Ella Glendining | Director

Ella Glendining | Director

(She/Her)

Filmmaker Ella Glendining is on a mission, one that has been formulating and developing since she was just five years old and ultimately became a reality with the creation of her powerful debut feature, the documentary Is There Anybody Out There? (2023). Born without hip joints and short femurs, Ella has made a moving, insightful, and very personal film about her life, which is as much a journey of self-discovery as it is about finding others who share her rare disability. Along the way, the film captures her facing various unexpected challenges, from becoming pregnant and giving birth to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent worldwide quarantine.

But more than providing a fascinating insight into her own story, the film works also as a celebration of disability and a wake-up call on the institutionalised ableism in society that inevitably alienates the disabled community. Ella has called the film her “battle cry” as she seeks to empower disabled people and give the community some much-needed exposure. While her film may have wrapped, Ella’s mission continues.

In their own words...

“Since I can remember, I’ve known I wanted to make work for disabled people, to make a mark for my community and generally make things better for disabled people. I remember thinking that when I was five, which is why I think it’s a calling, because why would a five-year-old think about that stuff?... I want to humanise disabled people, to celebrate us and to challenge ableism and those horrible stereotypes that can shape our lives.”

“I’m very chuffed [to be a BAFTA Breakthrough]. It means a lot. It’s very affirming to know that my work is being recognised and that my voice is considered important... I’m really excited for the networking opportunities and the mentoring element, and to meet other filmmakers who have inspired me.”

Ella is currently writing her first fiction film for the BFI, a historical drama about the life of a court dwarf during King Charles I’s reign with the working title Curiosity of Fools.

Ella’s breakthrough credit is unscripted documentary Is There Anybody Out There?

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