According to the CDC, 25% of U.S. residents, more than 61 million people, have a disability, making it today’s largest minority population. Yet according to a Nielsen study released in 2022, about 95% of characters with disabilities in Hollywood’s top TV shows are played by non-disabled actors, and during the 2019 Oscars—a year when disability inclusion was reported at its highest to date—only two of the 61 nominees and 27 winners who played disabled characters were actually disabled.
These stats paint a picture of an industry that still has a lot of work to do in terms of disability representation. It gives insight into how Hollywood is failing on the inclusion issue when they don’t invite disabled filmmakers and artists into decision making-rooms. But they have no excuse because there are a number of advocacy organizations working overtime to give disabled creatives more visibility.
One of those organizations is the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge, founded in 2013 by actor, comedian, producer and disability advocate Nic Novicki. The event was created in response to the under-representation of talent with disabilities both in front of and behind the camera. Novicki created the challenge to give aspiring filmmakers the opportunity to showcase their work and provide them with meaningful exposure. In 2017, Novicki joined forces with Easterseals Southern California—the nation’s leading nonprofit supporting people and families with disabilities—to expand the event, now known as the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge.
This year marks a decade of advocacy in the film industry, and they marked the 10th anniversary with a star-studded event at Sony Pictures Studios, celebrating a record number of submissions from all over the world.
The film challenge has received a record-breaking number of entries every year since its inception, with 115 films submitted in 2023 from nearly every state and from around the globe, including submissions from Austria, Bolivia, Canada, England, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Israel, Timor-Leste and The Netherlands.
Celebrity Presenters/Attendees Included: Two-time Oscar-winning writer, producer and director Peter Farrelly (the upcoming Ricky Stanicky, Loudermilk, Greenbook, Something About Mary, Dumb and Dumber); Academy Award-winning filmmaking team Phil Lord & Chris Miller (Cocaine Bear, Spider-Man™: Into the Spider-Verse, the Lego movies, The Last Man on Earth, 21/22 Jump Street); actress, host and activist Jameela Jamil (She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, DC League of Super-Pets, Marry Me, Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin, The Good Place); director Kat Coiro (the upcoming CBS Matlock reboot starring Kathy Bates, She Hulk, Dead to Me, Marry Me); comedian, actress and writer Danielle Perez (Russian Doll, Curb Your Enthusiasm); actress Jamie Brewer (American Horror Story); actress Naomi Rubin (As We See It, Atypical, Dear Evan Hansen); and actress, author and lifestyle influencer Lolo Spencer (The Sex Lives of College Girls, Give Me Liberty, Firebuds.
“I created the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge to help accelerate change within Hollywood and to provide filmmakers and actors with tangible work experience and with an opportunity to tell authentic stories—and once again, I am humbled by the overwhelming response. We are proud of the amazing films produced this year and over the past 10 years—which have been viewed around the world—and the successes our participants have gone on to achieve,” said founder Nic Novicki in a press release.
During the Film Challenge, registered filmmakers are given a span of five days over the designated timeframe to write and produce short films (three-to-five minutes), based on the year’s announced genre, which promote disability inclusion. This year’s genre was romance.
The challenge was judged by a diverse group of influential entertainment industry talent, with prizes including cash grants, equipment, membership and subscriptions for IMDB Pro and Adobe, as well as opportunities for mentorship and meetings with industry executives.
Since the Film Challenge was launched in 2013, aspiring filmmakers have created and submitted more than 600 short films. Previous winners and participants have gone on to achieve great success within the industry, landing roles in or directing segments of such popular films and TV shows as New Amsterdam, Superstore, The Good Doctor, Loudermilk, Dahmer, Marry Me, Moxie, Special, Good Trouble, So Help Me Todd, Best Foot Forward, As We See It, Growing Up and Lucky Hank. Additionally, Challenge films have gone on to win awards at an array of other film festivals; and participants have earned accolades and grants from prestigious organizations around the world, as well as given Ted Talks and lectured about their experience at Harvard.
With five nominations, Rain in my Head was the big winner, taking home three awards for Best Picture, Best Director (Christine Marshall) and Best Actor (Layne Apffel).
Mark Whitley, President and CEO of Easterseals Southern California says that the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge not only gives filmmakers invaluable entertainment experience and exposure, but is also an opportunity for studios, networks, guilds, talent agencies and people working in entertainment to get involved to change the way we all experience and understand disability.
“Hollywood has only begun to tap into the power of inclusion and to showcase this significant segment of our society,” he said in a press statement.
Likewise, Nic Novicki believes disability representation must be a priority for the industry.
“As the entertainment industry strives to build a more diverse and inclusive workplace, we must keep disability in the conversation,” he said.
You can watch all of the 2023 entries on the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge Youtube channel, and watch ‘Rain In My Head’ below:
