Taking Back the Waves

An Australian Shakespeare fan with Down Syndrome sets off on a solo adventure to discover Tokyo in order to get away from his overbearing older brother. Along the way he uses his knowledge of the Bard, his sketchbook and his wits to win the hearts of the people he meets.

Thomas Howell gets more than he bargained for at his interview with a prestigious law firm; an insult about his tie, a rendition of Harry Potter and the chance to change the lives of father and son.

A young man’s dream to make a living in Ulaanbaatar is put to the test when he must navigate the social and physical obstacles in his path.

An adult's memoir of a childhood spent with his mother and two sisters in Australia in the closing year of WWII. While his father off fighting the Japanese, two Italian prisoners of war are assigned to help out on the family's estate. Later they are joined by two German refugee women. Problems of country life and personal tensions come to a head.

For carer Gary, moving on and keeping his family together isn’t always easy. Tensions run high when his late wife’s parents arrive unannounced after he brings home a date.

A poetic, performative, experimental documentary that gives voice to people with lived experience of mental health issues. The Documentary explores how practicing gratitude can have a positive impact on mental health and assist in the journey of recovery after experiencing a complex mental health issue.

A woman with Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) forms an unlikely friendship with a Sudanese refugee through their mutual love of krump.

When her mother suddenly dies, Sonja is thrown into tumult. Dealing with early-twenties existential angst and a sense of responsibility for her teenage younger sister Emma, she has a lot on her plate. Suddenly under the care of her controlling grandma and—as a young woman living with Down syndrome—constantly faced with a society that judges what she’s capable of, Sonja is desperate to be herself and take charge of her own life. When a chance encounter with the charismatic Hakim leads her to a krump class, Sonja discovers a life-changing outlet for expression.

A teenage girl, who feels left out and ignored by her peers, is inspired to do something audacious in order to get noticed. When her plan backfires she learns that being popular isn’t as important as including those who are left out.

A waitress with Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) sees that one of her customers is very upset. She goes out of her way to try and make the customer feel better; little does she realise that her efforts have an impact beyond what she could have imagined.

Gerelee, a deaf teenage girl, decides to follow her dreams and audition for a dance company, despite her father’s protest.

Two people living with a disability navigate through family and societal pressures as their relationship blossoms.

A little boy helps his blind mother experience an art gallery in a surprising and unusual way.

Devised by twelve people living with an intellectual disability over a period of 10 months, Heartbreak and Beauty is an experimental short film that combines music, visual metaphor, dance and original poetry to express how we are all connected through our shared human experiences of love and loss.

Seven Afro-Australian women explore the impact of western media on their identity and understanding of beauty.

Hear from six Australians challenging the intersecting barriers of disability and ethnicity.