(Concept art)

Film Synopsis

Alfie, a 21-year-old mildly autistic aspiring artist living in London in a small studio flat with his girlfriend, Alyssa, a 22-year-old freelance composer. The two of them are forced to shield during the beginning of the covid-19 pandemic as Alyssa is of high risk. This unsettling change towards Alfie’s life brings an intensive experience to their living situation, bringing their relationship to a knife edge. This provides Alfie a sense of urgency to get the right support for his autism to control his anxiety, maintain his relationship and help himself adjust with this drastic change of life.

 Alfie receives an assessment report from an Educational Psychologist from his University however this report will not be sufficient to receive support outside of education, leaving him requiring an official diagnosis. Alfie discovers this could take up to 8 months and in desperation to accelerate the process, he reaches out to a private psychiatric assessment service where he is shocked to find out the excessive fees required.

Amongst all of this, Alfie occasionally finds therapeutic escapism within his art however a combination of stress, anxiety and lack of consistency & communication within Alfie & Alyssa’s relationship pushes their relationship towards a breaking point...

(Concept art)

The Team 

(From left to right)

Ethan Posford- Director & Co-Writer: 

Ethan is an upcoming director born in London and raised in Greater Manchester who aspires to throw neurodiversity into the diversity conversation in TV & Film. His experience ranges from leading various short films & music videos as well as assisting research on an upcoming American feature documentary, 'SLO Unmasked'. As someone who has been diagnosed with mild autism & dyspraxia, his goals are to break the idea that being neurodiverse is strictly a disability and wants the public to see it as a different way people perceive the world.

Brad Bowie Miller- Co-Writer & Supervising Development Producer: 

Brad is a producer born and based in London, keen to tell memorable stories often based on topics that are not widely presented in the media. This story has allowed Brad to bring forward his real World experiences in trying to seek support through NHS services with lengthy waiting times . He has had experience on feature films as a production assistant, first assistant and script supervisor. He has also been a producer and production manager for a selection of shorts, including documentary ‘Liquor or Gravy’? which has won multiple laurels at festivals. Upon completing a BA HONS in Digital Film Production,  Brad is seeking work within the development department.

Liz Tester- Producer: 

Born and raised in Suffolk, Liz is an aspiring producer and production manager who aspires to bring diversity and gender equality into modern filmmaking. With a brother with autism and multiple physical disabilities, she has seen first-hand the stress and upset that occurs when unable to claim the support needed to live a fulfilling life. Liz is an adaptable producer, having produced a campaign video for Amazon and Barnardo’s, but with hopes to also produce short progressive films over the coming years.

Mark Lane- Cinematographer:

Mark is a Cinematographer born and raised on the south coast of England and currently based in London. Mark has always had a passion for Photography and visual arts. He has since studied in a three year BA Hons Digital Film Production course with a specialism in cinematography, and has externally achieved full ARRI certification. Mark has developed his skills and career by working as a Gaffer for numerous high budget productions collaborating with the UK’s top A listers. Mark’s main objectives on any project are to aid the director in finding the best possible way to create their narrative concept and execute it visually, And to bring the best possible energy and attitude to each and every project.

Mood Boards

What We Need & What You Get

Our estimated budget is £3000. This covers the following elements: 

Depending on how much you donate, you'll receive some perks exclusive to this campaign including:

If we do not receive the full amount specified then we aim to commence with production with whatever funds we receive, prioritising on cast and locations. 

The Impact

This project means a lot to us as it was written by two neurodiverse people who want to raise awareness of their experiences of the hardships they've faced. This is done in the hopes that it will break stigmas people still have towards neurodiverse people and encourage neurodiverse people to pursue & achieve their goals despite their setbacks.

This project also aims to raise awareness of autism specifically in adults as it seems a lot of autistic representation in TV & Film usually focuses on children & teenagers which provides the illusion that autism is just something that disappears or that you completely learn to live with when you become an adult which isn't the case.

According to a recent study, 70% of adults with autism in the UK say they are not getting the help they need from social services and that with more support they would feel less isolated.  This study also reported that 1 in 3 develop mental health difficulties due to a lack of support.

Neurodiverse individuals who have sought for a diagnosis in order to receive support have often had the hardship of waiting on a list as short as 8 months to as long as 36 months. Out of desperation, this can lead to many of them seeking a fast-track option through private fee paying services, costing hundreds of pounds just for a diagnosis.

"This project has already changed my understanding within myself in terms of how I work in relation to the autistic spectrum. For years it was something I didn't want to understand and would prefer to ignore due to the way I was treated by other people whilst growing up. I think if there was a lot more positive representation of neurodiverse people back when I was younger then I would have felt as open about my identity as I do now. As a filmmaker, I want to create the kind of content that I know my younger self would have benefitted from in the hopes that it will help others who have gone through similar struggles to myself." 

- Ethan Posford, Director & Co-Writer

We plan to send this short film out to various film festivals across the UK, starting with several smaller festivals such as London Lift-Off and Manchester Lift-Off. Depending on the film's success at these festivals we will progress to award qualifying festivals such as Manchester Film Festival and Aesthetica. 

Risks & Challenges

The unpredictable nature of the ongoing covid-19 pandemic has already delayed this production several times however we are confident that production will begin soon. To prevent the spread of covid-19 on set we will use testing and industry standard covid-19 safety measures.

Other Ways You Can Help

We understand that not everyone will be able to donate towards our campaign but you can still support this campaign simply by sharing it around on social media and with friends & family.