News & Press
Genevieve is named at 2017 Sidney Myer Creative Fellow! August 22nd 2017
Ten artists from across Australia have been named as Sidney Myer Creative Fellows for 2017.
Each Fellow will receive an unrestricted grant of $160,000. The Fellowships are not tied to any specific outcome but provide an income over a two-year period to give the recipient the freedom to develop their creative practice without financial pressure.
Established in 2011 by the Sidney Myer Fund as one of a raft of initiatives to enrich the cultural life of Australia, the Sidney Myer Creative Fellowships have to date awarded over $10 million to 65 mid-career artists. To be nominated for a Fellowship, applicants must be between seven and 15 years into their creative practice and meet two criteria: outstanding talent and exceptional professional courage. The Fellowships are open to artists and arts managers across the entire spectrum of the visual, performing, interdisciplinary, new media and literary arts.
Genevieve wins in B&T’s 30 Under 30 awards! April 27th 2017
B&T’s 30 under 30 awards, are widely regarded as the leading showcase for the brightest young talent working across marketing communications. Within 10 categories, 3 winners were selected to make up the top thirty brightest minds across the Australian media landscape. Out of 300 entries, 127 were shortlisted and the final 30 were announced at the awards night which took place at the Ivy. With 11 shortlisted in the entrepreneur category – we were very proud of our Genevieve for being recognised as a young leader in the media industry.
Genevieve won in the category for her business endeavours (Taste Creative and Bus Stop Films) as well as her leadership in the industry. Genevieve currently sits on the Arts and Culture advisory board committee for the state of NSW, she is an advocate for diversity and inclusion and has been involved in community work at a grassroots level for over ten years.
Genevieve contributes essay “City of Film? Sydney’s Untapped Potential” to the Sydney Culture Essays, launched by NSW Premier. 19/04/17
Culture must play its fundamental role in this change. Without culture, global cities are neither liveable nor sustainable.
The Sydney Culture Essays take up this challenge with an inspired spectrum of perspectives from practitioners and policy makers in our creative community.
These essays offer a body of collective knowledge which can help us respond to the pace, scale and character of the development in our city. – The Hon. Don Harwin MP, Minister for the Arts
Genevieve is shortlisted for B&T’s 30 Under 30 awards in two categories – Creative and Entrepreneur 3/04/2017
Genevieve features in the Feb edition of Mindfood mag!
Under Genevieve’s leadership as CEO, Bus Stop Films takes out the 2016 Human Rights Award for Community Orangisation!
To date Bus Stop Films has run over 240 filmmaking workshops through its accessible film studies program, and currently has a partnership with the Australian Film Television and Radio School. It’s program was incubated for five years by the Sydney Community College giving Bus Stop the opportunity and freedom to grow and develop it’s curriculum. The filmmaking program teaches film studies and includes giving students mentors from the film industry. Genevieve Clay-Smith has been at the forefront of developing the Bus Stop Films accessible film studies curriculum based on her five years of teaching film studies to people with an intellectual disability and getting incredible results. The curriculum has been funded by the AMP Foundation, TFN and has been developed in partnership with the Australian Film Television and Radio School. It is the first of it’s kind.
“The curriculum aims to achieve specific transformational outcomes within the students and is designed to help them further develop and be educated in a topic of interest. Currently people with an intellectual disability miss out on university, they don’t get the chance to further study, this is a massive issue. These people are excluded from further developing their ideas, opinions, intellect and interest all because society has low expectations of them. We are crushing people’s potential in our society, I have seen many students flourish in our program because we give them dignity in their learning and within our teaching approach.” Said Co-Founder and Executive Director of Bus Stop Films, Genevieve Clay-Smith.
Genevieve receives development funding for her first inclusive feature film, Baby Cat through the Screen Australia, Gender Matters initiative.
