2024 Sprout Film Festival: Celebrating Inclusion and Disability Awareness at The Arc Park

On September 13th, Full Access hosted the annual Sprout Film Festival at the beautiful Arc Park in Springfield, Oregon—Lane County’s first fully inclusive park, provided by The Arc Lane County. This free public event showcased inspiring films created by and starring individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In addition to raising awareness, the festival raised crucial funds to ensure its sustainability for future years.

Matinee Highlights

The festival kicked off with a matinee showing, drawing 80 attendees, including transition-age students and participants from Pearl Buck’s DSA group. RISE Services generously donated snack bags filled with water, candy, and popcorn, which were handed out for free, enhancing the experience. New Horizons, one of our sponsors, was also present to table and share valuable resources.

The matinee film lineup featured:

• Jack Blond
• Not a Wallflower
• Jeremy the Dudd (a crowd favorite)
• Ten to One

Evening Event and Special Guests

Later in the evening, another 80 attendees joined us, many experiencing Full Access for the first time. We were honored to welcome Senator James Manning, who delivered a moving speech on the importance of events like these in promoting community inclusion and disability rights.

Sponsors Connections NW, New Horizons, and Allies were also there, tabling and sharing resources. Families enjoyed raffle prizes, while children played in the expanded playground at Arc Park.

The evening film lineup included:

• Not a Wallflower
• Jeremy the Dudd
• Becoming Howard
• Coaching Colburn
• 6,000 Waiting
• Sunshine
• Ten to One

A Special Thank You to Our Sponsors

A heartfelt thank you to our other sponsors who made this event possible, including New Horizons, Allies, Connections NW, Making Magic Tours, Alternative Work Concepts, BDA Architecture & Planning, Key Consulting, Rever Grand, Metro Cinemas, Art House. We also want to give a special shoutout to the Full Access team for their invaluable help during the event. Your support plays a vital role in promoting disability awareness and inclusion within our community.

Media Coverage and Community Impact

We were thrilled to be featured by KVAL News, which helped amplify our mission of inclusion through their segment on the festival. Thanks to our sponsors, volunteers, and attendees, the 2024 festival was a great success, deepening community ties and raising awareness for Full Access.