employment
Film festival
triumph
students, reducing bullying and
improving the self-confidence of
students with disabilities.
NOVA Employment’s ‘Focus On Ability’ (FOA) film
festival attracted 297 entries from 26 countries in its
10th anniversary year.
T
“From there, FOA just grew and
grew. In our 10th anniversary year,
we received 297 films, not just from
across Australia, but 26 countries
around the world.
he FOA festival, which
remained the same, to focus on the
“The theme, focussing on what
highlights the ability of people abilities of people with disability. All can be accomplished by people
with disability through the films entered must reflect this theme. with disability, both in front of and
accessible medium of short film,
NOVA Employment Chief Executive
behind the camera, has struck an
international chord.
celebrated winners in 16 categories Officer Martin Wren said he started at the 2018 awards night held in the festival in schools to encourage Sydney in September. students to focus on the positives impressed by the skill and courage of
about their peers with disability the film makers and actors, dealing
and to share their success stories. with issues around mental health,
An initiative of NOVA
Employment, the FOA is an annual,
international, five-minute short film
“Excited by the potential for
festival which is open to all and free digital storytelling to change
to enter. attitudes and conscious that the
“And you can’t but help be
suicide, gender identity and sexuality
with sensitivity.”
At FOA18, Nova Employment
young film makers of today will General Manager Anne Goyer
when 12 films were entered by Sydney become tomorrow’s decision makers, launched SearchFOA, a searchable
high schools – the festival has grown we increased our support for FOA, database of every film submitted to
to now offer prizes worth more than enabling the number of schools to FOA to date. SearchFOA can search
$200,000 and a red-carpet awards double in the second year,” he said. by film name, disability, year of
From humble beginnings in 2009 –
night attended by 650 people.
Over the 10 years, the purpose has
“Teachers told us about the
impact participation had on their
submission, country and more. There
are also themed playlists and word
cloud searches.
“The potential for the film
database to provide encouragement,
education, information and
inspiration can’t be overemphasised,”
Martin said.
FOA Ambassador, actor Paula
Duncan AM, told the awards night
crowd that Martin had “led us to
imagine the unimaginable, believe
in the unbelievable and attain the
unattainable”.
Also on the night, Paul McBride
from the Department of Social
Security announced the department
will contribute $50,000 to FOA.
50
employment
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