RespectAbility Entertainment Professionals Lab, Summer 2022
Stephanie Dower
Stephanie Dower is a screen producer, writer, consultant, and public speaker based in sunny Brisbane, Australia. In 2021, Stephanie produced and edited the short film Sunshine, a project that was funded through Screen Queensland’s RIDE Shorts program. The film had its global premiere at the Brisbane International Film Festival and later went onto screen at the Cleveland International Film Festival in the USA. Currently, Stephanie is developing a slate of bold, innovative, and engaging projects through her production company Dower Productions.
Already garnering global attention, a notable project from Stephanie’s slate is Carry On, a factual travel series that was selected for the Pitch FACTory at the Australian International Documentary Conference in 2019 which saw the project pitched to local and international decision makers including Cinereach (USA), Discovery (UK), and NHK (JAP). More recently, Stephanie has been working to develop Seeing Scout, a feature romantic drama that was selected for the inaugural Attagirl Global Feature Lab in 2020 and later awarded the production prize through Sydney Film Festival and For Film’s Sake. The project is currently in late stage development with a view to go into production in the second half of 2023.
A driving force of Stephanie’s career as a producer has been her strong passion for reframing how people with disabilities are portrayed in popular media and art. Growing up with physical disability due to Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis and being reliant on a motorised wheelchair for mobility has provided Stephanie a resilience and determination to prove to the world that disability is not inherently a negative experience. Instead, Stephanie wants to shine a light on the positive contributions and fresh perspectives that people living with disability bring to society.
Stephanie’s advocacy efforts in this space have recently seen her appointed to Screen Queensland’s newly formed Equity and Diversity Taskforce and has seen her speak publicly at industry events and film festivals including the Gold Coast Film Festival and Australia’s premier film market, Screen Forever.
Outside of filmmaking, Stephanie is a co-host of Attitude Foundation’s ReFramed Podcast which analyses the portrayal of disability in mainstream film and television series. She has also achieved a Master in Creative Industries from the Queensland University of Technology, having majored in Creative Production and Arts Management and was recently awarded an Industry Certificate in Production Management (Scripted) through the Australian Film, Television and Radio School.
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After an extensive search and interview process, 18 individuals and one writing duo were invited to participate in the Virtual Cohort of RespectAbility’s 2022 Entertainment Lab taking place August 16 – September 22, 2022. This 6-week, 18-session Lab aims to further develop and elevate the talent pipeline of diverse professionals with disabilities working behind-the-scenes in television, film, and streaming. Participants include people with physical, cognitive, sensory, mental health, and other disabilities ranging in age from people in their 20’s through their 50’s. The Lab is a recipient of The Roddenberry Foundation Impact Award.
The Virtual Cohort of the 2022 Entertainment Lab is made possible with support by:
- Platinum Sponsors: Murray/Reese Foundation and Netflix
- Gold Sponsors: The Harnisch Foundation, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and The Walt Disney Company
- Silver Sponsors: Hollywood Foreign Press Association Charitable Trust, the National Endowment for the Arts, and NBCUniversal
