RespectAbility Entertainment Professionals Lab 2024
Robert Burns
Robert Burns is a recent MFA graduate from Florida State University’s College of Motion Picture Arts with a concentration in Directing. Quiet and reserved during his adolescence, Burns enrolled in a four-year film production program during his time in high school. Here, he forged a deep love for filmmaking and using the medium to convey personal stories based on his life growing up with autism. He aims to tell stories about people grappling with loss, isolation, and neurological conditions who work through these challenges to achieve their ambitions and connect with others on a deeper level. He garners inspiration from directors and films who cover similar themes and tones, such as Charlie Kaufman (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), Barry Jenkins (Moonlight), and Krzysztof Kieslowski (the Three Colors trilogy).
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After an extensive search and interview process, 5 individuals were invited to participate in an intensive session for disabled creatives working in physical production, taking place May 21-24, with additional virtual sessions taking place in partnership with the virtual cohort, May – September 2024. Participants include people with a variety of disabilities ranging in age from the 20s through the 60s. This intensive elevates disabled creatives, focusing on building community, networking, and career advancement. This intensive is in partnership with Amazon MGM Studios, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Panavision.