Gender Matters was announced in December 2015 as a direct response to the gender imbalance identified across the screen industry in Australia. According to Screen Australia, the disparity is most notable locally in traditional film with just 32% of women working as producers, 23% as writers and only 16% as directors. It comes amid a new wave of feminism in Hollywood with calls for more gender equality in the screen industry, led by Reese Witherspoon and her Australian producing partner Bruna Papandrea.
For more information, checkout Vogue here
White bread performance wont cut the mustard – 10/06/2016
Genevieve gives her thoughts to the Financial Review on the need for more inclusion and diversity in the film industry.
For the full article, click here
Finalist in the 2016 NSW Creative Achievement Awards 03/06/2016
In on June 3rd Genevieve was announced as a finalist in the 2016 NSW Creative Achievement awards in the Emerging Creative Talent Award category.
Minister for Industry Anthony Roberts said the Creative Achievement Awards, now in their third year, celebrated the strength and diversity of the creative industries in NSW by showcasing outstanding work by individuals and organisations.
“The NSW Government is proud to work with the State’s vibrant creative industries sector to highlight the contribution they make to our rich cultural and social life and to our economy.
“NSW leads Australia in the creative industries. We employ about 184,000 people in this sector – more than agriculture, forestry, fishing and mining combined – and we are home to about 38 per cent of Australia’s total creative workforce.
“The finalists for this year’s awards are drawn from across the State’s many creative sectors including the performing and visual arts, screen, design and the built environment.
“Of the 10 finalists in this year’s Awards, four are competing for the NSW Creative Laureate award.
“This Award recognises an individual, team or organisation that has demonstrated outstanding leadership and made a significant contribution to positively enhancing the global reputation of NSW’s creative industries.”
Read the full press release here
Lexus Short Film Fellowship Finalist June 2016
The Sydney Film Festival and Lexus Australia today announced 21 filmmakers have been shortlisted by producers at The Weinstein Company, to compete for the largest cash fellowship for short film in Australia.
Presiding over the selection process as Jury Chair is renowned Australian actress Judy Davis. The other jury members are Sydney Film Festival Director Nashen Moodley, Lexus Australia’s Adrian Weimers, and Australian producers Jan Chapman AO and Darren Dale.
The industry luminaries will assess each finalist’s proposed short film projects to select up to four filmmakers, each of whom will receive a $50,000 Fellowship grant. The four successful candidates will be announced at the Sydney Film Festival (8-19 June 2016).
See the full story here
Genevieve is a finalist in the InStyle, Women of Style awards! 25/05/2015
Human Rights and Filmmaking 19/04/2016
Check out this article Genevieve wrote for FilmInk on the topic of how filmmaking and human rights are intricately connected.
Genevieve wins the 2016 Arts and Fashion Young Achiever Award 01/04/2015
The Young Achiever Awards are a prestigious selection of awards recognising young people across various categories. Established in 1989 the awards are aimed at recognising the next generation of Australian leaders.
For her service to the arts, Genevieve was awarded with the 2016 Arts and Fashion Young Achiever Award in the presence of Deputy Premier, the Honorable Troy Grant MP Minster for the Arts.
Through the Fashion and Arts Award, recognition is given to a young achiever who strives for excellence, creativity and success. The Arts and Fashion Award highlights the importance of the Arts Industry throughout NSW and the ACT and rewards the next generation of artists.
Genevieve speaks about the importance of inclusion at the annual ICMI Women in Leadership conference.
The largest audience to date was recorded, with 1,300 attendees filling Crown Palladium for the opportunity to hear insightful stories and experiences from women speakers from a diverse range of backgrounds. Genevieve spoke alongside Maggie Beer, Justine Flynn and Janine Allis about the importance of inclusion.
More here:
Genevieve is named in the 2016 GOOD 100! 19/03/2016
One of Genevieve’s primary goals is to make the Bus Stop Films film studies course more accessible to more people in more locations. One of the most important first steps in doing that is to create a curriculum. Recently Genevieve was successful in winning an AMP Tomorrow Maker grant to assist her in being able to develop the course. Genevieve was delighted to receive the grant alongside many other wonderful change makers!
