Easterseals Disability Film Challenge

10/09/2026

10/08/2026

Congratulations to EDFC alumni Dickie Hearts on winning multiple Telly awards for his PASSENGERS series! Dickie began this series as short film that won our “Best Filmmaker” Award and a mentorship with Oscar-winning Director Peter Farrelly in 2015. Since then Dickie has screened the film at festivals all over the world. After receiving our EDFC Adobe alumni grant in 2024 he created a pilot for PASSENGERS with plans for a full series and just won 3 gold Tellys! Let’s celebrate Dickie’s success and make sure to check out “Passengers: A New RomCom Series .

About the pilot:

In this heartfelt American-Sign-Language and English-spoken, LGBTQ rom-com series pilot set during Christmas in New York City, Dale, a Deaf man, moves cross-country from Los Angeles to start fresh after heartbreak. His world flips when he meets Wyatt, a charming hearing man who doesn’t know ASL or Deaf culture. As sparks fly beneath the holiday lights, Dale continues chasing his dream of a career in accessibility-focused tech while colliding with the fancy, high-rise world of Manhattan’s wealthy elite. Dale and Wyatt’s whimsical meet-cute blossoms into a tender, funny, and complicated romance that dares to defy communication barriers.

ID: Dickie Hearts wears a blacDickie Heartsreads “Deaf Vibes” posing with his Telly Awards. Other images are of each award for “PASSENGERS”
* Craft - Directing
* Craft - Editing
* Series - Diversity, Inclusion, & Equity

10/06/2026

Founder and Director of the EDFC Nic Novicki shares his excitement for a record-breaking year of 144 film submissions and the anticipation of announcing the winners at the 13th annual awards ceremony from Sony Pictures .

ID: Nic Novicki a little person in a black suit, gets interviewed at the awards show. B-Roll images from the awards show are interspersed throughout.

10/02/2026

Actor Marissa Bode (WICKED) and Best Actor nominee for the film DEAD WIFE MONTAGE loves that the Film Challenge gives disabled filmmakers the confirmation of knowing “that we are talented and we do belong in the entertainment industry.”

ID: Marissa Bode (Boh-dee) sits facing the camera in a light pink shirt and black headphones. B-Roll images from her film and the awards show are interspersed throughout.

10/01/2026

It’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) and we celebrate the value and talent workers with disabilities contribute to workplaces and the economy. We’re so proud of all our Film Challenge participants who are getting jobs in the entertainment industry and making a difference. Check out our 2026 awards show recap and watch the full show on our YouTube channel which highlights some of the best disabled filmmakers in the industry !

ID: recap video of clips from our awards show held at Sony Pictures

DisabilityRepresentation

09/29/2026

We’re thrilled to announce that our 2026 winners and finalists will be screened at this year’s Newport Beach Film Festival on Monday, October 19 at 4:00pm. Tickets are available on the Newport Beach Film Festival website. We look forward to seeing you in Newport Beach where we get to reunite there since our 2026 finalist announcement!

ID: Newport Beach Film Festival above a photo of a group of people with and without disabilities at the Lido theater under a marquee that reads “EDFC 2026, FINALIST ANNOUNCEMENT, NEWPORT BEACH FILM FESTIVAL” the date October 19 @ 4pm overlays the image.

09/25/2026

Neurodivergent actor Ana Sharp is starring in the feature Rise And Shine alongside Rachel Bay Jones and Danny Burstein. The cast features a number of disabled actors in pivotal roles including Jordan Walker Ross, Analesa Fisher, and Jordan Nichole Wall. Rise And Shine will screen in AMC Theatres nationwide during National Disability Employment Awareness Month and will be available to stream on Angel soon after.

https://riseandshinefilm.org/

Poster art from Rise and Shine film with two young girls embracing in a doorway to a colorful school theme environment.

ID: Stills from the film including:
1. A young woman talking to a man at a school.
2. Girl dancing with another at a school dance.
3. Close up of Ana sharp wearing glasses.
4. Three girls posing together in prom dresses.

09/23/2026

Congratulations to EDFC alumni Jennifer Msumba! Her film The Fish Don’t Care When It Rains which won our 2020 Best Film Award has been turned into a feature documentary! She used the Adobe EDFC Grant along with additional grants to complete a feature documentary, which will have its WORLD premiere during the Heartland Film Festival! We can’t wait for the world to see this incredibly impactful and important film!

ID: 35th Heartland Film October 8-18 above movie poster of The Fish Don’t Care When It Rains •Feature Documentary featuring Jen Msumba looking off into the distance.

09/22/2026

Actor Kiersten Kelly (Jurassic Word: Chaos Theory) talks about her experience participating in the film VIVIAN PROBZ and the positive environment of the awards ceremony

ID: Kiersten Kelly stands in a black dress while getting interviewed at the awards show. B-Roll images from her film and the awards show are interspersed throughout.

09/21/2026

We’re excited for our 2026 winners and finalists to be screened at this year’s qualifying Heartland Film Festival on Sunday, October 12 at 7:00pm. Tickets are available on the Heartland Film website. Looking forward to seeing you in Indianapolis!

ID: image of Heartland Film festival logo above a spotlight of Easterseals Disability Film Competition with the date and time