Disability and Impairment category

The category is built on the principle of "Nothing About Us Without Us." To be eligible, a disabled person must occupy a lead creative role, such as Director or Writer, or the project must demonstrate substantial, credited collaboration with disabled artists. This ensures that narratives surrounding disability and the environment are steered by those with lived experience.

To foster equity, the primary age limit is under 25. However, disabled filmmakers who have faced significant career breaks due to disability-related barriers are eligible up to the age of 35.

Accessibility is at the heart of the festival, so all entries must include accurate subtitles in English. We welcome integrated sign language, creative sound design, and non-traditional narrative structures that engage a sensory-diverse audience.

With a maximum film screening ten minutes, the category is open to films that challenge conventions and put disabled leadership at the forefront of environmental storytelling.

1. Thematic Foundation: Social Model & Environmental Justice

Your film must engage with the social interpretation/model of disability. This model understands disability as arising from societal, environmental, and attitudinal barriers, not from an individual's impairment. Films should explore the intersection of this model with environmental issues, climate justice, or sustainability, investigating how environments (social, built, natural) include or exclude.

2. Authentic Creative Leadership

A disabled person must occupy the lead creative role (e.g., Director, Writer, Producer, Creative Lead). Alternatively, the project must demonstrate substantial, credited creative collaboration with disabled artists/consultants, following the principle "Nothing About Us Without Us."

3. Broad Thematic Scope

Films may address any intersection of disability/impairment and environmentalism, from personal, micro-level practices (adaptive living, accessible activism) to macro-level systems (ecological harm producing impairment, inclusive green policy, environmental labour).

4. Age Parameters with Equity

The primary age limit is under 25. However, if you are a disabled filmmaker who has experienced a significant break or delay in your creative career due to disability-related barriers, you may be eligible up to age 35. You must briefly explain this impact in your application.

5. Mandatory Accessibility Features

All submitted films must include:

• Accurate, burned-in English subtitles/captions for all dialogue and essential sound information.
• An Audio Description (AD) track is strongly encouraged and may be required for final selected films.

6. Technical Specifications

Submit your film as a digital file meeting the main festival's technical specs (e.g., Apple ProRes 422, H.264, max 10GB). Ensure your accessibility features (caption file, audio description - AD track) are included in the specified formats. Contact the festival in advance if you face technical barriers in creating these.

7. Define Your Connection

In your Director’s Statement/Submission Note, you must clearly explain your film’s connection to the category theme. State your creative relationship to the disability community (e.g., lived experience, collaborative process) and how your film engages with the social model and environmentalism.

8. Language & Terminology

You may use either identity-first (e.g., "disabled person") or person-first (e.g., "person with a disability") language, but your choice should be consistent and intentional. If challenging or reclaiming specific language, explain this in your submission note. Offensive or derogatory terms used without clear, justified narrative purpose are not permitted.

9. Content & Representation

Avoid "inspiration porn" and stereotypes. Portray disabled individuals with complexity, agency, and authenticity. Focus on lived experience, innovation, challenge, and self-determination within an environmental context.

10. Content Note Requirement

You must provide a brief content note warning for any potentially triggering material (e.g., flashing lights, intense scenes of ecological disaster, depictions of ableist violence or medical trauma).

11. Judging Criteria

Submissions will be evaluated by a panel that includes disabled judges and experts in disability justice. Films will be assessed on artistic merit, narrative strength, successful thematic integration, authentic representation, and accessibility along with the four existing Earth Stories criteria - does the film Inform, Entertain, Educate and is there a Call to Action.

12. Embrace Accessible Creativity

We welcome innovative and inherently accessible filmmaking techniques. Consider how creative sound design, visual description, integrated sign language, or non-traditional narrative structures can engage a diverse, sensory-disabled audience.

13. Adherence to General Festival Rules

Your film must also meet the core Earth Stories Film Festival requirements, including a central focus on environmental issues, sustainability, or climate justice.

14. Duration & Format Flexibility

While concise narratives are advantageous for competition screening, our preference is for films between One minute to Ten minutes in length, longer films are eligible and may be considered for special programming. All films should demonstrate clear narrative focus.

15. Non-Impairment-Specific Focus

The category does not privilege specific impairments. We encourage exploration of disability as a socio-cultural formation, making connections that go beyond diagnostic categories.

16. Ethical Collaboration for Non-Disabled Creators

If your film is made by a non-disabled creator (allyship film), you must describe in your application the process of consultation, collaboration, and steps taken to ensure respectful and accurate representation.

17. Transparent Use of AI Tools

The use of AI tools to support filmmaking—particularly to enhance accessibility or overcome access barriers—is permitted. However, the disabled creative lead must retain full editorial control. The festival may request evidence of prompts/instructions to ensure transparency about AI's role and affirm human creative authorship.

18. Non-Verbal & Audio-Only Submissions

We welcome non-verbal submissions using AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) or visual storytelling. Audio-only submissions will be considered where this format is a conscious creative choice to communicate experience.

19. Rights and Releases

You must hold all necessary rights to the film, including music, footage, and performer releases. The festival is not liable for copyright infringement.

20. Submission Statement

Your application must include a clear synopsis, filmmaker bio(s), and the required statements on thematic connection, collaboration (if applicable), and content notes.

21. Respectful Depiction Clause

The festival reserves the right to reject films it deems exploitative, harmfully stereotypical, or that present disability in a manner broadly considered offensive by the community depicted.

22. Potential for Special Commendation

Depending on the submissions received, the festival may issue a special commendation for outstanding work by creatives who have navigated significant career breaks due to disability.

23. Final Authority

These guidelines are comprehensive, but the most current and definitive rules are those published on the official Earth Stories Film Festival website and submission platform. The festival's decisions are final.