The Easterseals Disability Film Challenge, in which participants write and produce short films that promote disability inclusion, returns for its 11th consecutive year and will run from April 2-7.
This year, in addition to the traditional awards of cash, computers and other technology, subscriptions, mentorships and screening opportunities, the Edfc will award ten $15,000 grants for the winners of the best film, best director, best writer, best actor and best editor categories to develop their projects further. Five additional grants will be awarded to past Edfc participants, with all winners announced at the Edfc awards ceremony on May 9 at Sony Pictures Studios.
“Hollywood has only begun to tap into the power of inclusion and to showcase this significant segment of our society,” Mark Whitley, president and CEO of Easterseals Southern California, said in a statement. “The Easterseals Disability Film Challenge gives filmmakers, actors and their crews an opportunity to change the...
This year, in addition to the traditional awards of cash, computers and other technology, subscriptions, mentorships and screening opportunities, the Edfc will award ten $15,000 grants for the winners of the best film, best director, best writer, best actor and best editor categories to develop their projects further. Five additional grants will be awarded to past Edfc participants, with all winners announced at the Edfc awards ceremony on May 9 at Sony Pictures Studios.
“Hollywood has only begun to tap into the power of inclusion and to showcase this significant segment of our society,” Mark Whitley, president and CEO of Easterseals Southern California, said in a statement. “The Easterseals Disability Film Challenge gives filmmakers, actors and their crews an opportunity to change the...
- 1/19/2024
- by Diego Ramos Bechara
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: The selections for the 2020 Disability List were unveiled Thursday night at the Media Access Awards.
The Black List teamed with Easterseals Disability Services, the Writers Guild of America Writers with Disabilities Committee and Media Access Awards for the annual curated list of the most promising unproduced scripts featuring at least one lead character with a disability. The list opened submissions in August and from those, eight scripts from seven writers and one writing team were selected for the second annual edition of the Disability List.
“Our goal is to highlight authentic storytelling by, and about, people with disabilities,” said Mark Whitley, CEO of Easterseals Southern California. “Through realistic and entertaining stories that don’t rely on stereotypes of what it means to have a disability we can change dated perceptions and create a more inclusive society. Hollywood has an important role to play in making that happen. We thank...
The Black List teamed with Easterseals Disability Services, the Writers Guild of America Writers with Disabilities Committee and Media Access Awards for the annual curated list of the most promising unproduced scripts featuring at least one lead character with a disability. The list opened submissions in August and from those, eight scripts from seven writers and one writing team were selected for the second annual edition of the Disability List.
“Our goal is to highlight authentic storytelling by, and about, people with disabilities,” said Mark Whitley, CEO of Easterseals Southern California. “Through realistic and entertaining stories that don’t rely on stereotypes of what it means to have a disability we can change dated perceptions and create a more inclusive society. Hollywood has an important role to play in making that happen. We thank...
- 11/20/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
The Media Access Awards, in partnership with nonprofit disability services organization Easterseals, has announced the honorees of the awards show, which include critically-acclaimed documentary “Crip Camp,” Netflix’s “Away” and Ramy Youssef.
The award show, which will be presented virtually Nov. 19 and hosted by model and actor Nyle Dimarco, aims to pay tribute to creatives, series and films that have holistically portrayed individuals with disabilities and advanced representation for the disability community both on and off-screen.
“One out of four American adults has a disability, but they rarely see their lives reflected in the stories told on film and television. The Media Access Awards is an ongoing campaign to change that reality. And it will change. People with disabilities will be seen and heard,” Deborah Calla and Allen Rucker, co-CEOs of Media Access Awards, said in a statement.
The evening will see special appearances from Selma Blair, Whoopi Goldberg, Jimmy Kimmel,...
The award show, which will be presented virtually Nov. 19 and hosted by model and actor Nyle Dimarco, aims to pay tribute to creatives, series and films that have holistically portrayed individuals with disabilities and advanced representation for the disability community both on and off-screen.
“One out of four American adults has a disability, but they rarely see their lives reflected in the stories told on film and television. The Media Access Awards is an ongoing campaign to change that reality. And it will change. People with disabilities will be seen and heard,” Deborah Calla and Allen Rucker, co-CEOs of Media Access Awards, said in a statement.
The evening will see special appearances from Selma Blair, Whoopi Goldberg, Jimmy Kimmel,...
- 11/10/2020
- by Natalie Oganesyan and Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
The Black List is partnering with The Media Access Awards, Easterseals Disability Services and the Writers Guild of America Writers with Disabilities Committee for the 2020 Disability List, a curated list of the most promising unproduced scripts featuring at least one lead character with a disability. Submissions will remain open from now until September 18.
Interested creators who want to submit can visit blcklst.com. Eligible writers may submit their scripts any time during that period, with an evaluations purchase deadline of August 18.
“With The Black List, and our fellow partners, we have the unique opportunity to bring powerful and engaging stories about people with disabilities to the attention of Hollywood,” said Mark Whitley, CEO of Easterseals Southern California. “Through these authentic voices we can change perceptions of the nation’s largest minority group and help create a more inclusive society.”
“The WGA Writers with Disabilities Committee sees The Disability List as...
Interested creators who want to submit can visit blcklst.com. Eligible writers may submit their scripts any time during that period, with an evaluations purchase deadline of August 18.
“With The Black List, and our fellow partners, we have the unique opportunity to bring powerful and engaging stories about people with disabilities to the attention of Hollywood,” said Mark Whitley, CEO of Easterseals Southern California. “Through these authentic voices we can change perceptions of the nation’s largest minority group and help create a more inclusive society.”
“The WGA Writers with Disabilities Committee sees The Disability List as...
