Siân Heder’s Being Heumann will close the 40th edition of AFI Fest (October 21-25) in Los Angeles on October 25.
The Apple feature just received its world premiere in Toronto as the TIFF opening night selection and stars the UK’s Ruth Madeley as disability activitist Judy Heumann, who led a 1977 sit-in at a federal building in San Francisco to effect change.
The cast includes Mark Ruffalo, Dylan O’Brien, and Madeline Delp and marks Heder’s follow-up feature to her 2022 Oscar best picture winner Coda. Heder and Rebekah Taussig adapted Kristen Joiner’s book Being Heumann.
David Permut produced for Permut Presentations alongside Kevin Walsh for The Walsh Company under his overall deal with Apple, and Heumann’s managers John W. Beach and Kevin Cleary of Gravity Squared Entertainment.
The late Judy Heumann, Joiner, Diana Pokorny, Ann Molin and Jim Lebrecht are on the executive producer roster.
Heder participated in the AFI’s directing workshop for women years ago and described the closing night slot as ”a full circle moment”. She added, This film gave me the opportunity to tell the wild story of the 504 protest and its leader, Judy Heumann, a woman whose work changed the lives of millions and whose fight continues today.”
No comments yet