Genevieve is awarded the University of Technology’s Young Alumni Award! 22/10/2015
Each year the University of Technology Sydney formally recognises and celebrates the outstanding achievements of UTS alumni as well as graduates from our six antecedent institutions. The UTS Alumni Awards showcase the breadth and depth of UTS’s alumni community and the extraordinary ways in which UTS graduates are contributing to their profession and society as a whole.
Genevieve was humbled to be nominated by her former lecturer Dr. Greg Ferris, and was honored to be selected as the 2015 winner.
For more information click here
Genevieve wins Women’s Weekly Women of the Future Judges Choice Award! 22/09/2015
Dame Quentin Bryce announced Genevieve Clay-Smith and Marita Cheng as the Judges’ Choice winners tonight at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. It is the first time two women have won the coveted title.
Both women have been awarded $10,000 cash, a $10,000 Qantas travel bursary and year’s Qantas Club membership.
Rowena Gilbett was announced the People’s Choice winner, also receiving $10,000 cash, a $10,000 Qantas travel bursary and year’s Qantas Club membership.
The Women of the Future competition was judged by an esteemed list of women including Jesinta Campbell, Lisa Wilkinson, Leigh Sales, Chloe Shorten, Denise Morcombe, Turia Pitt and Julie Bishop.
Read more details from the Weekly
B&T Rising Stars – Mcleay College Panel! 16/09/15
After taking out the B&T Women in Media Creative award and being short listed as a finalist in the B&T Rising Star award, Genevieve was invited to speak at an industry panel alongside four other incredible female rising stars in the media industry for B&T magazine at Macleay College. The panel was designed to inspire, encourage and give the students some important takeaways in pursuing a career in media.
Read B&T article about the event!
Lights, Camera, Taking Action! Collective Mag article about Genevieve and Bus Stop Films in Issue #25 10/09/15
Read full article here; Article syndicated by The Vocal
Genevieve features on the cover of the White Pages to promote no-for-profit work! 10/09/2015
Each year Sensis profiles community heros and those making a difference to rasie awareness about their work in the community, called ‘The Community Project’ it has been running for more than 15 years across Australia. Sensis selects a theme for the phone books each year and calls for nominations of people who fit the selection criteria of that theme. This years theme is ‘Australian Stars Rising Above’ and Sensis was on the hunt for up and coming Australians who are making positive changes in their community. Genevieve was nominated by someone special (she still doesn’t know who!) to appear on the cover
“I don’t know who nominated me, but I’d love to find out! From there I was shortlisted by the team at the Yellow Pages and White Pages and then I was selected to be on the cover. I feel very grateful towards whoever nominated me, to think that someone out there believes in what I’m doing and thinks that what I’m doing is worth attention is very humbling and encouraging.” Genevieve said
Genevieve brokers in-flight entertainment deal that sees 6 Bus Stop Films’ titles on Qantas in-flight entertainment for the month of September. 01/09/15
Genevieve has successfully arranged a distribution arrangement between Bus Stop Films and Stellar Entertainment which has seen 6 titles from Bus Stop Films acquired for Qantas in-flight entertainment.
“From the get go, it’s been all about getting eyeballs on the films. They are so important in so many ways, these films bring messages of inclusion to people, they show off the ability of people living with a disability through the authentic casting and all of them are inclusive, meaning that people with a disability were involved in the making of the films.”
Genevieve wins the B & T Women in Media Creative award! 13/08/2015
Genevieve has taken out the Women in Media Creative award at the annual B & T Women in Media awards. Genevieve was shortlisted and judged on her creative portfolio produced through her agency, Taste Creative and was awarded the honour based on her contribution to the media profession and the wider community over the past 12 months. The awards ceremony took place in Dolton House, with over 250 guests in attendance. In her acceptance speech, Genevieve thanked B & T for their support of women and her husband Henry Smith, “We own the business together and I want to thank him for his support and thank you B&T what you’re doing with these awards are awesome, I feel so encouraged.”
