Jointly made by Bus Stop Films and disability service provider Northcott, short film Valiant aims to highlight that everyone, including those with disability, has the right to intimacy, love and healthy relationships.
The film boasts a diverse cast, including Emily Scerri-Rikkert (We Have Me) who lives with Down Syndrome and emerging Indigenous actor Ngali Shaw (RFDS, The Twelve), and explores consent, breakups, intimacy and dating through four heartwarming stories.
Written by Emily Dash and directed by filmmaker Claudia Bailey, Valiant was developed by 12 young adults with disability as part of the Bus Stop Films Accessible Film Studies Program, supported by Northcott. Students workshopped potential situations and challenges that people with disability may face in relationships, and discussed how they could be handled.
Courtney Gibson is the executive producer. Valiant was funded by an Australian Government Information, Linkages and Capacity Building (ILC) grant from the Australian Department of Social Services.