'Don't Forget to Dance' Wins 2026 Easterseals Film Challenge
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- The Easterseals Disability Film Challenge announced 2026 winners Thursday at Sony Pictures Studios, with Tim Bartow's "Don't Forget to Dance" taking Best Film and "The Ticket" by Jayla Hodge, Jaylin Hodge and Jerah Milligan winning Best Director.
- The 2026 challenge drew a record 144 submissions in the featured Dramedy genre, with registered filmmakers given five days in March to write and produce short films promoting disability inclusion on both sides of the camera.
- Nic Novicki, founder and director of the challenge and an Easterseals Southern California board member, called the ceremony "a magical night that once again put a spotlight on authentic storytelling and disability inclusion in Hollywood."
- Winners receive a $2,000 cash prize, Dell Technologies computers, one-year IMDbPro premium and Film Independent memberships (the latter via the Golden Globe Foundation), screenings at Academy Award-qualifying festivals, and mentorship meetings with entertainment industry executives.
- The challenge is backed by Amazon MGM Studios, Comcast NBCUniversal, Dell Technologies, Golden Globe Foundation, IMDbPro, Intel, Microsoft, Netflix, Paramount, SAG-AFTRA, Sony Pictures Entertainment, The Walt Disney Studios and Warner Bros. Discovery.
Why it matters: A record 144 submissions shows growing interest in disability-led storytelling, and the challenge's near-universal studio sponsorship gives winners direct pipelines to mentors, IMDbPro access, and Academy-qualifying festival screenings — concrete resources that can jumpstart careers otherwise blocked from traditional Hollywood gates.
