The We Crip Film Festival is set to return to BFI Southbank from 18–19 July, bringing a vibrant weekend of premieres, talks, and community events to London during Disability Pride Month. Co-programmed by Charlie Little and Tara Brown in collaboration with the BFI’s intersectional disability advocacy group, the festival champions disabled filmmaking, creativity, and solidarity with the core ethos of "Nothing About Us Without Us."
Opening the festival on 18 July is the UK premiere of Joybubbles, directed by Rachael J. Morrison. The Sundance-selected debut feature explores the fascinating story of Joe Engressia, a blind man who discovered he could manipulate the telephone system by whistling a specific tone, inadvertently laying the groundwork for early hacking subcultures.
The festival closes on 19 July with the world premiere of D-Punk, an urgent documentary by the D-Punk Collective. The film explores the defiant intersection of punk and disability through firsthand stories from figures such as Celeste Bell, Jemima Dury, and Mat Fraser. Following the screening, a community panel discussion will feature prominent creatives and activists discussing punk as a powerful force for difference.
The lineup also includes the European premiere of Ryan Cunningham’s comedy-drama Lone Wolves, starring autistic writer-performer Matt Foss. Additionally, the popular short film strand "It’s Not You, It’s Ableism" returns to showcase diverse disabled-led work spanning animation, comedy, and documentary, followed by an interactive filmmaker Q&A. Beyond screenings, the festival will host a live industry pitch event on 17 July in partnership with 104 Films, showcasing five disabled-led genre projects to industry decision-makers.
Accessibility remains central to the entire festival experience. All screenings will be presented in a relaxed format, with comprehensive provisions including descriptive subtitles, audio description, BSL interpretation, live captions, quiet spaces, and full wheelchair access. A selection of short films will also be available nationwide via BFI Player. Tickets for the July event go on sale to the general public on 4 June.
