As a shy, neurodiverse child, Sam Riesel “found comfort in watching shows and films”, devouring Star Wars and Back to the Future and laughing at Monty Python’s Flying Circus. The 23-year-old aspiring producer is now channelling his love for film into a fledgling career in Australia’s screen industry. But jobs are tough to come by as many Australians with disabilities, like Riesel, are being denied careers in film and television due to bureaucratic requirements in the programs that are supposed to help them, but which don’t cater for the realities of the industry.
Through his studies at Bus Stop Films, which provides industry courses for people with disabilities at the Australian Film Television and Radio School in New South Wales, Riesel has gained half a dozen short-term jobs so far – most recently a four-week stint as a production trainee on a romcom that was shot in Sydney over nine weeks.
