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The inaugural Easterseals Disability Arts & Culture Awards (The DARCYS) celebrated its first-ever competition winners on Saturday, marking a historic new chapter for the awards program known as the Media Access Awards, established in 1979. The inaugural DARCYS, co-produced by Easterseals Southern California and Film Independent, recognizes and awards filmmakers, performers, creators and storytellers for their outstanding achievements in authentic disability representation across film, television and media. Reimagining narratives and advancing disability inclusion across entertainment and pop culture.
the feet, girls riding horses and all her fault It was one of the winners recognized at the awards ceremony. the feet It won awards for Outstanding Scripted Series and Outstanding Achievement in Cast Ensemble; girls riding horses It won for Best Feature, and Daniel Monks won for Best Performance in a Scripted Series. all her fault.
“We are very proud to continue the legacy that began in 1979 as we celebrate the founding of DARCYS,” said Nancy Weintraub, Chief Advancement Officer for Easterseals Southern California. “DARCYS recognizes authentic voices and talented storytellers who are changing the way disability is viewed and represented across entertainment and media. We congratulate this year’s nominees and winners for helping move the industry toward greater inclusivity on screen and behind the scenes.”
Hosted by comedian and disability advocate Tina Friml, the event also celebrated Geri Jewell, who won the inaugural DARCYS Legacy Award, and Vincent Rutley, who won the Christopher Reeve Emerging Talent Award. Lachi, an award-winning artist and disability culture leader, performed at the event held at The Historic Barker Hangar in Santa Monica.
The event was co-produced by Shawn Davis and Andrew Schaff, Executive Producers of the Film Independent Spirit Awards, in collaboration with Eddie Delbridge, Executive Producer of Live Digital Entertainment.
“DARCYS marks an exciting new chapter in our legacy of recognizing artists who advance disability representation. We are proud to partner with Easterseals Southern California to celebrate this year’s winners and nominees and to celebrate the stories that help broaden perspectives across film, television and social media.” said Shawn Davis, co-executive producer of DARCYS and Film Independent Spirit Awards.
Attendees included Marlee Matlin, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Lisa Whelchel, John Ortiz, Taylor Dearden, Marissa Bode, Cesily Collette Taylor, Tal Anderson, Scoot McNairy, Abby Elliott, Karen Pittman, Jamie Brewer, Victoria Mack, Christopher Thornton, Daniel Monks, Jessy Yates, Matthew Reeve, Juan Devis (President of Film Independent), and Lynell Davis (Easterseals Board of Directors and Vice President General Counsel of the California Endowment).
This year’s winners were selected through an industry awards process that strives for meaningful representation, with a committee comprised of filmmakers, critics, past Media Access Awards winners, industry unions and non-profit representatives determining nominees and winners. The majority of committee members are people with disabilities.
The full list of winners is below:
The first winners are:
best features
Director/Screenplay: Lauren Mayering
Writer/Producer: Mackenzie Breeden
Producers: Alix Madigan-Yorkin, Michael Sherman
Main Cast: Lillian Carrier, Matthew Schwab
Top performance in features
- Anna Sargent, please take me home
best documentary
- The Ghost of Pennhurst
Director/Producer: Mike Attie, Katarina Poljak, Nathan R. Stenberg
Producer: Daniel J. Chalfen
Best Script Series
Creator/Executive Producer: R. Scott Gemmill
Executive Producers: Simran Badwan, Michael Hissrich, Erin Johntow, Joe Sachs, John Wells, Noah Weil
Key Cast: Tal Anderson, Jessica “Rimmer” Flores, Victoria Mack, Christopher Thornton
Script series best performance
- Daniel Monks, all her fault
Best Unscripted Series
Creators:Dey Al-Mohammed
Series Producer: Amanda Upson
Executive Producers: Michael Cantor, Carrie Lozano, Charlotte Manzin
Best Achievement in Casting Ensemble Category
Creator/Executive Producer: R. Scott Gemmill
Casting Director: Erica Berger, Cathy Sandrich Gelfond
Main ensemble cast: Tal Anderson, Jessica “Rymer” Flores, Diana Elizabeth Jordan, Victoria Mack, Christopher Thornton
Christopher Reeve Emerging Talent Award
Actor, disability influencer, writer
Best social creator
- Cassidy Huff (@CassHuff)
Erik Anderson has been ranking, predicting and debating the Oscars and all things entertainment since before he could drive. That obsession led him through film school, GoldDerby and the Oscarwatch forum to build Awards Watch in 2013. He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic and has been accredited by Cannes, Telluride, Toronto, AFI, and the New York Film Festival. He is a member of the International Cinephile Society, GALECA, and the San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Association. He lives in the Bay Area with his husband and son.