Article published in the National Council on Intellectual Disability’s journal – Interaction Vol 28 #3 Issue 2015 13/08/2015
Genevieve was thrilled to have the opportunity to share her process and philosophies behind her inclusive filmmaking projects in the NCID’s journal “Interaction”. She hopes that by sharing her thoughts and reflections she will encourage others to create programs and projects similar to what she has been developing over the past six years through Bus Stop Films.
I Am Emmanuel selected to compete in ACCTA Social Shorts 03/08/15
Genevieve’s short film I Am Emmanuel was chosen to compete in the social shorts competition as a part of the annual ACCTA awards. The film made it to the top three on the leader board indicating public voting was high for the film. Furthermore I Am Emmanuel was selected as Gracie Otto’s favorite film in the drama category. So a great outcome and great exposure for the film!
Genevieve goes on regional tour with the Australian of the Year award! 29/07/15
Genevieve along with 2015 NSW local hero Rev Graham Long, 2015 NSW Australian of the year Debora Lee-Furness and youth advocate Jules Allen toured around regional Australia visiting schools to encourage the youth of Australia’s country towns. The three day tour saw the group visit over 8 schools across NSW, with a focus on encouraging and empowering the kids.
Genevieve is a semi-finalist in the Women’s Weekly Women of the Future awards 23/07/15
Genevieve has been named as a semi-finalist in the women of the future awards, and is up for a 10k prize to be put towards developing a film studies curriculum based on the workshops and course plans she has devised over the past four years. “I’m very passionate about film education and giving people with an intellectual disability the opportunity to learn about film studies.” The aim is to help Bus Stop scale their workshops and train more trainers so that more people can participate in learning about film.
Genevieve shortlisted for three awards in B&T’s Women in Media awards! 20/7/2015
Genevieve has been shortlisted for three awards in B&T’s Women in Media awards; Creative, Community/Pro-bono and Rising Star. The Women in Media Awards celebrate all the inspiring, innovating and game-changing women in the industry. The winners will be announced at the awards night on Thursday the 13th of August. To read the others nominated click here for the full shortlist !
Genevieve’s filmmaking student, Libby Banks featured in Inner West Courier! 7/7/2015
Genevieve featured in She’Said’ – Ones to Watch! 11/6/2015
Who knew that at someone so young could make such an impact? We certainly didn’t, at least that was until we meet Genevieve Clay-Smith.
http://shesaid.com/au/ones-watch-genevieve-clay-smith/
Taste Creative is shortlisted for Mumbrella’s prestigious Emerging Agency of the Year award! 20/05/2015
Genevieve’s creative agency Taste Creative, has been nominated for emerging agency of the year! Both her and her husband are thrilled to be shortlisted and the winner will be announced at an awards ceremony on June 4th. Genevieve and her husband Henry Smith began the agency in 2010 after meeting midway through 2009.
Mumbrella Awards – full list of shortlisted agencies.
Genevieve’s film, I Am Emmanuel picks up Best Australian Short Film at the Human Rights Arts and Film Festival! 8/5/15
I Am Emmanuel has taken out Best Australian Short Film at the annual Human Rights Arts and Film Festival on May 8th in Melbourne at ACMI Federation Sq. “This means so much, the film was created to raise awareness about issues facing refugees in settlement including, diaspora, depression, language barriers, educational barriers and PTS. Winning this award means we’ve done justice to bringing these issues out into the open. As our society can gain more understanding and empathy for people from a refugee background, the more chance we have of building an inclusive and welcoming society.” Said director, Genevieve Clay-Smith, who also spoke on two panels at the festival exploring how film can create social change.
