Focus Blog

FOCUS MUSIC - I've got the music in me
Could you live without music? No? Me neither. Whether you're a singer, musician or playlist maestro, music keeps many of us joyful. In these short films we meet people who are thriving due to their ...

FOCUS ON LOVE: FAMILY
These five films show the positive and lasting impact of families - how a sibling or a parent can make all the difference when it comes to overcoming life's challenges and growing up to become capable ...

FOCUS ON LOVE: WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS
Friendship comes in many forms. Whether you're in school or out in the wider world, friends can help us share our talents, see the funny side in life, and find solutions to tricky problems. Sometimes ...

Focus on: Busting cliches
Maya shares her experience of Asperger Syndrome and how that varies against what people think she should be. Whether it's in films or the media, shines a light on how Maya wants to be treated, posing ...

WE'VE DONE IT AGAIN!
For the eleventh year in a row, the Focus on Ability Short Film Festival (FOA) has called for the world's best films on the theme of the abilities of people with disability. And in 2019, we are not ...

FOCUS ON WORK: PLACES THAT INSPIRE
Many workplaces today are built around businesses that inspire change, and with that, they set out to employ people with different abilities. These short films look at very different workplaces with one ...

FOCUS ON WORK: AROUND THE WORLD
Whether it's a vocation or a casual job, there are many possibilities when it comes to finding work that sustains us. Here are five people who have chosen to share their lives and working days on ...

FOCUS ON WORK: HAVING FUN AT WORK
A sense of fun in the workplace is a win for everyone. With a light-hearted spirit, new friendships can blossom and spirits stay high, making the hours whoosh by and keeping stress at bay. In these five ...

FOCUS ON DANCE: FREEDOM THROUGH MOVEMENT
Dance is an expression of so much more than choreography and costumes. At its heart, is well, the heart. Each of these films invites us to see how dance is an avenue for so much more. There's freedom ...

FOCUS ON: DANCING TO THEIR OWN BEAT
There are a million ways to dance and these stories prove it! These short films introduce us to several dancers - from Australia, India and Zimbabwe - and invite us into the exciting world of inclusive ...

FOCUS ON DANCE: THE RHYTHM OF KIDS
Have you ever watched a toddler as they listen to music? The tentative bopping up and down, from the knees only at first, until the music takes hold and the whole body gets involved. It's a joyful ...

Ambassador Paula Duncan's reflections, FOA - USA - 2018
It's always so exciting flying into the electrifying New York City that never sleeps. However, taking the Focus On Ability film festival to the United States, humbly established in the Western Suburbs ...

FOA18 LA Screening
The Writers Guild Theatre in Beverly Hills held a nearly 200-strong crowd for FOA's 2018 premiere in Los Angeles, the heart and soul of the international film industry. Organiser, Jess Orcsik, gathered ...

USA tour wrap up - NYC!
The theme Focus on Ability has resonated with filmmakers all over the world, not least of all in the United States, where 2018 saw us screening ten films at four events in New York City and Los Angeles. Over ...

Actors with disability playing the role
Ninety-five per cent of roles featuring people with disability are played by able-bodied actors. Huh? Yep. Right now, they're the stats. But why? Because, like many other minorities, such as people ...

Focus on Malawi
Last November, the African nation of Malawi hosted its second annual screening of FOAM (Focus on Ability, Malawi) to an audience of approximately 200 people. The huge and enthusiastic attendance was ...

Touring FOA - Australia & New Zealand
'Without a doubt the highlight of every year is getting out and screening the films,' says Focus On Ability (FOA) Creative Director Ryan Goodwin. This year the national tour visited Melbourne, ...

Touring FOA - Australia & New Zealand
�Without a doubt the highlight of every year is getting out and screening the films,' says Focus On Ability (FOA) Creative Director Ryan Goodwin. This year the national tour visited Melbourne, Auckland, ...

Where are they now? Lauren Hale & Stacee Parkinson
Last September, seventeen-year-old Lauren Hale from Newcastle performed to a crowd of 650 people at The Concourse in Sydney. Before this, the 'biggest performance of her life', she had sung locally ...

What is it about water?
Following on from our recent blog focusing on details a surfing camp run by Surfers Healing for kids with autism and their families. White packs it all into this five-minute film - hearty vox pops with ...

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