Bus Stop Films, winner of the 2023 SPA Award for Breakthrough Business of the Year, is a disability-led not for profit social enterprise which uses filmmaking and the film industry to raise the profile of people with disabilities, on both sides of the camera. Bus Stop makes films with, for and about people with disability and from diverse communities and backgrounds.
Joanna Agius OAM is a profoundly Deaf and proud Narungga woman with connections to Kaurna, Ngarrindjeri and Wirungu nations in South Australia. Joanna is a strong advocate for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Aboriginal people in Australia, starting as an Aboriginal Liaison Officer in Adelaide. Joanna is founder of Deaf Aboriginal Services, a 100% Aboriginal owned and operated business providing a range of direct services, building capacity between Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal people, services, and organisations.
Trent Blackett is an Australian-born lawyer and media/tech investor, currently based between Melbourne, Australia and California, USA. Trent is the Founder of EMT Partners, a diversified law, M&A and investment firm. Trent is also a founding shareholder, alongside Quadrant Private Equity, via Ward Blacket Investments LLC in Chris Hemsworth’s Centr.com and FLG. He is a long-term co-investor partner with Amalfi Capital (San Francisco, Shanghai, Melbourne).
Fiona Stuart joins the Board after 18 months as Company Secretary at Bus Stop Films. She is a media and entertainment lawyer with over 17 years’ experience advising clients in various commercial and media law matters with a specialisation in television production/financing, multi-platform content licensing, domestic and international distribution deals and music licensing arrangements, working for key industry players including Foxtel, Screentime and Matchbox Pictures. Fiona is currently General Counsel of HOYTS Group. Before her career in law, Fiona was a voice actor in South Korea for 7 years and performed in various children’s animation series including Pokémon, Winnie the Pooh and Hello Kitty. Fiona was drawn to Bus Stop Films as a leader in inclusive filmmaking and joined the board in the capacity of Company Secretary in 2020.
Bus Stop Film’s Chairman, Peter Tonagh, welcomed the new Directors to the Board, noting Joanna and Trent’s appointments reflect the Sydney-based organisation’s growing geographical reach at a time of significant growth for Bus Stop Films both in reach and impact.
Mr Tonagh said: “I’m thrilled to welcome Joanna, Trent and Fiona, who bring a rich diversity of lived experience, expertise and perspective, to the board of Bus Stop Films. As Chair of this growing and impactful organisation, I see their appointments as a reflection of the maturity of our social enterprise and our proud standing in both the film and disability communities.”
Mr Tonagh said that Adelaide-based Joanna Aguis would contribute her deep understanding of her community, traditions and cultures and her broad experience in building linkages between Aboriginal and the Non-Aboriginal community, which is a priority for the organisation.
Based in both Melbourne and California, Trent Blackett again brings geographic diversity alongside his expertise in providing legal services, support and investment to companies and individuals in the entertainment, media and technology sectors. He also has deep experience in the not-for-profit sector and is a founding member of the US Development Board of the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.
Joanna Agius OAM said: “I am honoured to be a part of Bus Stop Films and support their incredible mission. Their dedication to providing inclusive and empowering opportunities for aspiring filmmakers is truly inspiring. I believe in the power of storytelling and the transformative impact it can have on individuals and communities. Bus Stop Films is a shining example of how creativity and inclusivity can come together to create positive change. I am proud to support their purpose and look forward to seeing the continued success of their talented filmmakers.”
Trent Blackett said: “It is my sincere pleasure to accept this volunteer non-profit Board role. Having attended a recent Bus Stop Films’ event at the Australian Consulate in New York City, I was absolutely moved by the work and the impact of this organisation. My EMT Law colleagues have thoroughly enjoyed their Pro-Bono legal work for BSF and their ongoing participation contributed to my overall decision to further support the organisation, especially in relation to the proposed growth strategy in the United States in the coming years. Cinema, film and the creative arts are at the core of my and our community ethos and I’m excited to share Bus Stop Films’ story with the many and varied stakeholders we enjoy working with. To those living with disabilities, their families and colleagues in the Bus Stop Films’ community, I’m delighted to now be formally on your side.”
Mr Tonagh noted that 2023 is looking to be the Bus Stop Film’s biggest year yet, delivering its award-winning Accessible Film Studies in Sydney, Parramatta, Wollongong, The Blue Mountains, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Launceston and Perth and new locations coming on in 2024. With more than 15 years’ experience in changing the face of filmmaking, Bus Stop Films has now produced more than 80 inclusively made short films, which have won over 100 international awards and screened at film festivals around the world. In addition to their advocacy work, the organisation is opening pathways to employment for Deaf, disabled and neurodiverse people in the screen industry, having delivered over 1000 workplace opportunities through Bus Stop Employment.