
Writing
Genevieve Clay-Smith
Newtown, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Genevieve Clay-Smith stands as a trailblazing filmmaker, renowned for her visionary directorial work that champions inclusivity and diversity within the film industry. With a career marked by innovation and advocacy, Genevieve has solidified her position as one of Australia’s foremost directors, shaping narratives that resonate deeply with audiences worldwide. Her inclusively made debut feature film, Boss Cat, premieres at the Sydney Film Festival in 2026. Genevieve’s films have been showcased at over 200 film festivals world-wide, including Toronto International Film Festival Kids and the United Nations. She has claimed awards at Oscar qualifying festivals, Rhode Island International, Cleveland International, Short Shorts Film Festival and Asia and Chicago International Children’s Film Festival. Genevieve has won over seventy awards for her films, her film The Interviewer has a current audience viewership of 45 million. She is the Series Director of SBS documentary series, Perspective Shift for which she was nominated for a 2020 ADG award and AWGIE award. Her 2020 short film, Groundhog Night premiered at Sydney Film Festival and she is the creator and series director of ABC Kids interstitial series Tell Me a Tale. She is also receives regular commissions as a director of segments for Sesame Street and recently directed the short form series Bluey Cookalongs and Bluey Fancy Restaurant for the BBC and Bluey’s team. Her directorial work in advertising has been recognized by the B&T Women In Media Awards where she won top gong for Creative in 2016. She’s made branded content for Google, Uber, Tokyo Metropolitan Government, mockumentaries for NAB, a comedy web series for Australia Post which was acquired by ABC iView and Qantas inflight and a family film for Uniting which premiered at TIFF kids and played in front of all theatrical releases at Event cinemas on International Day of People with disability in 2016. She has given keynote speeches on inclusive filmmaking at the BBC UK, TIFF, Disney HQ and the Glasgow Mental Health Festival. Genevieve was the 2015 NSW Young Australian of the year and has been named in the 2014 and 2019 100 Women of Influence. One of Genevieve’s many passions is Bus Stop Films, which she co-founded in 2009. The social enterprise which continues to provide education, filmmaking and employment opportunities for people with intellectual disability in the screen-industry. Genevieve’s work as pioneered change in the film industry when it comes to authentic casting and inclusion in the filmmaking practice. Genevieve’s work as the Series Writer and Director season 1 of the 26 x 11-episode ABC television show, Fizzy and Suds, garnered global attention with two nominations at Prix Jeunesse one of those being the UNESCO Prize, intended to honour a children’s or youth programme that convincingly promotes a better understanding of people, of different cultures and experiences.
Acting credits
7.3An Australian Shakespeare fan with Down Syndrome sets off on a solo adventure to discover Tokyo in order to get away from his overbearing older brother. Along the way he uses his knowledge of the Bard, his sketchbook and his wits to win the hearts of the people he meets.
Shakespeare in Tokyo
2018
5.5An adult's memoir of a childhood spent with his mother and two sisters in Australia in the closing year of WWII. While his father off fighting the Japanese, two Italian prisoners of war are assigned to help out on the family's estate. Later they are joined by two German refugee women. Problems of country life and personal tensions come to a head.
15 Amore
1998
1.0For carer Gary, moving on and keeping his family together isn’t always easy. Tensions run high when his late wife’s parents arrive unannounced after he brings home a date.
Groundhog Night
2020
NRA documentary which tells the story of Australia's foremost globally innovative, inclusive filmmaking organisation, Bus Stop Films, and its mission to make the film industry inclusive of all people.
Breaking the Biz: A Bus Stop Films Story
2019
Behind the camera
6.0A young man’s dream to make a living in Ulaanbaatar is put to the test when he must navigate the social and physical obstacles in his path.
Stairs
2019
6.0A young man’s dream to make a living in Ulaanbaatar is put to the test when he must navigate the social and physical obstacles in his path.
Stairs
2019
NRGerelee, a deaf teenage girl, decides to follow her dreams and audition for a dance company, despite her father’s protest.
Dancer
2024
NRGerelee, a deaf teenage girl, decides to follow her dreams and audition for a dance company, despite her father’s protest.
Dancer
2024
NRA woman with Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) forms an unlikely friendship with a Sudanese refugee through their mutual love of krump.
