PRESS RELEASE
Bus Stop Films, a not-for-profit social enterprise that uses filmmaking to make the world more inclusive, has announced that its programs will be nationwide in 2025. Enrolments for the 2025 nationwide program are now open.
Bus Stop Films delivers an award-winning Accessible Film Studies Program for people living with intellectual disability or autism.
First offered in Sydney in 2009, the Accessible Film Studies Program has steadily grown over the past 15 years with participants hailing its transformative impact.
Bus Stop Films has added three new locations – Cairns, Darwin and Hobart – and next year will roll out 24 classes in 16 locations across Australia, including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and a number of regional centres such as Wollongong, Coffs Harbour and Launceston.
The program’s expansion coincides with the growing demand for diverse voices in the film industry and a desire to create more inclusive workplaces.
The expansion ensures that students with disabilities from all over the country can have access to a film school experience, with students having the opportunity to make short films and get real-world, on-set experience.
Delivered in partnership with Australia’s leading film schools, the 40-week program is led by passionate filmmakers and disability support workers. Participants visit film production companies and work with professional filmmakers to learn both theoretical and practical approaches.
In 2025 Bus Stop will make its first feature film. Many of Bus Stop’s short films have been recognized both locally and internationally. Projects made through the Accessible Film Studies Program have been showcased at Oscar-qualifying festivals in the USA, Canada, Japan and New Zealand and broadcast on television. Participants have had the opportunity to learn from and collaborate with industry professionals on both sides of the camera including director Kriv Stenders (Red Dog) and performers including Chloe Hayden and Dylan Allcott AM as well as Bus Stop’s Ambassador, celebrity chef Miguel Maestre.
Beyond their film industry exposure, students also develop improved social, communication and work-ready skills. Program participants, supported by Bus Stop Employment, have gone on to work on projects such as Anyone But You, starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, Marvel’s Thor: Love and Thunder, starring Chris Hemsworth, and commercials for brands including Bonds, nib and Optus.
Tracey Corbin-Matchett OAM, CEO of Bus Stop Films, said: “I’m thrilled that we now have a fully national footprint. Our expansion is driven by a demand for our impactful programs and the rights of people with disability to have access to creative programs which can enhance their lives. Bus Stop’s strong network of program partners means people with disabilities can now engage in a film school experience in a nurturing and supportive environment.”
Anyone who is interested in filmmaking, is aged 17+ and who lives with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities or autism, is invited to visit the Bus Stop Films website to find out more information and enroll today – https://busstopfilms.com.au/programs/
