Listen to this post: 

If you keep up with my occasional Spotlight on Disability Film Festival posts, you’ve had a nice huckle or two about how I rarely post about these festivals in time to either submit to or visit them. This time I am ahead of the game and just in time.

I’ve heard about these film challenges before where film crews assemble and have a minute amount of time to create, film, edit and distribute a short film. This is the first time I’ve seen one specifically dedicated to filmmakers with disabilities and films with disability themes.

Check out the details of The Disability Film Challenge here, at www.disabilityfilmchallenge.com.

Also, have a read or listen to this article in Disability Horizons from April 17, 2014 to learn more about the founder of the project, Nic Novicki, and what the project represents.

Here are some of the important technical nuggets from that article (though you should check out the whole thing!):

“Entrants taking part will have 48 hours to make a three to five minute film that incorporates disability in the storyline – and you can apply no matter where in the world you live. The assignment of the film will be given out on Friday June 20th and entrants will have 48 hours to write, shoot, and edit the films. The goal is to further incorporate disabled directors, writers, producers and actors into the film business.

The winning films will screen at the TCL Chinese Theaters in Hollywood during the HollyShorts Film Festival this August.  The Disability Film Challenge will also set up mentors for the winning films.”

This is not about inspiring people with our abilities! or overcoming adversity to tell our personal story! This is about people with and without disabilities making film about disability experiences because we can, because it makes great art, and because not enough opportunities have existed for us yet. Let’s change it!

In case you’re wondering, I heartbreakingly won’t be able to participate. I’ll be on a plane, traversing half the country on June 20th. (Got my ticket to visit family before the challenge was announced.) But if I can somehow get a nice team together here that can work without me the first 24 hours, I would so love to do this! Team Portland? Are you there?