2025 Focus on Ability Film Festival

LAST CALL FOR ENTRIES - Focus on Ability™ Short Film Festival

Entries are flooding in from across the globe - but there's still time for you to join the celebration!

Got a story that celebrates ability and challenges perceptions? Submit your short film now and be part of a global movement that shines a light on talent, inclusion, and creativity.

Entries close 11.59pm July 1 - and because we're an International Festival, that means as long as it's still July 1 somewhere in the world (shoutout to Howland and Baker Islands), you're in!

Any last minute questions contact [email protected]

If you are ready to submit, click the enter tab on our site and follow the details on the entry form.

Would you like to attend one of our free screening events?



Search the Catalogue

Use dropdown lists to filter the catalogue by competion year, entry category and country.



Use Filters on Catalogue

Search the entire film catalogue by keyword(s).



View Great Playlists

View playlists of films chosen from the catalogue.



Keyword Cloud

View themed keywords to search the catalogue. It's a great way to get into the minds of the filmmakers.

The Focus Story

This festival asks film makers to 'Focus on the Ability' of people with a disability and tell a story on film for the world to view.

Films are judged by a professional judging panel and subject to an online voting process, with separate prizes for each category.

Meet the Team

The Focus on Ability film festival is involves a huge amount of effort from a large number of talented individuals. Meet some of those people here.

FOA Creator, Martin Wren
Martin WrenIn 2009, Martin began the festival with a belief in the ability of people with disability, and the goal of bringing that belief to the world through the medium of film.
FOA Ambassador, Paula Duncan
Paula DuncanPaula Duncan, known for both her success in the Australian film and television industry and passion for supporting people with disability, has worked tirelessly to bring this festival to the world.
Creative Director, Ryan Goodwin
Ryan GoodwinRyan Goodwin studied as a journalist and has used his curiosity and ability to talk to people to encourage film makers from all walks of life to tell their story via the medium of film.

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 ...

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