MIND THE GAP
FEMALE DIRECTOR
FAMILY FRIENDLY
DISABILITY
COMING OF AGE

Boss Cat

Australia •
2026 •  
95 mins

Twenty-something Sonja (Olivia Hargroder, superb in her feature film debut) is an ambitious, sassy, raging bundle of creative energy whose dreams of artistic self-expression are only matched by her desire for independence. Born with Trisomy 21 (Down Syndrome), she refuses to allow biology to be her destiny and defies all obstacles—and people—that block her way. But when her mom dies, Grandma Doris has other plans for Sonja—in a board-and-care facility. Sonja's anger and grief find an empowering outlet when her friend Hakim, a Sudanese refugee, introduces her to krump street dancing. First-time director Genevieve Clay-Smith collaborated with a fully inclusive cast and crew on this funny, fiery, and family-friendly film that provides a uniquely compelling and beautiful testament to the power of resilience, independence, and love. Produced by Bus Stop Films, a company dedicated to end-to-end inclusivity in film production. —K.D. Davis

Director/s

Genevieve Clay-Smith
Genevieve Clay-Smith

Expected Guests

MICHELE TURNURE-SALLEO: Producer

Sunday, October 11, 2026 at 2:00 PM Calendar
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SECTION
FAMILY FILMS
COUNTRY
Australia
YEAR
2026
RUNTIME
95 minutes
DIRECTOR/S
Genevieve Clay-Smith
LANGUAGE
English
PRODUCER
Deanne Weir, Dianna La Grassa, Eleanor Winkler, Michele Turnure-Salleo
WRITER
Genevieve Clay-Smith
CINEMATOGRAPHER
Kent Marcus
EDITOR
Adrian Rositrolla
CAST
Anousha Zarkesh, Chris Bunton, Elijah Williams, Julia Savage, Olivia Hargroder, Penny Downie