Kill Off
2017
NRA woman with Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) forms an unlikely friendship with a Sudanese refugee through their mutual love of krump.
Kill Off
2017
7.0Thomas Howell gets more than he bargained for at his interview with a prestigious law firm; an insult about his tie, a rendition of Harry Potter and the chance to change the lives of father and son.
The Interviewer
2012
7.0Thomas Howell gets more than he bargained for at his interview with a prestigious law firm; an insult about his tie, a rendition of Harry Potter and the chance to change the lives of father and son.
The Interviewer
2012
NRA poetic, performative, experimental documentary that gives voice to people with lived experience of mental health issues. The Documentary explores how practicing gratitude can have a positive impact on mental health and assist in the journey of recovery after experiencing a complex mental health issue.
Gratus
2017
NRA waitress with Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) sees that one of her customers is very upset. She goes out of her way to try and make the customer feel better; little does she realise that her efforts have an impact beyond what she could have imagined.
Sunshine
2021
NRA waitress with Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) sees that one of her customers is very upset. She goes out of her way to try and make the customer feel better; little does she realise that her efforts have an impact beyond what she could have imagined.
Sunshine
2021
NRTwo people living with a disability navigate through family and societal pressures as their relationship blossoms.
Beautiful
2010
NRTwo people living with a disability navigate through family and societal pressures as their relationship blossoms.
Beautiful
2010
NRWhen her mother suddenly dies, Sonja is thrown into tumult. Dealing with early-twenties existential angst and a sense of responsibility for her teenage younger sister Emma, she has a lot on her plate. Suddenly under the care of her controlling grandma and—as a young woman living with Down syndrome—constantly faced with a society that judges what she’s capable of, Sonja is desperate to be herself and take charge of her own life. When a chance encounter with the charismatic Hakim leads her to a krump class, Sonja discovers a life-changing outlet for expression.
Boss Cat
2026
NRWhen her mother suddenly dies, Sonja is thrown into tumult. Dealing with early-twenties existential angst and a sense of responsibility for her teenage younger sister Emma, she has a lot on her plate. Suddenly under the care of her controlling grandma and—as a young woman living with Down syndrome—constantly faced with a society that judges what she’s capable of, Sonja is desperate to be herself and take charge of her own life. When a chance encounter with the charismatic Hakim leads her to a krump class, Sonja discovers a life-changing outlet for expression.
Boss Cat
2026
NRA teenage girl, who feels left out and ignored by her peers, is inspired to do something audacious in order to get noticed. When her plan backfires she learns that being popular isn’t as important as including those who are left out.
Visible
2022
NRA teenage girl, who feels left out and ignored by her peers, is inspired to do something audacious in order to get noticed. When her plan backfires she learns that being popular isn’t as important as including those who are left out.
Visible
2022
7.3An Australian Shakespeare fan with Down Syndrome sets off on a solo adventure to discover Tokyo in order to get away from his overbearing older brother. Along the way he uses his knowledge of the Bard, his sketchbook and his wits to win the hearts of the people he meets.
Shakespeare in Tokyo
2018
7.3An Australian Shakespeare fan with Down Syndrome sets off on a solo adventure to discover Tokyo in order to get away from his overbearing older brother. Along the way he uses his knowledge of the Bard, his sketchbook and his wits to win the hearts of the people he meets.
Shakespeare in Tokyo
2018
NRWhen a young woman drops by to greet her new neighbours, her preconceptions of who is responsible for a horrendous tragedy hinges on a face and a note.
Frances and Annie
2009
NRWhen a young woman drops by to greet her new neighbours, her preconceptions of who is responsible for a horrendous tragedy hinges on a face and a note.
Frances and Annie
2009
1.0For carer Gary, moving on and keeping his family together isn’t always easy. Tensions run high when his late wife’s parents arrive unannounced after he brings home a date.
Groundhog Night
2020
NRParalympian Paul Nunnari takes a road trip up Australia's famous coastline to explore the different barriers of access that people with disabilities face when trying to enjoy the beach.
Taking Back the Waves
2017
NRParalympian Paul Nunnari takes a road trip up Australia's famous coastline to explore the different barriers of access that people with disabilities face when trying to enjoy the beach.
Taking Back the Waves
2017