By Simon Manda
Friday, July 19, 2024- The Durban FilmMart hosted the highly anticipated launch of DAWN, the Disabled Audio-Visual Workers Network. The event, held at the Elangeni Hotel in Durban, brought together industry professionals who pledged their solidarity and excitement to include disability narratives in the stories they tell.
The launch, led by Karen Jeynes and Simon Manda, provided an overview of DAWN’s concept, background, and proposed focus areas. The network aims to create an industry ecosystem that promotes accessibility, representation, and inclusion of disability perspectives in the film and television space.
During the event, attendees engaged in discussions on key lobbying focus areas, including industry accessibility, representation, audience accessibility, and policy. The launch sparked a vibrant dialogue among participants, who expressed their commitment to supporting DAWN’s mission and incorporating disability narratives into their work.
“It was wonderful to be in a room together, and to get a tangible sense of what DAWN might mean for our community. We’re ready for action,” said Jeynes, “This was just the beginning of the conversation, and the industry is definitely going to hear more from us soon.”
The launch also provided an opportunity for attendees to register their interest in joining the network and contributing to its goals. DAWN aims to foster collaborations, provide resources, and advocate for the rights and opportunities of disabled professionals in the industry.
“We all know what we want as individual filmmakers in this room, and I urge you all to raise your voices in making this vision work,” encouraged Samukele Khumalo-Dludla, multi-award filmmaker and co-founder of the Power24 International Film Festival-an annual festival that looks at marginalised film subjects and communities particularly, disability.
“Each and everyone here has something they can bring to the table. Our stories matter and we are the ones to tell them. The time is now that we tell our own stories, the best way, our way, by ourselves, for us,’ added Khumalo-Dludla.
The successful launch of DAWN at the Durban Film Mart marks a significant milestone in the industry’s journey towards greater inclusivity. As the network grows and develops, it is poised to make a lasting impact on the representation and inclusion of disability narratives in the film industry, both in South Africa and beyond.
For more information about DAWN and how to get involved, please contact Simon Manda, Email: dawnnetworkza@gmail.com
