![](//www.4rfv.com/images/no_image.jpg)
Back to All News
Netflix and Bus Stop Films Partner to Increase Representation on Australian Production Sets
Social Impact
03 December 2023
GlobalAustralia
Link copied to clipboard
Australia is home to world-class talent, both on and off screen, and its crucial that we contribute to building a strong future for our local industry.
We've partnered with Bus Stop Films, an organisation whose core mission is to make films with, for and about people from diverse backgrounds and abilities, to support their 2023 Showcase - a national tour featuring eighteen short films inclusively made by 180 filmmakers with mild/moderate intellectual disability or autism, produced through Bus Stop Films' Accessible Film Studies Program. Netflix is also supporting the placement of a paid intern, to be selected and supported in partnership with Bus Stop Films, as an attachment on an upcoming Netflix production in Australia.
We spoke with Bus Stop Films' CEO Tracey Corbin-Matchett OAM on the importance of inclusive filmmaking and creating opportunities that ensure our industry is sustainable - and accessible - for many years to come.
Tell us a bit about your journey and what led you to Bus Stop Films.
Well it's been an amazing journey on the bus! I actually got my start in TV almost 20 years ago when my hubby was the straight guy, in the pilot for the Aussie version of Queer Eye For a Straight Guy and I fell in love with this amazing sector. I am a total policy geek and I was working at Screen NSW in stakeholder engagement and industry development managing their strategies such as She Shoots to support women in camera and sound, and Screenability which was then a new strategy to support more people with disabilities into work in film and TV. One of my colleagues told me about Bus Stop Films and their amazing work, so I connected with the co-founder Genevieve Clay-Smith for Screenability. I am always making friends, so after moving on from Screen NSW I picked up Bus Stop Films as a client of my small business, a communications company . And that part time gig led to becoming the CEO of the best company ever!
How have you drawn from your own personal experiences to inform the work you do at Bus Stop Films?
I have been actively involved in the disability community for many years as my daughter is Deaf and I am hard of hearing. As a social worker I worked in community programs and policy in social housing and domestic violence service before moving into film and TV. I have an innate passion for seeing the world be a fairer and more kind place and through my personal and professional experiences I have an understanding of the perspective of people with disabilities and how fairer policy and programs can benefit marginalised groups. This helps me to deliver on the key aspects of our work in education, creativity, advocacy and employment.
Bus Stop Films' 2023 Showcase is the biggest yet. How do you see the tour impacting the communities you represent?
The tour will re-frame how they feel about disability and bring such pride to our participants and their local communities who worked on the films. Our Launceston program is just 3 amazing young people with disabilities and they have made this awesome film called Ron's Creek, starring Rhys Muldoon about a small town grappling with bad internet. It's hilariously funny and so very Tasmanian. We shot it in a tiny town called Lilydale, about 30 minutes from Launceston and it is brilliant. The class are so proud of their film, and they should be, the film will show them, their families and their community their creativity, skill and humour. And after the showcase, the films will be entered into festivals around the world, taking their message of advocacy with them.
How do attachment programs - like the one Netflix is supporting - benefit the industry?
They will not only offer paid employment to a person with disabilities, which means income, capacity building and networking, they will also build confidence in the cast and crew they work with to feel more at ease in working alongside or employing people with disability. Our industry is very much an industry about relationships and who you know, and getting a foot in the door is tough. For a person with disabilities, even with great skills and knowledge it is hard to access the networks to tap into work. Attachment programs help break down barriers and build up the confidence and industry experience of the individual, which helps them gain future employment. It's a win-win.
What other opportunities do you hope to create with Bus Stop Films?
We are excited to be in final development of our first ever feature film, Baby Cat,which will be a fully inclusively made production, and feature an amazing actor with Down syndrome, Olivia Hargroder, in the lead role. Advocacy is also a critical part of our work, so were thrilled to announce were hosting the first ever summit to explore disability employment in film, TV and commercial production. The event will be held at Bondi Beach in late 2024, and will bring together practitioners, commissioners and policy makers from the disability, film, TV, commercial advertising, broadcast and production sectors to explore, elevate and celebrate the employment of people with disability across the screen industry, on both sides of the camera and above and below the line. And because we like to dream big at the bus we hope to take our work all the way to Hollywood, changing lives and minds all the way to LA!
