AIDC Announces New Partnership With Bus Stop Films to Support Access and Inclusion for Leading Lights Program
Organisations to provide matched funding for inclusivity resources
AIDC is delighted to announce a new partnership with pioneering inclusive filmmaking organisation Bus Stop Films to support the access and inclusion needs of d/Deaf, disabled and neurodiverse Leading Lights participants.
Bus Stop Films and AIDC will contribute matched funding to provide access and inclusion support for the successful Leading Lights candidates. Bus Stop will also provide in-kind access advice.
The partnership enhances the potential of Leading Lights to support emerging and diverse participants in an inclusive manner, ensuring that filmmakers from all backgrounds are welcomed to the documentary and factual practitioner community at AIDC 2024.
“Bus Stop works to support people with disability and other marginalised groups, to have meaningful access to the screen industry opportunities”, said Bus Stop Films CEO and AIDC Advisory Committee Member, Tracey Corbin-Matchett OAM
“Initiatives like Leading Lights connect participants into brilliant professional development and networking opportunities and we’re thrilled to be partnering with AIDC to ensure they are accessible, and open to all.”
Tracey Corbin-Matchett
“We are extremely grateful to Bus Stop Films for their access and inclusion partnership so that we can create opportunities for deaf, disabled and neurodiverse storytellers to participate in the 2024 Leading Lights program,” said AIDC CEO / Creative Director, Natasha Gadd.
“AIDC is continuously striving to create new initiatives and programs that will pave the way for authentic storytelling and creative agency for practitioners, and the Bus Stop partnership will help us greatly in achieving this aim.“
Natasha Gadd
In operation since 2009, Bus Stop Films is a pioneering, not-for-profit organisation that makes films with, for and about people from diverse backgrounds and abilities.
Bus Stop uses filmmaking and the film industry to change community attitudes globally around the rights and contribution to society of and by people with disability.
The company’s catalogue includes over 85 award-winning films, with Bus Stop Films winning Best Breakthrough Business of the Year at the 2023 Screen Producers Australia Awards.
Behind the scenes on What Was it Like? 2020, Bus Stop Films
Leading Lights is AIDC’s philanthropic funding initiative, designed to enable emerging and diverse practitioners to attend AIDC for the first time and participate in a customised professional development program.
Thanks to the support of industry donors, the program provides vital assistance to industry newcomers in establishing themselves as part of Australia’s documentary and factual practitioner community.
Applications for the 2024 Leading Lights program close Sunday 17 December. Eligible applicants include emerging and early-career, Indigenous and First Nations, LGBTQIA+, d/Deaf, disabled and neurodiverse, regional and remote, and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) nonfiction practitioners.
All selected Leading Lights recipients receive a Sessions Pass to attend AIDC 2024 and are eligible to participate in the Leading Lights program thanks to the support of our program partner, AFTRS, in collaboration with Edith Cowan University (ECU).
Leading Lights 2023
Learn more about Bus Stop Films: busstopfilms.com.au
2024 Leading Lights applications close 11.59pm Sunday 17 December 2023: aidc.com.au/initiatives/leading-lights
Main Image: Behind the scenes of It Won’t Define Me (Bus Stop Films, 2021) Pic: Michael Santos