- 8/4/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
As kids of all ages exited the movie theater after seeing the supposed last of the “Toy Story” franchise, there were many conversations in the halls – from tears and sadness that the franchise is most likely over, to discussions about the new characters, and people reminiscing about the sporks they used in the school cafeteria growing up. However, one conversation stood out and deserves a bigger audience: disability representation in the media.
‘It’s me!’ That was the reaction from one little audience member with a cochlear implant. For the first time in her life, she saw herself represented on the screen through a happy kindergartner in Bonnie’s class who had a bright green implant, thanks to Pixar. To many viewers, this may have been a small detail overlooked in the background of a scene. But, for the nearly 100,000 Americans with a cochlear implant, or their family members, this was a big win.
‘It’s me!’ That was the reaction from one little audience member with a cochlear implant. For the first time in her life, she saw herself represented on the screen through a happy kindergartner in Bonnie’s class who had a bright green implant, thanks to Pixar. To many viewers, this may have been a small detail overlooked in the background of a scene. But, for the nearly 100,000 Americans with a cochlear implant, or their family members, this was a big win.
- 7/4/2019
- by Mark Whitley
- Variety Film + TV
Amy Hopper’s “Parents Inc.” took honors for best film at the sixth annual Easterseals Disability Film Challenge Thursday night, in ceremonies held at the Sony Pictures lot.
Other winners were Carl Hansen, director for “I/O”; Nicole Evans, best actor for “Human Helper”; and “The Vanished,” which took home the awareness award, accepted by Melanie Waldman.
The program was hosted by Nic Novicki, who founded the Film Challenge to empower filmmakers (with or without disabilities) to tell unique stories while providing opportunities for inclusion and representation for people with disabilities (or Pwd). Novicki reminded the enthusiastic audience that Pwd represent about 20% of the population, but only account for 3% of onscreen depictions.
Participating teams had 55 hours to write, shoot and edit a three-to-five-minute short based on an assigned genre. This year, the genre was sci-fi. Their productions were created on the weekend of April 5-7, with more than 200 people with...
Other winners were Carl Hansen, director for “I/O”; Nicole Evans, best actor for “Human Helper”; and “The Vanished,” which took home the awareness award, accepted by Melanie Waldman.
The program was hosted by Nic Novicki, who founded the Film Challenge to empower filmmakers (with or without disabilities) to tell unique stories while providing opportunities for inclusion and representation for people with disabilities (or Pwd). Novicki reminded the enthusiastic audience that Pwd represent about 20% of the population, but only account for 3% of onscreen depictions.
Participating teams had 55 hours to write, shoot and edit a three-to-five-minute short based on an assigned genre. This year, the genre was sci-fi. Their productions were created on the weekend of April 5-7, with more than 200 people with...
- 5/10/2019
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (Ladf), in partnership with the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation and the City of Fontana Community Services Department will break ground on an all-new Universally Accessible Dodgers Dreamfield at Jack Bulik Park in the City of Fontana on World Autism Awareness Day, Tuesday, April 2, 2019.
This field will be Ladf’s second Universally Accessible field designed for youth with special needs and physical disabilities, and its 51st Dodgers Dreamfield expected to be complete in June. The construction of this $600,000 project is also partially funded by Easterseals Southern California, LA84 Foundation, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians and Security Benefit.
There are 30,000 children living in the neighborhood surrounding Jack Bulik Park and 3,000 with special needs. This field is designed to accommodate these youth participating in local leagues like the Little League Challengers Division. Amenities will include rubberized surfacing, enlarged dugouts with rooftops, backstops, player benches, bat racks, vinyl...
This field will be Ladf’s second Universally Accessible field designed for youth with special needs and physical disabilities, and its 51st Dodgers Dreamfield expected to be complete in June. The construction of this $600,000 project is also partially funded by Easterseals Southern California, LA84 Foundation, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians and Security Benefit.
There are 30,000 children living in the neighborhood surrounding Jack Bulik Park and 3,000 with special needs. This field is designed to accommodate these youth participating in local leagues like the Little League Challengers Division. Amenities will include rubberized surfacing, enlarged dugouts with rooftops, backstops, player benches, bat racks, vinyl...
- 3/29/2019
- Look to the Stars
Carl Hansen’s “Check Mate” won the award for best film at the fifth annual Easterseals Disability Film Challenge awards Thursday night.
Actor-comic Nic Novicki, founder-director of the Film Challenge, said the goal is to “show stories that haven’t been seen” and to remind the disabled community that they may feel invisible to Hollywood but things are changing. “The people are ready to see us,” he said, drawing cheers and applause from the enthusiastic audience.
There were four honorees for the short films, including best filmmaker, Day Daniells, with “Hit On,” a seriocomic romance she co-wrote with the film’s star, Adam Nelson; awareness campaign award, David Tenenbaum, “Footloose”; and best actor, J.B. Abajian, “Visibility.”
Clips from each of the nominated works were shown, and the four winners were screened in their entirety.
Entrants were given 55 hours to complete their film, of three-to-five minutes in length, depicting disabilities in its many forms.
Actor-comic Nic Novicki, founder-director of the Film Challenge, said the goal is to “show stories that haven’t been seen” and to remind the disabled community that they may feel invisible to Hollywood but things are changing. “The people are ready to see us,” he said, drawing cheers and applause from the enthusiastic audience.
There were four honorees for the short films, including best filmmaker, Day Daniells, with “Hit On,” a seriocomic romance she co-wrote with the film’s star, Adam Nelson; awareness campaign award, David Tenenbaum, “Footloose”; and best actor, J.B. Abajian, “Visibility.”
Clips from each of the nominated works were shown, and the four winners were screened in their entirety.
Entrants were given 55 hours to complete their film, of three-to-five minutes in length, depicting disabilities in its many forms.
- 5/11/2018
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
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