NOVA Employmenthas celebrated its annual Focus on Ability Short Film Festivals Awards, with Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth attending to congratulate the winners.
The Short Film Festival began in Western Sydney as an idea of NOVA Employment CEO Martin Wren whose mission is to support individuals with a disability get a job in their chosen field. Since its inception, the festival has grown with international screening events in Uganda, Ethiopia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, US, Spain, Kenya with the team presenting the winning films each year at The United Nations Economic Commission for the Asia Pacific.
The festival offers inspiring stories, cultural exchange and community celebration showcasing films that highlight the diverse experiences and achievements of people with disabilities.
And the winners list begins with: Jodie Van de Wetering who won the NOVA Employment Choice Award for her film World Famous, a documentary about two autistic performers, and her prize was a Toyota Corolla.
A Victorian filmmaking team of parents with intellectual disability, Positive Powerful Parents, were awarded the Australian Short Film Award for a film based on their lived experiences. The filmmakers received two return flights to Utah with tickets to attend Sundance Film Festival where the film will be screened.
The award for Australian Documentary went to Riley Eli Jones from the ACT for his moving documentary about brain cancer, DAD. The viewers’ choice award for the Australian film with most online votes went to Victorian Shriya Rangaraju’s Unleashing Potential – Embracing Ability over Disability about Shriya’s journey searching for employment.
The International Documentary Award went to Henry Ng’andwe from Zambia for Tale to Tell – Ian Banda about youth disability rights advocate, Ian Banda. The runner up prize went to Andrew Aijuka from Uganda for Enabling Recycling. The viewers’ choice award for the international film with most online votes went to Indian filmmaker Shamil Raj for ISSAI – The Voice Unheard.
Winner of the School Documentary was St George College in South Australia for Autism is my Superpower and the School Short Film Awards went to Western Australia’s Eastern Hills Senior High School for Special Means. The viewers’ choice award for the film with the most votes made by a school went to Al-Taqwa College in Victoria for Heart of Our Home.
The Best Director prize went to Noah Michael from NSE for Beyond the Obscurity, the Best Producer prize went to Casey Andrew from Queensland for Against the Odds and the Best Screenwriter prize to Lorraine Holmes for NSW for Interview in Progress.
Ashleigh Goodwin from Queensland took home the Best School Actor Awards for Me and My ADHD and Stewart Limpus from Queensland received the Best Actor Award – Open Category for Eye Another Day.
The awards were presented by a line-up of celebrities including Paula Duncan, Craig Bennett, Amanda Muggleton, Tony Bonner and Hannah Diviney.
The full prize list can be found HERE.