General News
5 November, 2023
Double debut for can-do film maker
Former Horsham man Neville Hiatt didn't have the easiest of starts to life, but has pushed through and been inspired to help others by speaking out about his story. Having known adversity from an early age when he was subjected to school yard...
Former Horsham man Neville Hiatt didn't have the easiest of starts to life, but has pushed through and been inspired to help others by speaking out about his story.
Having known adversity from an early age when he was subjected to school yard bullying, underwent speech therapy, and suffered anxiety and depression, Mr Hiatt was ultimately medically retired at 30.
The son of Horsham's Kevin and Bev Hiatt, he has since broken free of the torment that plagued those days, going on to promote a can-do approach and share his life experiences in the hope of inspiring others.
When he suffered a severely broken collar bone last year, the photographer, writer, fashion designer and now film-maker quickly waved it off, incredibly painful though it was.
"I'm a firm believer in the saying 'It isn’t what happens to us but what we do with what happens to us that’s important'," Mr Hiatt said.
"As someone who was bullied at school in Horsham I know it's hard for a child to know that what they're experiencing is such a short part of their life.
"I'm still recovering from my latest surgery, but in mid-August my first two short films went live as part of the Australian-based international Focus On Ability Short Film Festival."
After his latest accident he didn't let the difficulties he'd faced stop him creating and encouraging others.
"Identity (Who Am I?) - my debut documentary short film - explores an age-old question that is widely discussed in our current society," he said.
It's joined in this year's festival by a second entry from Mr Hiatt, this time in the open category: Elise’s Blanket.
Originally a children's picture book conceived in 2016 celebrating the connection between an uncle and his niece, Elise's Blanket was further developed with assistance from the Writability program after the author won a disability scholarship from Writers Victoria in 2018.
"It's still yet to be published in print, but turning it into a short film felt like a wonderful opportunity to share the joyful story with the world," Mr Hiatt said.
"Elise’s Blanket doesn’t mention Unka’s missing arm in the words of the story.
"It was important for me to show that Unka’s family don’t treat him any differently than if he wasn’t an amputee.
"It instead shows how he's able to travel the world taking photos one-handed."
Mr Hiatt said the original story was a natural extension of his own love of travel and photography and how much he missed family and friends near and far due to the isolation he lived with after an accident in 2008.
"Having survived some of the world's worst lockdowns in recent years, the importance of staying in contact with loved ones has again been highlighted," he said.
"Creating these films - particularly learning to animate the illustrations for Elise's Blanket - was a challenge while living off-grid with a painful frozen shoulder after I shattered my collar bone, but I managed it."
An annual event, the festival challenges entrants to make a film or documentary of up to five minutes focusing on the ability of a person with disability.
Multiple prizes are awarded each year, including for best short film, best screenwriter, best director and best producer.
It's not the first time Mr Hiatt, who now lives in Gippsland, has shared part of his life story with others - far from it.
Born To Be Me and Intermissioned were published in Moments in Time and The Eighteen Point Five, respectively, and My Life in 100 Words won the Melbourne Writers Festival's ABC Radio Ballarat Memoir Competition in 2015.
Both short films are available to watch online at https://www.focusonability.com.au/ and on the festival's YouTube channel.
Winners will be announced on November 5 in Sydney.