Genevieve WINS Best Direction in a Student Film at the Australian Directors Guild Awards! 8/5/15
Genevieve Clay-Smith has won Best Director in the student film category at the Australian Director’s Guild Awards, held on May 8th at the Sofitel on Collins in Melbourne. Genevieve was particularly grateful to the ADG and the jury for selecting I Am Emmanuel and for believing in it. In her thank you speech she made special note of the two co-writers of the film, Noel Franco and Mandela Mathia, both men with a refugee background from South Sudan. She described the importance of being inclusive and mentoring people in the process of filmmaking so that they can have the opportunity to develop and up-skill “let’s keep up the directors attachments, let’s keep up the mentoring” she encouraged. I Am Emmanuel was made in 2013 during Clay-Smith’s masters degree at the Australian Film Television and Radio School in Sydney.
Genevieve encourages people at Wesley Doves fundraiser in the role of keynote speaker. 7/5/2015
Genevieve was delighted to support the work Wesley Disability Services as a keynote at Wesley Doves fundraiser in the beautiful setting of the QVB Tearoom. She encouraged people to continue being inclusive and to raise the bar when it comes to believing in what people with a disability can achieve.
We must encourage people with a disability to reach their full potential, we must believe they can get that job or learn that life skill. Just like with anyone else, failure isn’t a dirty word, if someone does stumble, it’s not over, life is all about getting up and dusting yourself off time and time again no matter who you are.
Genevieve named as one of the University of Technology’s ‘Towering 10’ alumni 4/5/2015
Genevieve Clay-Smith believes that you can’t understand someone’s full potential until you give them a chance to rise to the occasion.
The multi award-winning filmmaker and entrepreneur, who was named 2015 NSW Young Australian of the Year, is using her filmmaking talents to help diverse and marginalised communities voice their experiences through short film.
https://www.alumni.uts.edu.au/news/tower/issue-12/towering-10
Genevieve named as ‘one to watch’ by MTV! 1/5/2015
Not only is Genevieve making cerebral, meaningful short films like her 2009 Tropfest winning, Be My Brother, but she’s also breaking down barriers by co-founding a not-for-profit organisation, Bus Stop Films, that provides a creative outlet for marginalised members of the community. So with all of that in mind it’s not hard to understand why she won this year’s NSW Young Australian of the Year.
http://www.mtv.com.au/hp/articles/9-young-aussie-filmmakers-who-are-about-to-blow-up
Genevieve receives Australian Directors Guild nomination! 10/4/2015
Genevieve has received a 2015 Austrailian Directors Guild nomination for her work directing short film I Am Emmanuel.
Genevieve is featured in Topman’s The Film Issue 1/4/2015
Genevieve seems to be good at pretty much everything! She’s even the NSW Young Australian of the Year and her work cleverly blurs the boundaries of documentary and creative film…”
Genevieve speaks at Commonwealth Day event in the presence of the Governor of NSW 09/03/2015
Genevieve encouraged the delegates at the annual commonwealth Day celebrations to be mentors to the younger generation and help young people who need a leg up in society.
With this year’s theme being ‘A Young Commonwealth’ it is truly fantastic that we can come together, to shine a light on the capacity, contribution and potential of all young people. And to be reminded of how important it is, for us to be supporting and building up our youth so they can realise their full potential.
Within her speech she spoke of her own experience as a young person growing up in Newcastle and the need for mentors in her life.
My story and my message, is all about how, so often, young people from low socio economic and marginalised backgrounds, like myself, like the other young people I work with, underestimate their value and their full potential. They need mentors, encouragement and a helping hand to understand what they are capable of.
A new Bus Stop Films, short film project, Heartbreak and Beauty, is launched at the Chauvel Cinema, with His Excellency, General the Honourable David Hurley Governor of New South Wales and his wife, Mrs Linda Hurley.
