SYDNEY FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES RETURN OF SCREENABILITY FOR A SIXTH YEAR

The 69th Sydney Film Festival has announced the sixth year of its Screenability Program.

Curated by Screenability Programmer Rebecca McCormack, a total of six works will screen in the program including Directing Award-winning documentary at Sundance I Didn’t See You There and deeply personal feature Straighten Up and Fly Right from Slamdance, alongside homegrown SXSW Audience Award winning drama Shadow. Also appearing in the selection are three Australian short films selected as part of the Screenability Filmmakers Fund for Screen NSW: Inspire Me, Voice Activated and All Silent Dogs.

For the sixth year, the Festival also maintains its inclusion policy with audio described and open-captioned screenings, alongside a wide offering of English-subtitled films.

Screenability at Sydney Film Festival is part of a suite of initiatives designed to boost the participation of underrepresented groups in the screen industry. The focus of Screenability is to showcase films by filmmakers with disability in a festival context.

Rebecca McCormack said, “Screenability places screen practitioners with disability at the centre of the narrative, bringing new ideas to audiences by sharing their authentic stories. The 2022 Screenability program showcases powerful and provocative films from local and international storytellers and will premier three innovative new shorts from our home state.”

Acting Head of Screen NSW David Gordon said, “Screenability returns in full force this year providing poignant and insightful perspectives from exciting new talents with disability including NSW filmmakers Madeleine Stewart, Steve Anthopoulos and Natalia Stawyskyj. Shadow features the acclaimed ensemble from Back to Back Theatre and associate producer Meret Hassanen, and the program includes international filmmakers Steven Tanenbaum and Reid Davenport.”

The first 22 titles from Sydney Film Festival’s 2022 program can be found online at sff.org.au.

Sydney Film Festival runs in cinemas 8-19 June 2022. Tickets to Sydney Film Festival 2022 are on sale now. Please call 1300 733 733 or visit sff.org.au for more information.