Support 'S-speak Up' and Amplify Student Filmmakers

Logline: When a student who stutters endures an ableist classmate, she must come to terms with her own prejudices.

A Note from the Director

Growing up with a stutter while my classmates didn't made me feel isolated. People treated me differently, they finished my sentences, they'd laugh at me. It discouraged me from making friends and participating in class. My struggles with internalized ableism only increased as I got older.

I had numerous speech therapists over the years. Most of them appeared focused on eliminating my stutter. This urged me to avoid stuttering. I believed that something was wrong with me.

When I was in middle school I was fortunate enough to have a speech therapist with a different approach. He emphasized building confidence over concentrating on a cure. This concept of learning to live with your stutter rather than to live without it was new to me. This encouraged me to think about how harmful the stigma behind stuttering was.

As I grew interested in filmmaking, I noticed the lack of representation of stuttering in media. So I took my experiences and wrote S-speak Up. This is a story about a student who experiences an abelist classmate and must come to terms with her own prejudices. it’s a story that means a lot to me.

I hope that this film offers support and representation to those who stutter. Additionally, I strive to familiarize audiences with the stigma behind stuttering, while offering a realistic perspective.

Thank you for supporting our film,

Olivia Themistocles