Netflix recognises the importance of diverse and inclusive representation on and off screen. As pioneers of streaming, we are proud to have made entertainment more accessible than before and know that there is more to be done. Netflix is committed to delivering more inclusive and accessible entertainment to the world including our diverse
North America Stories
07/09/2024
The official kickoff to the college football season provided another reminder of how football can boost audiences across all platforms, with ESPN and ABC report...
07/09/2024
CAMBRIDGE, U.K. Adder Technology, a provider of connectivity solutions and high performance IP KVM technologies, has announced a new addition to its KVM matrix ...
07/09/2024
CINCINNATI The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP) has promoted Sean Franklin to vice president and general manager for WLEX, the Scripps-owned NBC affiliate in ...
07/09/2024
AMSTERDAM Cobalt Digital has announced that during the IBC Show it will be sharpening its focus on IP-based solutions by adding a scalable software-based multiv...
07/09/2024
Cerberus Tech, a leader in cloud-native IP contribution and distribution, today announced a series of updates that combine to increase user control in working w...
07/09/2024
Interra Systems, a leading provider of end-to-end quality assurance solutions to the digital media industry, today announced a strategic partnership with Videli...
07/09/2024
oMoVo, an innovator in AI-driven digital asset management (DAM), is launching ioPilot, a new feature in its game-changing DAM platform. Designed to streamline c...
07/09/2024
Creativepool Annual 2024: The Most Awards Launched at Sinfonia Smith Square
Brie Clayton September 7, 2024
0 Comments
The creative industry's mo...
07/09/2024
Meredith Veloz has been named news director at WRMD Tampa, part of NBC Universal Local's Telemundo Station Group. She starts in early October and will repor...
06/09/2024
By Jessica Herndon
One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Fes...
06/09/2024
PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 22: (L-R) Eugene Grygo, Phoebe Hoffman, Lana Wilson, Michael Kim, and Nikenya Hall attend the 2024 Sundance Film Festival Look Into M...
06/09/2024
Video over IP, in the sense that's used in film and television, sometimes feels like a newer idea than it really is. That might be because the high-end, unc...
06/09/2024
The ability of NFL football to attract large audiences in an era of declining viewing for linear TV was on full display in the NFL seasons opener, with an avera...
06/09/2024
MELVILLE, N.Y. Chyron has beefed up its team in EMEA and APAC with the addition of three new positions intended to enhance its growth and better serve customers...
06/09/2024
NEW YORK FutureB2B, a world-leading provider of business intelligence and networking services, is proud to announce the appointment of Joe Palombo as the publis...
06/09/2024
Adventurer A/V, a leading Taiwanese broadcast production company and equipment rental service provider based in Taipei City, has invested in latest-generation U...
06/09/2024
At IBC 2024, Hall 1 B33, leading video software provider, Synamedia, will unveil a raft of new video network solutions as it solidifies its position as a key te...
06/09/2024
LiveU today launched its Lightweight Sports Production solution making fully featured, professional live sports production accessible and affordable for every e...
06/09/2024
Osprey Video
IBC2024 Show Preview
Sept. 13-16
Various Partner Stands
At IBC2024, Osprey Video's encoding/decoding technology will be on display at sever...
06/09/2024
GB Labs, the leader in intelligent, centralized media storage, today announced the launch of NebulaNAS, a transformative new cloud storage solution developed fr...
06/09/2024
Suitest, provider of test automation for OTT applications, today announced the full availability of image- and object-based test automation capabilities in a si...
06/09/2024
France 3 Nouvelle Aquitaine (.3NoA) is a 100% regional channel that aims to promote culture and creativity at regional level.
At the beginning of 2024, the cha...
06/09/2024
At IBC 2024, Camera control specialists Videosys Broadcast will be announcing a new bidirectional radio camera system that will simplify wireless workflows, as ...
