasts such as ‘Meet The Biz.’
Another filmmaker, Shriya Rangaraju, was awarded a Viewers’ Choice Award for the Australian film with the Most Online Votes: Unleashing Potential – Embracing Ability over Disability.
Shriya lives with cerebral palsy, according to her personal YouTube channel and her short film submission detailed her journey to find employment as an Australian with disability.
Cerebral palsy can affect a person’s posture and movement, although symptoms vary between each person living with the condition.
Minister Rishworth attended the event in support of the International Day of People with Disability program and commented on the importance of visibility for people with disability.
“We also know that for young people, particularly young people with disability, that honest, accurate representation is crucial in helping to establish their own unique sense of identity,” she said.
The Focus on Ability Award night was also attended by actors including Paula Duncan from The Young Doctors, Nick Hardcastle from Home and Away and Travis Jeffrey from Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.
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Tags: Australian filmmaker parents with intellectual disability, Australian with cerebral palsy, Focus on Ability Short Film Festivals, Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth
