Bus Stop Films summit to explore screen industry's employment of people with disability

Bus Stop Films will hold its inaugural Driving Change Summit, an event designed to explore the employment of people with disability in the screen industry - on both sides of the camera, and above and below the line.

Held over two days on 18 and 19 November, the summit will bring together the disability and commercial advertising, broadcast, and production sectors.

Hosted at Bondi Pavilion and supported by the ABC, Netflix, and Screen NSW, the Summit will feature an array of international and local keynote speakers, panels, and in-depth conversations tackling crucial sector issues.

Disability advocate Keely Cat-Wells, founder and CEO of Making Space, will deliver a keynote address talking about her work in disrupting employment practices and policies in Hollywood.

Confirmed speakers also include the minister for social services, the Hon Amanda Rishworth; Leigh Sales AM; advertising consultant, disability advocate, and inaugural disability affairs officer at Media Diversity Australia, Lisa Cox; actor and the first person with a physical disability to hold a regular role on Australian TV, Louise Yates; and the ABC’s national disability affairs reporter, Nas Campanella.

Following its premiere at SXSW (USA), the Summit will also host a preview screening of the feature film, Audrey, starring author, writer, and disability advocate Hannah Diviney.

Diviney will speak alongside Audrey’s producer Michael Wrenn, and Daniel Valiente-Riedl, general manager of job access, on the journey that led to her landing the role and the support offered to the production through job access, the federal government’s main disability employment service.

CEO of Bus Stop Films, Tracey Corbin-Matchett OAM, said: “We are extremely pleased to be able to bring this initiative to life.

“Never before have the different sectors of the Australian screen and advertising industries come together to celebrate the disability community and explore how the dynamic sectors can do better and be better around disability employment.

“Content is the biggest driver of change, and this Summit will showcase how we can enact human rights, creative and economics outcomes through the employment of Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people.

“I encourage policymakers, producers, creatives and commissioners to join us in Driving Change.”