Samuel de Ceccatty’s THE ENERGY WITHIN starring World Champion and 3 time Paralympian Stefanie Reid premieres this March

WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY SAMUEL DE CECCATTY

STARRING STEFANIE REID

PREMIERING ONLINE IN MARCH 2018

THE ENERGY WITHIN is the truthful and inspiring story of a woman’s journey to find the strength to follow her dream of becoming a pro athlete. Featuring World Champion and 3 time Paralympian Stefanie Reid in her debut film performance, THE ENERGY WITHIN will premiere online on March 23, during the 2018 Winter Paralympics in South Korea.

Written and directed by award-winning filmmaker Samuel de Ceccatty and produced by Paul Jibson and Manon Ardisson (God’s Own Country, Le Soledad), THE ENERGY WITHIN is based on the real life experience of Paralympian Stefanie Reid.

Having recently recovered from an accident which cost her her leg, Julie Bennett (Stefanie Reid) is set on getting her old life back. And for Julie, competitive running is life. After finding the courage to approach George Hart (Daniel Adegboyega), a respected trainer, she asks to join his team of professional runners, lying to him and herself by hiding her disability. But how long can she keep up appearances, and at what cost?

Stefanie Reid’s childhood dream of becoming an elite athlete was shattered when she was involved in a boating accident during her teens resulting in her right foot being amputated. Stefanie revived her dream at university when she joined the athletics team to see how fast she could still run. Upon graduation, Stefanie decided to put her plans of medical school aside and focus on becoming an elite athlete. Since then Stefanie has competed for Great Britain as a track and field Paralympian. She is a five-time world record holder, reigning world champion (London 2017 long jump), and triple Paralympic medallist in the long jump (2016, 2012) and 200m sprint (2008). Stefanie was awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours List for her services to sport following a stellar 2017 both on and off the track. Stefanie works as a speaker and broadcaster, and is involved in various roles that help to promote para-sport at the elite and community levels. Stefanie has also been involved in various modelling campaigns. She has featured in Vogue magazine, walked the London Fashion Week Catwalk in 2015, and been involved in campaigns for Debenhams and Bluebella. She is passionate about challenging the way the world views disability. Stefanie’s truthful and intimate portrayal of the lead character in THE ENERGY WITHIN is her first film role as an actor.

Writer/director Samuel de Ceccatty came from a background in graphic design before turning to filmmaking. His work explores the themes of isolation and imagination in a style that turns everyday life into epic adventures. Samuel’s work has screened at international festivals including the London SFF, Seattle IFF, Cambridge FF and Euroshorts and he has won several high profile competitions from institutions including the BFI, the National Theatre and most recently the BBC’s Writers Room. His ambition for THE ENERGY WITHIN is to tell an inspiring and human story that captures an important shift in our understanding of disabilities. Having a close family member with MS, Samuel has followed the progress in technology of Biomechatronics, enabling people with mobility issues to rival, and maybe even outdo, people without ‘disabilities’. Samuel explains, “Yet what makes this shift possible in the first place is individual willpower: that moment when your inner strength is ignited, making it possible to overcome any challenges. And that’s the feeling I hope to capture with my film.”

THE ENERGY WITHIN boasts beautiful cinematography from Adam Suschitzky (11.22.63, Titanic) and an original score from multi-award winning composer Ollie Howell (‘Sutures and Stitches’, ‘Self Identity’). The film was produced by Active Studios in association with Cat&Bear Pictures.

The Energy Within - Trailer from Samuel de Ceccatty on Vimeo.

Running time: 17 minutes

Find THE ENERGY WITHIN on Facebook and Twitter: @ceccatty / @jiblets / @ManonArdisson / @RunJumpStefReid

THE ENERGY WITHIN will premiere online on March 23