Representation and inclusion matter. Everyone should be able to see themselves reflected in characters in film and TV and not merely in the lip service one-dimensional stories often seen, especially in relation to those with disabilities. My Eyes are Up Here, directed by Nathan Morris, is a perfect example of how to do it the right way. A classic story of waking up, bleary-eyed next to someone who you don’t know very well and the ensuing panic upon discovering a split condom. It’s a widely universal tale and treated exactly that way by Morris. The New Zealand-born director immediately connected with Aminder Virdee’s script whose authenticity and raw character-led narrative he could easily see translated visually. My Eyes Are Up Here is at its very core a familiar tale of girl meets boy, yet goes beyond that simplistic framing to reflect on the way we treat people we deem as different. In our conversation below with Morris for today’s premiere, we discuss the challenges he had finding accessible friendly locations in our very ableist world, working with lead actor Jillian Mercado to cater to her lived experiences and give her ownership of her role and how they ensured that representation and inclusion were central to every part of the production.

My Eyes Are Up Here is a new comedy about a disabled woman who goes in search of the morning-after pill. The short film will premiere at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival in June. It stars Jillian Mercado (The L Word: Generation Q) as Sonya, a successful model who isn’t looking to date, and Ben Cura as Tom, someone she’s met through her current gig, who hopes their evening together might lead to more.

Clare Binns, Managing Director, Picturehouse Cinemas added: “We are delighted to host the tenth Sundance Film Festival: London showcasing the finest independent cinema direct from the 2023 Sundance Film Festival held in January. We look forward to celebrating with the London film community in July for an exciting 4 days filled with bold and thrilling UK premieres on the big screen, inspiring talks and special guest appearances, I am personally thrilled that Gregg Araki will be joining us all at the Festival, whose work exemplifies Sundance and independent film.”

Picturehouse and the non-profit Sundance Institute announced today the lineup of feature fiction and documentary films, a specially curated programme of UK-produced short films and a Gregg Araki retrospective for the 10th edition of Sundance Film Festival: London 2023, taking place from 6 to 9 July at Picturehouse Central.

The 29th Slamdance Film Festival, the premiere film festival and organization “by filmmakers, for filmmakers,” today announced its mind bending lineup for Animated, Experimental, Unstoppable, Narrative, and Documentary Shorts programs as well as the Digital, Interactive and Gaming (DIG) and Episodes lineup.

Congratulations to all the filmmakers and their teams, backed by BBC Film, who have been selected for this year’s exceptional programme at BFI London Film Festival.

66th BFI London Film Festival announces lineup of world premieres.