Inclusivity from the start? Evaluating the accessibility of FilmFreeway festival submission processes

Disabled creators are systematically excluded from shaping the cultural narratives that circulate globally. This exclusion is embedded in the digital infrastructure that enables contemporary cultural production. We situate accessibility within the broader terrain of popular culture studies by examining FilmFreeway, the dominant online submission portal for the global film festival circuit. Festivals are key elements of global screen culture, and FilmFreeway is a ubiquitous and influential element of festival processes. However, the accessibility of FilmFreeway’s submission portal has received little critical attention. This case study follows the submission journey of Teenage Dick: The Making of (2023), a documentary short film produced through an accessible filmmaking process by Australian university students. The film was submitted to 24 international festivals via FilmFreeway and accepted by five. Using thematic analysis, we examine the submission portal and accessibility policies of these five festivals. Our findings reveal that while disability-focused film festivals integrate accessibility into their submission processes, more general film festivals and FilmFreeway itself largely exclude disabled filmmakers, offering only incidental or symbolic access. Drawing on Elizabeth Ellcessor’s concept of cultural accessibility, we argue that meaningful participation in popular culture depends not only on representation and audience reception but also on equitable access to the infrastructures through which culture circulates, including film festivals. Inclusion in festival submission processes requires more than technical access; it requires a systemic rethinking of digital platforms and festival spaces to centre disabled people as valued cultural participants.