Locally made Meet the Metahumans gets world premiere at Bristol disability films showcase

A pair of AI ‘metahumans’ are retro-video games players battling it out in the cyberpunk world of a 1980s console game titled Game Over. Its levels are set in the real world of 2021 and the characters the duo control are humans whose challenge is to escape this meta-reality.

That’s the concept behind Meet the Metahumans – a new part-animated 39 minute satirical science fiction fantasy by award-winning local disabled filmmakers Sam Downie and Michael Smith. The project was started before the pandemic, but wound up being shaped by it. “When the pandemic hit and friends and family were affected by the virus and sadly passed away at young ages, we changed our vision for the film and took some time out,” Sam tells us. “I got affected by the virus too, and still am.

“Once I was feeling well enough to continue, we did, and we changed our story. We wanted to focus on the subject of the pandemic and grief but we didn’t want to do it in the same way that other filmmakers and TV documentaries were doing. We wanted to tell our story differently, so we continued with our characters, the metahumans, and made them the egomaniacs of our satire.”

Now the human characters’ journey takes them from Bristol to London, eventually reaching the National Covid Memorial Wall. In addition to the storyline’s novel approach to tackling the subject of grief, the film also boasts authentic 1980s music and a fully immersive Dolby Atmos soundtrack.

Meet the Metahumans gets its world premiere at the Watershed on Saturday 22 July, with a full supporting programme of shorts by other local disabled filmmakers, all made during the pandemic and curated by Sam and Michael. Here’s the line-up:

A Moment of Your Time (Michael Smith)

“A personal story and insight into being autistic and not being listened to.”

Uniquely Human (Sam Downie)

An animated film based on TV adverts.

Provocation (Jeffery Johns)

Big Jeff reveals his new art works created during the pandemic. Filmed before his fire accident at home.

Outsider (Tom McCarthaigh)

Exploring what it’s like being an alien outsider who has autism. Sadly, Tom didn’t survive the pandemic. Meet the Metahumans is dedicated to him.

Condition (Tom E Yates)

A music video filmed and created during the pandemic The song is about autism being “a condition not an illness”. Features animated creations by Big Jeff, Michael Smith, Sam Downie, Alexander Parker, and Greg Thorn.

All the films have open captions/subtitles, so the screenings will be accessible to all. The programme will be followed by a Q&A with filmmakers Michael Smith, Sam Downie, Big Jeff Johns and Tom E Yates, hosted by Tom Stubbs of biggerhouse film. Sam stresses that they won’t be talking about disability. “Instead we talk about creativity, filmmaking and immersive audio – but as disabled creatives who don’t get recognised for the skills and talents we have.”

Tickets are on sale now. Go here for further information.

All images: Sam Downie