Entitled »Work and Connect – Working with Talents with Disabilities«, a workshop on the topic of inclusion and diversity in the film and television industry will take place from April 20 to 23 for students in the bachelor’s degree programme in film at the ifs International Film School Cologne.
The project was initiated by Tina Thiele (owner and publisher of the industry platform casting-network – Initiative Cast Me In) and Susanne Grüneklee (Head of Directing at the ifs) as well as experts from the field of inclusion.

The workshop gives up-and-coming filmmakers from the fields of directing, camera and editing sound & vision the opportunity to gain valuable experience in working with actors with disabilities from all over NRW. In this way, they can experience inclusion in a very practical way, position themselves more broadly as filmmakers in this area and professionalize themselves.
The actors* have various limitations, each of which poses special challenges and opportunities in the workshop. During the event, a series of about-me-videos will be created by the participating protagonists, enabling them to present themselves professionally on the job market.
The approach »Aesthetics of Access« by Lisette Reuter (Un-Label) opens up new perspectives: Here, the topic of accessibility is considered as an artistic component from the very beginning. The means of accessibility become – far beyond add-ons and translations – artistic-aesthetic elements.
At the beginning of the workshop Lisette Reuter will give a lecture on the topic.

Beforehand, an introduction by casting director Iris Baumüller (BVC, ICDA) and a lecture by Anne Zander on the profession of Deaf Supervisor have already taken place online.

This event is sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.