Students star in all-ability films

BENDIGO Special Developmental School has teamed up with the Connected Circus to enter two films in the Focus on Ability Short Film Festival.

The festival, run by disability service NOVA Employment, calls on entries from organisations, individuals and schools that tell the stories of people living with disabilities.

The Connected Circus has been working with 17 and 18-year-old students at BSDS for several years, and their film Living and Learning, focusing on their movement and digital technology program.

The other film Ashraf – A Lesson in Determination tells the story of refugee student, Ashraf Qorbani, and his participation in the program.

Vern Hardie, who co-coordinates Connected Circus, said he was blown away by Qorbani’s willingness and confidence.

“The determination we’ve seen in him, it goes right to the heart of what the film festival is all about, finding the ability in the disability,” he said.

“He has cerebral palsy and doesn’t speak much English. He gives everything a go.

“We Gaffer Taped a gimbal to his wheelchair, and he just went around filming content… Ashraf’s always a pleasure to work with, it doesn’t matter what it is.”

Hardie said the circus’ program at the school gives students a chance to work with props and technology, while learning collaboration skills, resilience, and persistence.

“It makes us so happy for these kids to realise they have the opportunity and the ability to try anything, there’s nothing beyond them,” he said.

“Some of the students we work with are non-verbal, but we can still get them learning, putting tripods up, setting up cameras, filming each other and using greenscreens.

“It allows them to work together, they build resilience and the art of persistence, that if you keep on trying you will get better at something.”

To view the films visit youtu.be/J5DPETXeX6E and youtu.be/_uJ9LJN8frE.