River Boy (2025) — film still

River Boy

2025 • Open Entrant Documentaries
Filmmaker: Louise Dwyer

About this Short Film

#Assistance #Flood #Individual #Intellectual Disability #Teenager Child #Teenagers

River Boy (Louise Dwyer, Australia, 2025) appears in the Focus on Ability International Short Film Festival programme. The short film addresses themes noted in the festival tags — assistance, flood, individual experience, intellectual disability and adolescence. With a sensitive and observant approach, it offers moments that invite viewers to consider how support, vulnerability and everyday life meet during the teenage years. River Boy sits comfortably within the festival’s aim to highlight the abilities and experiences of people with disability. It is a quiet, thoughtful work that asks audiences to pay close attention and to reflect on the small, powerful ways people navigate change.

Film Details

Country: Australia
Category: Open Entrant Documentaries
Genre: Personal Story
Festival Year: 2025
Filmmaker: Louise Dwyer

Film Transcript

Phoenix here. I'm 14 and I'm worried about climate change and global warming because last year in February I was living on the Bruns River, and then the floods hit and we lost our caravan. It was quite scary, but the way I got rid of the fear was because we got a boat and I've been on the boat on the river. That's helped me get rid of my fear.

Now I spend more time with my family animals on my boat instead of gaming on my consoles. Since I've had the boat, it's been fun because I've been able to go out on the boat fishing and crabbing. I've caught a lot of fish on the boat, including almost a metre flatty with my friend.

Just keep giving it a go and never give up because I never give up. I'm used to the water again.

Filmmaker

Louise Dwyer is the filmmaker behind this entry. See every Focus on Ability entry from Louise Dwyer.

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