Watch: Broadway Body Positivity Project Produces Animated Short Film SIT! DOWN! ...STRIKE?

"Sit! Down! ...Strike?", an animated short film about service dogs unionizing, is participating in the Los Angeles-based Easterseals Disability Film Challenge, now in its 13th year. The challenge boasts alumni such as Jamie Brewer, Rachel Handler and Emily Hopper, and has been credited with launching many disabled creatives' careers.

"After having participated in this amazing challenge before, I knew what to expect. As someone with a service dog, I had a personal connection to the story," says director and actor Cassidy Huff. "I have so much respect for animation. There's a lot you can convey through the medium that you can't always with live action. It was definitely a challenge, but we learned so much."

Filmmakers are tasked to shoot a short film that does not exceed five minutes in just five days. Contestants learn the annual challenge's theme and year-specific rules theday production is allowed to begin, adding to the integrity of the competition. Entries this year will be judged by luminaries like Col Needham, Tim Gray and Kat Coiro.

Under the direction of Huff, "Sit! Down! ...Strike?" centers the lived experiences of disabled handlers and their service dogs. Rallying alongside Huff are fellow disabled filmmakers and artists from around the world, with talent based in major cities from London to Gaza, representing a diverse crew with global perspectives and a passion for furry friends everywhere.