06/09/2024
Magnifi by VideoVerse, an AI-driven video technology company and powerful video-editing SaaS platform, has announced a partnership with Storyteller,a leading Sa...
06/09/2024
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices and services, is proud to announce its selection as the official vendor for the HbbTV ...
06/09/2024
LTN and Skyline Communications announce a new collaboration to drive enhanced broadcast monitoring and control for Tier 1 media, sports, entertainment, and tech...
06/09/2024
IBC2024 today announces the line-up of speakers and sessions for the first-ever dedicated IBC Talent Programme, taking place on Monday 16 September in the Showc...
06/09/2024
Kiloview, a leading provider of IP-based video transmission solutions, is set to make a significant impact at IBC 2024 with the unveiling of three groundbreakin...
06/09/2024
The newly combined entity of Fabric and Xytech Systems, currently known as Fabric x Xytech, is pleased to announce the appointment of Kira Baca as Chief Revenue...
06/09/2024
Student Spotlight: Mateo Londo o The producer talks about leaving Berklee to grieve the passing of a close friend and fellow student and then returning to fin...
06/09/2024
More rough news for grownups in traditional media. According to a new study from Precise TV, teens prefer the ads on YouTube and are turning to Netflix and YouT...
06/09/2024
A data-driven campaign created by Samsung Ads and Davis Elen Advertising for the...
06/09/2024
Glen Dacy has been named VP of news content and streaming at WFLD-WPWR Chicago, starting September 9. He most recently worked with the CBS Network News Special ...
06/09/2024
WPP's GroupM media investment unit named Richard Hartell CEO of its EssenceMediacom U.S. agency, effective immediately....
06/09/2024
Cozi TV premieres an original documentary on Little House on the Prairie Saturday, September 7 at 7 p.m. ET. Hour-long Loving Little House: The 50th Anniversary...
06/09/2024
Vizio said its WatchFree Plus streaming service is now available on the Vizio mobile app for iOS and Android devices....
06/09/2024
XGen Network (XGN) said today that it plans to conduct what it calls the worlds first demonstration of ancillary data delivery to a road sign using 5G Broadca...
06/09/2024
MELVILLE, N.Y. Chyron has updated its sports analysis portfolio with new versions of PAINT, its illustrated replay solution, and Virtual Placement, the company ...
06/09/2024
MT OLIVE, N.Y. Vislink Technologies has announced the appointment of Joseph Lipowski as its new Chief Technology Officer (CTO). A renowned RF and wireless exper...
06/09/2024
IRVINE, Calif. In a sign of how important advertising has become to makers of TV sets, Vizio has announced that its popular WatchFree+ service is now available ...
06/09/2024
AMSTERDAM Shotoku Broadcast Systems will launch SoftRail that merges the path-following capabilities of a physical rail system with the freedom of a free-roamin...
06/09/2024
WARNER BROS. TELEVISION AND THE BOSTON FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCE WBTV COLLEGE DAY O...
06/09/2024
NFL Kickoff 2024: Coming Off Super Bowl High, CBS Sports Adds 4K Zoom Tech, AI-D...
06/09/2024
Customer service departments across industries are facing increased call volumes, high customer service agent turnover, talent shortages and shifting customer e...
06/09/2024
SVG Rewind: Freedom Broadcast Studios Remotely Produces Browns-Seahawks Preseaso...
06/09/2024
NFL Kickoff 2024: FOX Sports Precedes Super Bowl LIX Production With Tantalizing...
06/09/2024
Philip Garvin, Mobile TV Group Founder and Live-Production Titan, Dies at 76 Garvin was a leader and pioneer in the regional-sports-production community By Jas...
06/09/2024
Hero Digital Revamps LPGA.com Website; WSC Sports Powers AI-Created Highlights Initiative builds upon SeatGeek and Legends partnerships aimed at expanding expos...
06/09/2024
Quickplay Promotes Prabu Chelladurai, Hires Sean Lynch and Adam Mitchell to Stre...
06/09/2024
RTL Deutschland boosts coverage for second NFL season on RTL, Nitro and RTL By George Bevir
Friday, September 6, 2024 - 10:13
Print This Story
RTL's ...