Press Release: DECAYING Red Carpet Premiere Saturday

Dec 11

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 11 December 2025

Local Neurodiverse Youth Premiere Professional Short Film “Decaying” to a Sold-Out Cinema Audience

SUNBURY, VIC — This Saturday, a sold-out 300-seat cinema will roll out the red carpet for the world premiere of Decaying, a bold and professionally produced short film created by the neurodiverse young people of Full Spectrum Theatre — the innovative Macedon Ranges company founded by recent Victorian Australian of the Year Local Hero finalists, Drew & Jenny Heriot.

Born from unscripted interviews with the actors, Decaying merges sharp humour, raw honesty, original puppetry, handcrafted sets, and high-end cinematography into a film that feels far more like studio-grade storytelling than a children’s project.

“What happens when neurodiverse kids are given real creative power, expert tools, and the time to explore what’s inside them?” says co-founder and director Drew Heriot. “They don’t just perform, they build worlds.”

The Heriots founded Full Spectrum Theatre after struggling to find an extracurricular space where their autistic son felt genuinely accepted and socially supported. Today, their program attracts families from across Victoria seeking a place where neurodiverse children can grow confidence, creativity, and friendships through high-calibre theatre and film-making.

“Decaying isn’t a school project,” says founder Jenny Heriot. “It’s a professional set, a real film crew, and a group of young people trusted with creative authority. When adults stop speaking ‘for’ neurodiverse kids and start giving them the mic, the results are amazing.”

The premiere includes both the short film and Behind the Seams — a documentary capturing the actors’ process, humour, challenges, and unexpected brilliance as they built the film from scratch.

With high community demand, Decaying sold out before public release. Festival submissions begin in 2026, with interest already brewing.

ABOUT FULL SPECTRUM THEATRE

Full Spectrum Theatre is an inclusive theatre company serving neurodiverse children across the Macedon Ranges region and further. Through improvisation, film-making, puppetry, social-emotional learning, and evidence-based practices (including a research partnership with La Trobe University and OTARC), FST creates a safe, creative environment where young people build confidence, communication skills, and authentic friendships.
Website: www.fullspectrumtheatre.com.au