Lived Perspectives was started by Ian and Jess, with the support of the University of Winchester, in 2023 when we held our first film festival event. It came from a shared interest in small film festivals and the promotion of grassroots voices from disabled, Mad, and neurodivergent communities and groups.

We have since begun to expand to working with other communities, forming a partnership with the Southampton Persian Cultural Centre to show films by independent Iranian filmmakers who are often unable to show their work in Iran or submit to larger festivals due to censorship and financial restrictions.

The Lived Perspectives film festival aims to only accept films that are made or co-produced by people from the specific communities we are working with. We believe that people in these communities are often excluded and discouraged from participating in filmmaking, film festivals, and the wider film industry due to discriminatory practices and lack of accessibility. We hope that by highlighting the innovative, diverse, and often challenging work from these filmmakers we can support them in sharing the stories they want to tell and create a space for their voices to be heard.

Lived Perspectives C.I.C is a registered Community Interest Company. This means that we are a non-profit making organisation. All our income goes towards the festival and supporting filmmakers. Our Directors do not receive a wage for their work with Lived Perspectives C.I.C, and everyone else who supports us does so on a voluntary basis. We are always grateful for their time, expertise, and enthusiasm.