Arty Party, a Shropshire charity which supports learning disabled people to share their artistry to the public, has created a hit short film which is being shown at film festivals worldwide.
The film ‘The Secret Life of Tom Lightfoot’ is about a man with birds in his heart. The lead part is played by Graham Busby, a Telford-based actor and dancer who has Downs Syndrome. Making the film included Graham working with trained starlings to create the effect of the birds flying out of his chest.
The film received a four-star rating from UK film review:
‘The Secret Life of Tom Lightfoot is a magical tale about the things that we all keep inside of ourselves. In its short ten-minute runtime, it manages to delve deep into the loneliness we can all feel when trying to keep something hidden from others, whilst also highlighting the pleasure, happiness and beauty that can come from its sharing and release. As a fun, feel-good film that fits a lot of emotion into just a small space, spending a short time with Tom Lightfoot is a sure-fire way of letting your heart soar’.
The film has been shown at over 30 film festivals worldwide, including showings in Moscow, London, New York, San Francisco, Barcelona, Athens, and has won many awards. The film has qualified to be considered for a BAFTA nomination.
This weekend it will be appearing at the Kerry International Film Festival in Ireland
The Secret Life of Tom Lightfoot is one of a series of short films made by Arty Party, starring actors with disabilities, titled Secret Lives. An event to be held at The Place Theatre Oakengates in the spring of 2022, will show and celebrate The Secret Lives films.
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