The film, entitled “Hear we are, Hear us now”, features in the school entrant documentary category and stars students Benjalli Sky, Connor Humphreys and Luikas Perkins.

Connor and Luikas both have hearing impairments.

In the film, Connor shows Benjalli how his hearing device works while Luikas demonstrates his sign-language communication skills. 

School learning support officer Kylie Hinten said the focus of the film is to raise awareness of the ability of the students.

As soon as the competition was announced, Benjalli put himself forward to create an entry. He was inspired by how Connor and Luikas manage their school life while living with a hearing impairment.

“They are the same as us- they do the same things,” he said. 

Benjalli is hopeful of entering another film in next year’s competition.

The school has a history of success at the festival with a film entered by students in 2016 reaching the top three in their category.

In 2010, student Jack Noble claimed the top prize in the student entry category.

The film is in the running for two awards: judge’s choice award and highest online votes. This year’s competition has welcomed a record 209 entries from 19 countries.

A red carpet gala awards night will be held in Sydney on September 6 to recognise the winners. To view the film and to place your vote, visit the Focus on Ability website. Voting closes on Monday, August 7.