Bold and Beautiful – mX Feb 2015
I think it’s very poignant because it shows that it doesn’t matter who you are and where you’re from, when you’re a human you’re a human — we all grieve and we’re all connected and we all need to respect each other and include people in society. Genevieve said
http://www.mxnet.com.au/story/filmmakers-show-their-class/story-fnh38q9o-1227230618333
NSW Young Australian Of The Year Is Transforming the Australian Film Industry Through Innovations in Social Inclusion. – Filmink Feb 20
The NSW Young Australian of the Year, 100 women of influence winner, former Tropfest winner and co-founder of Bus Stop Films, Genevieve Clay-Smith, is launching a new short film Heartbreak & Beauty at the Chauvel Theatre on Oxford Street, Sydney on 21st February, 2015.
http://www.filmink.com.au/notices/10514/
Genevieve talks at Halogen’s National Young Leaders Day conference!
Genevieve was asked to share her story with two thousand young leaders at the Halogen, National Young Leaders Day conference in November 2014!
Genevieve is named NSW Young Australian of the Year!
HUNTER native Genevieve Clay-Smith has been named the 2015 NSW Young Australian of the Year.
The filmmaker and social entrepreneur, 26, is the co-founder of not-for-profit organisation Bus Stop Films, which teaches members of diverse and marginalised communities how to create short films that voice their experiences.
http://www.theherald.com.au/story/2686662/genevieve-rises-to-the-occasion/?cs=305
Genevieve WINS the 100 Women of Influence, Young Leader Award!
Just announced! Genevieve is a NSW State Finalist in the Young Australian of the Year awards.
http://www.australianoftheyear.org.au/honour-roll/?view=fullView&recipientID=1269
While other young filmmakers chase fame and fortune, Genevieve Clay-Smith uses her skills to help people facing barriers to inclusion. Through her not-for-profit organisation, Bus Stop Films, which she runs voluntarily, Genevieve works with diverse and marginalised communities to create short films that voice their experiences.
Genevieve named as one of Westpac and Financial Review’s 100 Women of Influence!
Genevieve Clay-Smith Named One Of The 100 Women Of Influence For 2014 – Filmink 2014
And young filmmaker Genevieve Clay-Smith has been recognised in the Young Leaders category for her efforts in creating inclusion within the film industry.
Hunter women named in Australian Financial Review and Westpac Women of Influence Awards top 100 – Newcastle Herald 2014
Ms Clay-Smith is a writer and director and uses her role through Bus Stop Films, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to giving people with a disability the chance to act and be involved in professional filmmaking.
Work Mate is selected for Dungog Festival 2014!
Australia Post Focuses on abilities, rather than disabilities in new film – Filmink 2014
http://www.filmink.com.au/notices/9452/http://
Inspired by real life postal worker Charlie McConnell, the film ‘Work Mate’ takes a new approach to disability awareness training and aims to encourage employees to feel more confident working with, and supporting their colleagues with disability.
Walk the Talk – Filmink 2014
http://filmink.com.au/news/walk-the-talk/
As well as giving this community a voice, Clay-Smith wants to shake up dishonest perceptions surrounding refugees that still hold firm.
Sydney Sudanese community on world map – Canterbury-Bankstown Express 2014
We wanted the film to start a conversation about refugees in Australia, and how asylum seekers are treated by the government and the media, said co-producer Isha Kamara.
Short film on Oscar trail – Blacktown Advocate 2014
Inclusive Film Making – Filmnotes 2013
http://www.filmnotes.net/2013/10/15/inclusive-film-making/
The Interviewer was produced by Eleanor Winkler and Bus Stop Films, a pioneering organization in New South Wales that’s focused on creating film making environments that include individuals who wouldn’t ordinarily be found behind the camera.
Women at Work – Westpac Ruby Connection 2013
http://rubyconnection.com.au/articles/2013/february/women-@-work-genevieve-clay-smith.aspx
At present, Genevieve’s focus is on running workshops for people with a mild to moderate intellectual disability, teaching them how the film industry works and providing a taste in a supported environment of what it is to work in the industry in production, acting, make-up, sound, editing, directing, costume, etc.
