I live with epilepsy and suffer from hypersensitivity after undergoing two brain surgeries. I also enjoy the occasional movie. Unfortunately, I’ve recently had a few bad experiences where films triggered my photosensitivity with strobing and rapid pulse lighting. For me and the thousands of people living with neurological conditions this isn’t just frustrating, it’s dangerous.

The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) needs to include photosensitivity safety warnings to help patients with epilepsy, migraines, and other neurological conditions determine if a film is safe to view.  This warning should be issued when strobe light or rapid pulse lighting is used in a film. The film studio should be required to issue this warning in the description of the film for distribution at local cinemas as well as digital ticket purchasing platforms such as Fandango.

Warnings for photosensitivity are becoming increasingly necessary. Netflix includes a warning for episodes of 'Stranger Things' Season 3 and scenes in ‘The Incredibles 2’ and ‘Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse’ were so intense many cinemas cautioned movie-goers. The problem is these warnings are reactive and handled on a cinema by cinema basis. Often warnings won’t be posted until someone has already had a reaction. It’s time for photosensitive safety warnings to become a standardized practice instead of a reactive measure. 

Sign this petition to tell the MPAA to include a photosensitivity safety warning in its rating system. Patients who are photosensitive deserve to be alerted to the risk viewing a film carries for them.