Film / News
Autistic Bristol filmmaker secures funding
Bristol’s Michael Smith has become the first autistic film director to receive backing from Creative England for a feature project. He’s joining forces with regular collaborator Tom Stubbs for his debut full-length film, Dawn of the Dark Fox.
Smith and Stubbs have worked together previously on the multiple award-winning 10-minute short buddy movie Light and Dark, which bagged the British Jury and South West Audience Awards at Encounters back in 2009. They also contributed to the Cube’s fund-raiser, The Film That Buys the Cinema.
is needed now More than ever
Dawn of the Dark Fox will be produced by Alex Usborne of Sheffield-based 104 Films, which specialises in developing disabled film talent. The company’s latest film, Notes on Blindness, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January and will get a national UK release through Curzon Artificial Eye in July.
Announcing Creative England’s involvement, Senior Film Executive Paul Ashton said: “At Creative England we look to support the strongest, boldest, most original voices in cinema, and that couldn’t be truer of Michael Smith and the team helping to realise his utterly unique vision on Dawn of the Dark Fox. This really is a one in a million project, like nothing you’ve ever seen before, and we’re over the moon to be backing it.”
Illustrations by Michael Smith
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