Preview: The Other Film Festival – Melbourne Times Weekly 2012
http://www.theweeklyreviewmelbournetimes.com.au/story/317415/preview-the-other-film-festival/
Genevieve Clay-Smith is passionate about what she calls ‘‘inclusive filmmaking’’. The Sydney filmmaker has worked with people with disabilities – both on the screen and behind the scenes – since her 2009 Tropfest-winning Be My Brother.
Tropfest Filmmaker has Help in Focus – The Sutherland Shire 2012
http://www.theleader.com.au/story/267909/tropfest-filmmaker-has-help-in-focus/
Bus Stop Films offers participants the same types of things other film-making students would learn theoretically and practically.
Nonstop Possibilities – Filmink 2012
http://www.filmink.com.au/news/nonstop-possibilities/
Dedicated to providing people who identify as having a disability the opportunity to learn and be involved in professional filmmaking and with a focus on creating inclusion in the film industry, Clay-Smith was inspired to start Bus Stop Films after making a documentary for Down Syndrome NSW.
The Importance of Being Inclusive – Made You Look magazine, for International Day for People with a Disability 2012
Stay in touch with Inclusive Films – Sydney Morning Herald 2012
The Young Minds Conference – 2012
Love and Other Disabilities – Filmink 2010
http://www.filmink.com.au/news/love-and-other-disabilities/
Why should anyone judge a person’s relationship as valid or real if they’ve got a disability, particularly when that relationship is thriving?
Little Films, Big Ideas – Filmink 2010
http://www.filmink.com.au/news/little-films-big-ideas/
Indeed Clay has proven herself to be a talented young filmmaker, taking out the top prize at last year’s Tropfest for her inspiring film Be My Brother, a story about a young man with Down Syndrome which challenged social prejudices. Her latest short film, Frances and Annie, which also examines the way society treats people with disabilities, made waves at the 2009 Bondi Short Film Festival where it won Best Script.
Without Prejudice – The Line 2010
http://theline.gov.au/app/webroot/ezine/issue1/201110/genevieve-cs-interview.html
Genevieve’s keenly developed sense of social justice is based on a deep appreciation and fundamental respect for and of people
Working for Change – Filmink 2010
http://www.filmink.com.au/news/working-for-change/
For Genevieve Clay, filmmaking is about more than just entertaining audiences. This talented young director believes that film can be a medium for change and has long been using her films to address issues of social justice.
Beautiful Film – Stateline 2010
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2010-12-03/beautiful-film/2363312
Short film director Genevieve Clay broke considerable ground in 2009 when she won Tropfest with a work, ‘Be My Brother’ – the story of a young man with down syndrome. Now she’s turned her lens to Canberra talent. Stateline went on location to meet the Beautiful cast and crew.
He’s My Tropfest Brother – Sydney Morning Herald 2009
http://www.smh.com.au/news/entertainment/film/hes-my-tropfest-brother/2009/02/27/1235237915885.html
I think the film industry should be mindful of including people. It’s hard enough for people without disabilities to get a foot in the door, let alone people with disabilities.
Genevieve Clay wins Tropfest 2009 – ABC News 2099
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2009-02-23/genevieve-clay-wins-tropfest-2009/304620
The 20-year-old took out the top prize at the 17th annual awards in Sydney for her story about a young man with Down Syndrome.
A short path to Tropfest success for graduating film-maker – UTS Newsroom 2009
http://newsroom.uts.edu.au/news/2009/03/a-short-path-to-tropfest-success-for-graduating-film-maker
She was inspired by Gerard’s vivacity and photographic memory for dialogue and decided to write a script to showcase his talent and ability as an actor. In Be My Brother he plays a young man who challenges the prejudices of a stranger waiting at a bus stop and touches the heart and mind of someone else close by.
