History
The inaugural Sit Down, Shutup and Watch Festival was held on Friday 31 October 2014 in Angaston in the Barossa Valley, South Australia. The 2nd SDSW Festival was also held in Angaston in October 2016. To learn more about the history and aspirations of Sit Down Shutup and Watch, have a look at the video below.
The SDSW Committee at work on film selection. The Committee is made up of filmmakers and artists with learning disability.
Our vision and mission.
Vision.
To live in a world where learning disabled people achieve their creative dreams and screen their work in Times Square, on iPhones and on every screen in-between.
Mission
Form a community of like-minded learning disabled filmmakers and new media artists who can teach others
To have our voices heard and to be taken seriously
Get other learning disabled people to express themselves creatively through digital arts and technology
Encourage other learning disabled people in the wider Australian and global community to connect, making physical location far less significant for our social relationships
To become a force for social change
Our values.
In 2020 our committee in partnership with workshop participants from around the state produced fifteen films to illustrate our foundational values.
Coming soon.
Meet the committee.
Sara Egarr
Steering Committee Member and chair person
I like making films because it brings out the creative in me. I like writing films, I can get things out on paper and then communicate them to others. I have fun. I have made three short films: Games Night, Cookie Kidnap and Sara’s Film. I am currently making a film called Zombie Cowboy. I love getting behind the camera but more than anything I like directing, I like being in control.
I joined SDSW in early 2017. I am a female force on the committee and a presenter with the SDSW Roadshow. We need more women in the film industry and my voice is important. I am now studying for my Certificate 3 in Disability and with the support of Tutti Arts, I am training to be the assistant workshop leader for the Barossa Film Club.
Tyson Pienaar
Steering Committee Member and cinematographer
Born in Clare, South Australia, I am 27 years old and my name is Tyson or Ty. I am new to Sit Down, Shutup & Watch. My dream is to be an actor. My favourite movie is the Fast And Furious, I love thrillers or anything to do with action and cars. Becoming involved with Sit Down, Shutup & Watch has been a great experience, it’s a nice way to see what others do when it comes to making or directing a movie.
It’s important that people with learning disabilities make films. We all have the right to do something great, use our heads and come up with something that we did ourselves. SDSW promotes the idea that anyone can make a film, you don’t need loads of equipment or studio lighting and my motto is ‘if you live in a tent, use a flash light’.
James Kurtze
Steering Committee Member and Award Winning Filmmaker
I started making films when I was still at school. I had the wonderful opportunity to work with Phillip Griffin and Pavlos Soteriou at Tutti Arts. Phillip and Pavlos helped me develop my filmmaking skills morphing my photos of my cat Dexter to create fantastical new media images.
I won my first award for Eye TV at the 2013 Oska Bright Film Festival. Since then I’ve won two more- SDSW 2014 and Picture This Canada 2015! I’m now working on Eye TV 2!
Matthew Wauchope
Steering Committee Member, Workshop Facilitator, and film maker
I have been interested in films and film making since I was very, very young – before I started primary school. I have always wanted to be involved in story telling and making films; I love the process and the creativity involved.
My favourite shows are Dr Who, Monty Python, Shanghai Knights, Arrow and Avengers.
New technology makes it possible for anyone to be involved. I want to encourage lots of people to get involved because is it a great way of being creative.
