Casting Society Collaborates with Easterseals Disability Film Challenge on Casting Panel

Los Angeles, California – Easterseals Disability Film Challenge (EDFC) and Casting Society are collaborating on two events – ”Intro To Casting” and a “CSA Member Networking Event” – to create visibility and opportunity for the disabled entertainment professional community. The goal of these events is to affect concrete change in how actors in historically underrepresented communities are afforded access to job opportunities.

“We are honored to partner with the Casting Society of America. Over the years casting directors around the world have used the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge as a valuable resource for finding talented actors. The CSA’s commitment and support have helped us make great progress toward our mutual goal of creating opportunities for people with disabilities in front of the camera. Partnering with the CSA gives our participants the knowledge and connections needed to continue advancing their careers,” says Nic Novicki, the Founder of the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge.

The “Intro to Casting” panel, held virtually on Saturday, April 23, at 10:00 AM PT / 1:00 PM ET, will include an in-depth discussion to forge actionable change in the field of accessible and inclusive casting. Panelists include esteemed casting professionals and established trailblazers in the field of inclusive casting including Deborah Aquila, Russell Boast, April Caputi, Zora DeHorter, Elizabeth Hay, Rosalie Joseph, Marci Phillips and Michael Sanford. The panel will be hosted by Danielle Pretsfelder Demchick, with opening remarks from Nic Novicki, EDFC Founder. The goal of the panel is to both enlighten and educate up and coming disabled filmmakers about the role of casting within the filmmaking process and also introduce casting as a potential field to aspiring filmmakers who are participating in the challenge.

On Monday, May 9th, the “CSA Member Networking Event,” at 5:00 PM PT / 8:00 PM ET, is an opportunity for the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge Festival’s finalists to meet with CSA members with a focus on creating meaningful collaborations for future endeavors.

These events are part of CSA’s commitment to creating access for underrepresented artists in all fields of the entertainment industry; including casting professionals, filmmakers, and actors alike. By engaging our members and the entertainment community in panels and discussions, we continue to introduce and advocate for creatives who have been historically underrepresented in the media.

To RSVP for both events, sign up via SignUpGenius. For more information, please contact: equity@castingsociety.com.

ABOUT THE DISABILITY FILM CHALLENGE:
The Disability Film Challenge was launched by Nic Novicki in 2014 in response to seeing disabilities underrepresented both in front of and behind the camera. In 2017, he partnered with Easterseals Southern California to expand the challenge, now known as the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge. The Easterseals Disability Film Challenge gives filmmakers—with and without disabilities—the opportunity to collaborate to tell unique stories that showcase disability in its many forms. The film challenge is a weekend-long filmmaking contest, open to all, that provides a platform for new voices in the entertainment industry. Each year, aspiring storytellers are prompted to creatively write, produce and complete a short film. Challenge winners receive invaluable access to entertainment professionals, opening the door to an industry notoriously difficult to enter. For more information on the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge, please visit their website.