Easterseals Disability Film Challenge Announces 2024 Winners

The Easterseals Disability Film Challenge Awards were presented in several categories at a Thursday event at the Sony Pictures Studios lot in Culver City.

The Disability Film Challenge celebrates 11 years of commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in the entertainment industry.

Presenters and participants included “Ricky Stanicky” writer, producer and director Peter Farrelly, comedian Nate Bargatze, “Coda” director Siân Heder, Caterina Scorsone from “Grey’s Anatomy”, Sheaun McKinney from “The Neighborhood” and Rick Glassman from “Not Dead Yet.” “, Jillian Mercado from “The L Word: Generation Q” and Heather Morris from “Glee”.

The winners were selected from 135 entries from around the world. They include:

Best Film – “Audio Description” – Lee Pugsley;

Best Director – “The Case of the Obsidian Muskrat” – Chase Chambers

Best Actor – “Emergency Contact” – Kiersten Kelly

Best Author – “Call the ADA” – David Radcliff

Best Editor – “The Case of the Obsidian Muskrat” – Chase Chambers

Best Awareness Campaign – “Out of Reach” – Sawsan Zakaria

Easterseals also awarded 12 seed/film finishing grants of $15,000 each to selected finalists and winners to further develop their short films or accelerate the development of their projects into feature films or series.

EDFC founder, comedian and actor Nic Novicki said: “People with disabilities make up 25% of the population and we are ready to see ourselves authentically represented in Hollywood.” Disability continues to be often overlooked in D&I discussions and we must be part of it be discussion. We have had 135 films directed by and starring disabled artists, and that number is growing every year, a testament to the talent in our community.”

Novicki, who most recently voiced Lego Spider-Man in Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Animation’s “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” said: “As we continue to strive to build a more diverse and inclusive workplace in Hollywood, we “We have made progress in this regard, but there is still much work to be done.”