Access All Areas Film Festival

This eight-year-old festival caters to people with some form of disability and their family and friends. It doesn’t matter whether audiences are in wheelchairs or have impaired sight or hearing, Access All Areas proves that culture should be accessible to everyone.

Highlight this year is Tracks, the 2013 film telling the story of ‘Camel Lady’, 27 year-old Robyn Davidson’s epic 2,700km trek from Alice Springs to the Indian Ocean with just her dog and four camels.

Apart from this feature there are multiple family-friendly, award-winning Australian short films. There are also over 60 screenings nationally, including Sydney CBD, Parramatta, Casula and Campbelltown. “Cinemas are showing progress in making screenings more accessible, but there is still a lot to be done,” says Festival Director Karina Libbey.

“[The festival] aims to both increase access to quality Australian films for people with a disability and show how easily the remaining barriers to access can be brought down,” she explains.

A range of services are provided including additional wheelchair spaces, hearing loops, open captions, Auslan interpreters and audio description. (MMu)

Dec 1-5, FREE but bookings are essential, aaaff.com.au

Written by Michael Muir