It’s been a big month for AFTRS and its industry partners. Closing out July, AFTRS has two announcements: a new Access Coordinator Training Program delivered in partnership with Screen Australia and other leading film and TV organisations, and up to $50,000 in funding for the Screen Warriors program, delivered in partnership with Veteran’s Film Festival.
AFTRS is proud to be the location partner for Screen Australia’s new Access Coordinator Training program, designed to support an increase in representation both in front of and behind the camera for people identifying as Deaf/Disabled or Neurodivergent (DDN). The training program is delivered by UK based inclusion consultancy company Bridge06 and also in partnership with the New Zealand Film Commission, Screen Canberra, Screen NSW, Screen Queensland, Screen Tasmania, Screen Territory, Screen West, the South Australian Film Corporation, VicScreen.
The program will train and support up to 12 people in becoming Access Coordinators, a vital new role in providing on set safety and accessibility for DDN individuals. A below-the-line role, Access Coordinators facilitate adjustments and access provisions for colleagues on a production with the aim of making productions safer and more accommodating for DDN talent and increasing industry wide inclusion.
Successful applicants will be able to participate in a training program held this October on campus at AFTRS; where they will receive best practice training, working templates from world leading experts, an on-set practical training module as well as support for six months following the program as they transition into working in the role.
Also announced was a boost in funds for the Screen Warriors program – delivered in a partnership between the Veteran’s Film Festival and AFTRS – which will benefit from Screen Australia’s Transferrable Skills and Return Crew Training Fund.
The fund provides up to $50,000 to initiatives that target people in other sectors that have transferrable skills the film and TV industry needs. The fund aims to increase the capacity of below-the-line workforce for film and TV and support the development of new careers.
Screen Warriors is an initiative of the Veteran’s Film Festival that partners with production companies across Australia to provide mentorship, training and job placement for Australian Defence Force Personnel and their families as they seek to transition into the screen sector. Screen Warriors ran its first ‘Introduction to the Film Industry’ course at AFTRS’ Moore Park campus earlier this year, providing students with a comprehensive look at how the film industry operates across production phases and hands on technical training.
Previous areas of training and employment for those in the program have included Assistant Directing, Transport Supervision, Accounting and more.
Learn more about the Access Coordinator Training here.
Learn more about the Screen Warriors program here.