From: Adam Elliot [adam@adamelliot.com.au]
Sent: Tuesday, 1 December 2009 9:42 AM
To: disabdis
Subject: From Adam Elliot.
A Statement from Adam Elliot, Filmmaker & The
Other Film Festival Patron
I would like to add my voice to the growing number
of people who are feeling rightly concerned by a recent application by the
major cinema exhibitors, Village, Hoyts, Greater Union and Reading Cinemas, to
the Human Rights Commission requesting an exemption from complaints. Exhibitors
are an essential part of the chain that takes films from ideas to the screen.
They are the final link that connects the audience to the film in the cinema.
The exhibitors are currently requesting that people
with vision impairments and hearing impairments give up their rights to
complain about inaccessible screenings for two and a half years in return for a
promise of 105 Captioned and Audio Described screenings per week.
Considering there are around 42,000 screenings
taking place at their cinemas each week, this seems a pretty poor deal. My
nerdy maths friends tell me that 105 screenings amounts to less than
one percent of all screenings.
Although I am more expert in plasticine than
policy, I feel obliged to speak out as an Australian film industry practitioner
about what is so obviously a bad deal for everyone. The production
team on Mary and Max went to enormous effort to ensure that Captioned and Audio
Described versions were produced so that all Australians had the possibility to
see the film. I have personally received many emails from audience members who
have thanked me for the fact that the film was accessible. After going to this
effort none of us on the team would be happy if we discovered that less than I%
of the screenings were actually going to be accessible to people with
sensory impairments.
I must also speak up as the patron of The Other
Film Festival. This festival leads the world in delivering accessible
cinema to everyone, regardless of their access requirements. The fact that the
festival attracted 2000 people last year demonstrates that there is significant
audience of people with disabilities who are keen to go to the cinema. Don’t
forget we are talking about 20% of the Australian population here.
We all expect the choice to be able to go and enjoy
any film, at any session, at any cinema. Offering anything less than this to
people just because they have a disability is simply unfair and unacceptable.
I hope you will also voice your concerns regarding
this application.
Adam Elliot
Writer and Director
