The festival, which has been running for three years, is held to showcase the facilities, spaces and organisations that continue to celebrate and support those living with a disability. It also aims to increase awareness of the annual International Day of People with Disability, which is held on 3 December.
The Mayor of Sutherland Shire, Steve Simpson, said interest in the festival was rising, and he added:
“It’s exciting to see interest in the ShireABILITY Film Festival grow, and in doing so, foster more opportunities for people with disability to participate in creative initiatives and be recognised for their talents.”
Popular competitions such as the film festival are often promoted locally via media and flyer printing campaigns.
Open to all ages, the competition seeks aspiring filmmakers who are able to focus on inclusion and ability, feature people or locations from within the shire and have a minimum of one person with a disability in the film production, either as crew or cast. Entries close on 31 October. This will be followed by a special screening of entries, which has been scheduled for late in November.
This is the council's second initiative in 2021 in conjunction with the ShireABILITY Working Party. The first was held in March, and it took the form of a Family Fun Day.