Sign on Screen is a collaboration between Deaf and hearing researchers at the Australian National University, Deaf filmmakers, the National Film and Sound Archive and Deaf Connect. Our team and partners include:
Gemma King
Gemma King is the Sign on Screen project lead, a DECRA Fellow, a Senior Lecturer in French at the ANU and a student of Auslan (Australian Sign Language). Her research explores representations of multilingualism and minority languages on screen. She is author of the books Decentring France: Multilingualism and Power in Contemporary French Cinema (2017) and Jacques Audiard (2021), and she is currently writing Hearing Fantasies, the first book dedicated to global sign language cinemas, with Sofya Gollan.
Sofya Gollan
Sofya Gollan is a filmmaker, actor and writer with over 20 years of experience in the Australian film industry. Her films include Gimpsey (2016), Imagined Touch (with Jodee Mundy, 2022) and Threshold (2023). She is a PhD candidate at the ANU working on a creative practice doctorate about the representation of silence and deafness in cinema. She is currently writing Hearing Fantasies, the first book dedicated to global sign language cinemas, with Gemma King.
Sam Martin
Sam Martin is a writer-filmmaker and an MPhil candidate at the ANU, where he is preparing a creative practice thesis on Deaf self-representation in documentary filmmaking. He is a Digital Project Coordinator at Deaf Connect, where he is directing a 6-part mini docuseries. He has also directed a range of short documentaries including Deafying Gravity (2021).
CHARLOTTE YOUNG
Charlotte Young is a disability advocate and double degree student in Politics, Philosophy, Economics/Arts at the ANU and has a hearing loss. She is currently an advisor for Women with Disabilities Australia, has represented Australian youth at the United Nations and led the National Youth Disability Summit for four years. Charlotte was recognised as a nominee for Young Australian of the Year 2024 and overall winner of the 2024 Asian-Australian Leadership Awards. She is excited to be contributing to the Sign on Screen project as a research assistant.
NATHAN BORG
Nathan Borg is a partner of Sign on Screen, providing connections between the project and d/Deaf and hard of hearing members of the Australian film industry. He is known in the industry as ‘BORGY’, but there’s more to his nickname on set. He is an Australian Deaf queer actor, writer, and TV Cast Driver who regularly works on major American/Australian productions at Docklands Studios Melbourne, including Last Seen, Insidious, Empire City, and Fog City. He is the recipient of the 2026 Lesley Hall Scholarship, which will support the initial development of his crime drama series, The Mastermind. He is also the creator and writer of Bump Into You. As an actor, Nathan has appeared in Neighbours (Network 10), My Melbourne (SBS), Strawberry Cheesecake (Stan), Miss Sultanah (SBS), and campaigns for BONDS. His advocacy work has been featured across a range of national media outlets, including TV WEEK, ABC News, Studio 10, House of Wellness, and DNA Magazine.
Ramas McRae
Ramas McRae is currently completing his PhD in the area of deafness, language acquisition and mental health. He is a part time lecturer and tutor and a freelance consultant, specialising in interpreting, translating and training in deaf awareness and deaf culture as well as deaf arts, particularly film production. He has fluency in nine languages including seven sign languages, is certified as an International Sign interpreter, Auslan interpreter and translator and provides counsel and interpreting (Auslan<>other sign languages and Auslan<>written English) on the Sign on Screen project.
rodney adams
Rodney Adams is a Research Affiliate with the University of Sydney’s Centre for Disability Research and Policy (CDRP), where his work is grounded in Indigenous perspectives and led by lived experience. As a Deaf First Nations scholar, Rodney has been instrumental in organising the past three Aboriginal Sign Language Forums, creating spaces that re-centre Deaf First Nations within the field of Indigenous Sign Languages. A contributing author to the acclaimed Indigenous Disability Studies, Rodney is currently co-authoring the forthcoming second volume, to be published in 2027 showcasing his work on Deaf Indigenous Epistemology. Rodney is a special guest of the 2026 Sign on Screen Film Festival, presenting ‘Maligagu- Our Land, Our Stories’, about Indigenous Sign Languages and film.
luke d. king
Luke D. King is a multidisciplinary artist, Auslan educator, creative consultant and filmmaker based in Naarm/Melbourne. A third-generation Deaf person, native Auslan user and person of Italian heritage, he completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) at the Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne.
Alongside his own artistic practice, Luke works across the arts, education and screen sectors as a Deaf cultural consultant, writer, facilitator and Auslan presenter. With Irene Holub, he has led Sign on Screen panels at the Sign on Screen Festival and Melbourne International Film Festival.
Luke is passionate about strengthening authentic Deaf representation and creating space for Deaf perspectives, language and creative leadership within Australian arts and screen culture.
Alongside his own artistic practice, Luke works across the arts, education and screen sectors as a Deaf cultural consultant, writer, facilitator and Auslan presenter. With Irene Holub, he has led Sign on Screen panels at the Sign on Screen Festival and Melbourne International Film Festival.
Luke is passionate about strengthening authentic Deaf representation and creating space for Deaf perspectives, language and creative leadership within Australian arts and screen culture.
irene holub
Irene Holub is a Deaf CALD artist, filmmaker, advocate and director whose work explores human connection through the lens of Deaf culture. Her creative practice is grounded in lived experience, expressed through projection, theatre, and multimedia forms. Driven by a curiosity for communication, she uses poetry to articulate unseen languages and complex emotional landscapes. Irene’s film Remember (Manifesto of Silences) is screening at the 2026 Sign on Screen Film Festival, where she is a special guest. With Luke D. King, she has led Sign on Screen panels at the Sign on Screen Festival and the Melbourne International Film Festival.
Deaf Connect
Deaf Connect is the largest, whole-of-life service provider and social impact organisation for Deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing Australians. Deaf Connect is a founding partner on the Sign on Screen Project and is proud to be providing various supports for the project including but not limited to local, national and international connections and interpreting services throughout the 2026 Sign on Screen Film Festival. This support aligns with Deaf Connect’s commitment to stand with the Deaf community to build capacity and influence social change while paying respect to history, culture and language.
Australian National University
The ANU is the national university of Australia, located in the capital of Canberra, and is the host institution of the Sign on Screen project. The research is housed in the School of Literature, Languages and Linguistics in the College of Arts and Social Sciences, and is also supported by the Humanities Research Centre.
National Film and Sound Archive
The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA) is Australia’s national audiovisual archive and a founding Sign on Screen partner. In addition to hosting free sign language film screenings and discussions throughout the project, the NFSA will host the 2026 Sign on Screen Film Festival, free to the public in their stunning Art Deco Arc Cinema.
Australian Research Council: DECRA
The ARC is the premier research funding body of the Australian Government and supports the Sign on Screen project through the Discovery Early Career Researcher Award scheme (DE230100070, 2023-2026).
The ANU Auslan Club
The ANU Auslan Club was founded in 2023 to provide Deaf-led, financially-accessible Auslan courses to ANU students. A student-run group supported by funding from the ANU Students Association and the Student Extracurricular Enrichment Fund, the AAC is a valued supporter of Sign on Screen and an important bridge between students, staff and community interested in Auslan and Deaf Culture.