/ ABOUT

Max’s Mission is a fictional charity that raises awareness of anaphylaxis and helps those affected live life to the fullest. I created this 60-second film for Editfest 2023, Filmsupply’s annual 30-day editing competition.

My son, Max, has had severe food allergies since he was three months old. That has meant hospital visits, endless tests and constant worry. As a mother, I found myself several steps ahead, asking: Will he be invited to birthday parties? Can he travel safely? How will he live a normal life? Balancing that fear with hope became the idea for the film.

Told from a parent’s perspective, it follows a life through the small moments where food plays a big part: birthday parties, picnics with friends, travelling, dating. For allergy families, these moments are full of fear, and the smallest become big achievements. Then life is interrupted by an anaphylactic reaction, the moment every allergy parent fears. Too many young people have lost their lives this way and never got to graduate, travel or get married.

Much of my editing work has been confidential, but emotive storytelling is what I've long been known for. Rather than wait for a brief, I saw the gap and made it happen.

Shared organically on Instagram, the film reached over 14,000 views and had a real ripple effect in the allergy community, connecting me with brands, medical professionals and other parents. It also caught the attention of Anaphylaxis UK, who approached me about licensing it for a TV campaign. It's by far one of the projects I'm the most proud of.

The response to Max's Mission was amazing, you can read the comments on Instagram or see a few below: