The Film You Helped Fund Is Shortlisted for a National Award: Watch the Trailer

It was nearly 12 months ago that we wrote to tell you about a brilliant team, Natalie and Jo, and their Kickstarter to bring the award-winning script Unauthorised Absence to life as a short film. The film shows the human cost of UK attendance laws and the SEND crisis.

A lot has happened since we let you know that your support helped the Kickstarter reach its target.

The film is now made! It awaits release, and, very excitingly, Unauthorised Absence is on the SHORTLIST for Best English Short Film at the British Short Film Awards. Should the film be selected as a finalist, Natalie and Jo will be heading to the awards, presented by Claudia Winkleman, at the BFI Southbank in November!

We can't wait to share details of the film's full release with you, but we will all need to wait a little longer. We can, however, share the trailer with you. Be warned: although short, it packs a powerful punch if you have supported a young person with barriers to school attendance. We hope you ultimately find it validating to see all of our stories brought to life. You can watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_G4Ytpc8Vg

Here's what Natalie and Jo had to say to us:

"We are bowled over by the public response to the trailer for Unauthorised Absence, and so incredibly grateful to Maddie and Susan and you, the community behind this desperately important petition, for helping us to make the film. We really hope that all our heartfelt pleas for compassion and empathy within the education system are finally heard by those who make the vital decisions about our children’s futures."

Maddie and I have been working with Natalie and Jo and other campaigners on plans to lobby the government in October to stop punitive attendance measures; we want to give them a clear message-blanket measures are a blunt tool that harms the most vulnerable; families need support - not court.

More on those plans to come, but stay tuned for our next update from Maddie about what the last 4.5 years have looked like for her son Harleigh and his experience since not being able to attend school. There is hope for children and young people beyond not being able to attend school, as Maddie will share.

Until next time,

Maddie and Susan