The Driving Change speaker line up includes industry leaders, advocates and change makers from across the disability, screen and advertising sectors.
Her Excellency, the Honourable Sam Mostyn AC
Governor General
Ms Sam Mostyn AC was sworn in as Australia’s 28th Governor-General on 1 July 2024.
A businesswoman and community leader, Ms Mostyn is known for her exceptional service to the Australian community. She has a long history in executive and governance roles across diverse sectors, including business, sport, climate change, the arts, policy and not-for-profit.
Her Excellency is also a patron of Bus Stop Films.
Nas Campanella is the ABC’s National Disability Affairs Reporter. Nas is totally blind and has a neurological condition called Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) which means she can’t read Braille. After completing a Communications degree at the University of Technology Sydney, majoring in journalism she started with the ABC as a cadet. Nas has worked as a regional reporter in south eastern New South Wales and then as a triple j newsreader for seven years. In taking on this role, Nas became the first blind newsreader in the world to read and operate the studio for herself live to air. In 2020 she was appointed to the senior national Disability Affairs role.
Nas travels the world to speak at events, helping to motivate people on issues ranging from inclusive education, adaptive technology, accessible travel and the importance of empowerment and leadership for women. Now also a proud mum to her son, Nas also shares her experiences navigating motherhood as a parent with disability. As well as working in the area of policy development in Australia and across the Pacific, Nas has volunteered abroad creating disability awareness training programs for the United Nations and has held several board positions in the disability sector.
Nas is a freelance writer, MC and mentor and is an ambassador for three organisations; The Centre of Perinatal Excellence, , Motivation Australia and the Royal Institute For Deaf and Blind Children.
Disability Advocate, Actor, Filmmaker and Bus Stop Films Board Member
Emily Dash is an emerging writer, actor, producer and speaker. She graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Arts (Sociology) (Gender Studies) in 2013, achieving First Class Honors in Sociology.
Emily began her artistic practice in 2014. In 2015/16 she engaged in a professional writing mentorship to develop Red Door Arts’ “CONNECT Project”, a multidisciplinary street performance exploring inclusion co-written and co-curated with Alyson Evans. Emily also starred in this performance.
Her debut short film “I Am Not A Work of Art” was part of Metro Screen’s 2015 Screenability program. An early development of this piece was exhibited at the 2015 Adelaide Film Festival. Her second film was Can You See Me Theatre’s “The Cards I’m Dealt” (2015), shortlisted for Tropfest Short Film Festival 2016. Emily wrote and starred in both these works. She also wrote a film entitled “Reimagining the Village” for Rozelle Neighbourhood Centre and Maitree House. Another film credit is Johanna Garvin’s short film “The Milky Pop Kid” (Highly Commended for Writing – Sydney Film Festival 2017), which she co-wrote and starred in.
She was the sole writer of her most recent film “Groundhog Night” directed by Genevieve Clay-Smith for Bus Stop Films, which premiered at Sydney Film Festival 2020 and screened in Flickerfest 2021, CinefestOZ and the Travelling Film Festival 2020. She starred alongside Robyn Nevin, John Batchelor, Susan Prior, Genevieve Clay-Smith and Chris Haywood. It is currently being developed for TV and has had both national and International success.
With over 10+ years of experience in the education sector, an MBA graduate and a NIDA trained actress Dianna is our Chief Operating Officer and resident Producer. Her background in adult education underpins the delivery of our Accessible Film Studies Program.
As the COO it has given her great pleasure to watch the organisation pave ground-breaking pathways for the inclusion of people with disabilities in the film industry and watch the students blossom in these interactive and unique environments, seeing them develop real life skills and opportunities for their passion. Dianna has produced more than 25 film projects with Bus Stop Films including the multi award winning Groundhog Night and What Was it Like? and acclaimed films Filters, Visible and This Is News Radio.
Nathan Borg (He/Him) is a Deaf, Queer actor and advocate within the Australian film, television and theatre industry. He is recognised for his Deaf roles in “Neighbours”, “BONDS,” and has gained visibility for his advocacy work, including interviews on ABC, Channel 7, Channel 10, and the ListenABLE Podcast. Nathan will be in an upcoming deaf film, “My Melbourne” which will be released in cinemas 2024. Fluent in both English and Auslan, Nathan is also a cochlear implant user.
CEO Inclusively Made, Access Expert, Entertainer, Paralympian and BSF Advisory Board Member
Paul Nunnari is a Paralympic medallist, performer and disability advocate. In 2022 Paul received the Public Service Medal for outstanding public service to New South Wales, particularly in the field of access and inclusion.Paul’s exploits as a performer came to prominence as “The Other Superman” on Australia's Got Talent in 2013. Since this time Paul has performed around the world, including setting a Guinness World Record on the Italian production of La Notte Dei record in Rome in 2019. This was followed by performances with The Wiggles in 2020, a performance at World Expo Dubai in 2021 and the principal act for Australia Day Live at Circular Quay in 2023.
Paul’s film credits include the infamous Wheelchair Zombie in Little Monsters by Australian director Abe Forsythe in 2019. He appeared in the ABC’s production of Fresh Blood Pilot Season (2015), Bus Stop Films Taking Back the Waves (2017) and in 2019 was key talent for the Blackmore’s Good Health Changes Everything campaign which included global distribution.
Paul’s live stage credits include Justene Williams' production of She Conjured the Clouds as part of the Sydney Festival, La Soiree at the Sydney Opera House and with The Wiggles in 2020.
Disability Advocate, Filmmaker and Access Coordinator
Stephanie Dower is a screen producer, writer, consultant, and access coordinator based in Brisbane, Australia. In 2021, Stephanie produced and edited short film Sunshine, a project funded through Screen Queensland’s RIDE Shorts program in collaboration with Taste Creative and Bus Stop Films. The film premiered at the Brisbane International Film Festival and later went on to screen at the Cleveland International Film Festival in the USA. More recently, Stephanie was a producer on short film And The Ocean Agreed, a film written, directed and produced by AWGIE-winner Tanya Modini.
Employment Trainer & On Set Support Worker
Bus Stop Employment
Seema is a skilled Employment Trainer & Assessor and on set support worker for Bus Stop Employment (BSE). Her role consists of delivering training modules to BSE’s members, and liaising between production companies and members in order to ensure a smooth transition to their work day on set. Projects she has worked on as support worker include TVC’s for GOOGLE, ANZ, KIA, OPTUS, Australia’s first pictureless film ‘TOUCH’, and ABC's The Assembly & Headliners.
Prior to moving into disability support work, Seema worked for Channel NINE in their newsroom as a Senior News Non-Linear Editor, editing for their flagship 6pm broadcast, along with feature story editing for The Today Show, and Today Extra.
Seema has a keen passion for disability advocacy/inclusion and the film/tv industry, Seema says that Bus Stop Films and Bus Stop Employment offer the beautiful fusion of both and she is incredibly passionate about helping create a more inclusive industry for all to enjoy and be a part of!
