Beyond the Awards: Focus on Ability Celebrates a New Generation of Filmmakers
The 2026 Focus on Ability Short Film Festival brought filmmakers, performers and Australian entertainment figures together at The Concourse in Chatswood on Sunday, October 18, recognising stories that challenge perceptions of disability and celebrate creative achievement.
Presented by NOVA Employment, the annual festival attracted 240 submissions from 26 countries, according to organisers, with filmmakers producing short films and documentaries running under five minutes.
The ceremony featured appearances from Australian entertainment personalities including festival ambassador Paula Duncan AM, Lynne McGranger, Ada Nicodemou, James Stewart, John Jarratt, Tony Bonner AM, Nick Hardcastle, Christie Dawes and Gerard O’Dwyer.
While the event attracted familiar faces from Australian film and television, its central focus remained on the filmmakers whose work explored themes of independence, relationships, employment and the experiences of people with disability.
Two Australian documentaries, Focus by Zac Stevenson and Road Trip by Alex Sideratos, jointly received the NOVA Employment Choice Award, which carries a $5,000 cash prize.
Stevenson’s film follows Kai, a young entrepreneur with autism and dyslexia who established Kaiko Fidgets, a business developing sensory products for the neurodivergent community.
Road Trip similarly explores employment and independence, following a young man with autism as he navigates social interactions and discovers meaningful work that allows him to put his abilities to use.
Both documentaries reflect the festival’s broader emphasis on opportunity, exploring how employment, community support and individual ambition can shape people’s lives.
The Judges Choice – Short Film award went to Victorian organisation Blairlogie Living and Learning Inc. for The Bookshop, a story exploring love and loss.
Aurora Support Services – Frontier Academy received the Judges Choice – Documentary award for The Long Goodbye, which follows Max, a man with Down syndrome, as he prepares for independent living following his parents’ move into aged care.
Both winning organisations received $5,000 cash prizes and mentorship opportunities.
The Most Online Votes award went to Sri Lankan production company Ikonic Media Australia (Pvt) Limited for Story of Hesara, a documentary following a young boy with Down syndrome and the support he receives from his family and community.
The festival also recognised individual achievements in performance, directing, writing and production.
Spanish performer Sonia Cuesta received Best Actor for APAGADA, a short film following a deaf woman experiencing domestic violence.
Queensland filmmaker Matt Williams was awarded Best Director for Brewing Blind, which follows a legally blind brewer who establishes his own business, Blind Boy Brewing.
New South Wales filmmakers Karin Balmer and Jono Dole received Best Producer for My Brother Hugo, a documentary about a young boy with autism preparing to leave primary school and face separation from his younger brother, Remy.
Andy Meier received Best Screenwriter for An Accidental Artist, which explores the life of William Bil Anderson Jr, who discovered his artistic abilities following a traumatic brain injury sustained in a bicycle accident.
Emerging talent was also celebrated through the festival’s Australian and New Zealand school categories.
The Kellyville High School Media Team from New South Wales received the Judges Choice – Short Film School award for Eggs and Soldiers, while Western Australia’s Iona Presentation College Year 11 ATAR students won the Judges Choice – Documentary School award for Ben Rocks.
International recognition went to American filmmaker Ajani Murray, whose Will You Carry Me received the Judges Choice – Short Film International award.
Thailand’s Ghost Cat Film received the Judges Choice – Documentary International award for Blind.
Founded in Western Sydney by NOVA Employment CEO Martin Wren, Focus on Ability has grown from a local initiative into an international platform dedicated to changing perceptions of disability through storytelling.
The festival reflects NOVA Employment’s wider mission of supporting people with disability to find and maintain employment in their chosen fields.
Over the years, Focus on Ability has expanded its reach through international screenings in countries including Uganda, Ethiopia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Spain and the United States.
The festival has also presented winning films at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, extending the reach of its filmmakers and their stories beyond Australian audiences.
For an industry increasingly examining whose stories are told and who gets the opportunity to tell them, Focus on Ability provides a platform for emerging filmmakers to share their experiences and creative perspectives.
Beyond the awards themselves, the festival’s continued growth demonstrates the value of making space for diverse voices within Australian and international filmmaking.