Genevieve Clay-Smith’s directorial debut Boss Cat, the first feature to be produced by Bus Stop Films, the Australian disability-led filmmaking social enterprise, will start shooting in June in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney.
Madman Entertainment has Australia and New Zealand rights with majority funding coming from Screen Australia with state agency Screen NSW.
Olivia Hargroder, who has Trisomy 21 (also known as Down Syndrome) will star as a young woman who, following the death of her mother, realises she may lose her home due to the actions of her estranged grandmother. To help fix the situation, she first must channel her explosive temper into something positive and chooses the style of street dancing known as krumping.
Penny Downie, an Australian actress who has long been based in the UK with credits including The Diplomat, The Crown and Downton Abbey, co-stars with Julia Savage, known for Causeway Films’ Blaze.
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Clay-Smith has made many short films and series and has worked with Hargroder on the short film Sunshine.
She co-founded Bus Stop with Eleanor Wrinkler in 2009 to provide a film school experience to people with disabilities. It has made more than 100 short films and supported thousands of workplace opportunities through its employment service. Those with a disability who are employed on Boss Cat will each have a programme tailored to their learning needs.
Wrinkler and chief operating officer and head of screen Dianna La Grassa are producing Boss Cat alongside Deanne Weir.
“This is a film that will delight and entertain audiences across the globe and bring people to the cinema to share a moving feel-good experience that we all need right now,” said Weir, who is also an investor through her company WeirAnderson.
Further support is coming from Summer Foundation, Sherry-Hogan Trust, The Snow Foundation, Nelson Meers Foundation and Mary-Ann Lopez.
Austraia’s Federal Department of Social Services has provided Bus Stop with a Building Employer Confidence grant to encourage the employment of people with disabilities. A suite of activities has been developed to help screen industry professionals feel confident about managing, working alongside and collaborating creatively with people with disabilities. A series of workshops start this week in producing, directing, cinematography and other behind-the-camera roles.
“I hope this film stirs hearts, shifts perspectives, and reshapes what people believe is possible for individuals with disability,” said Clay-Smith.
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