FIST BUMP
Filmmaker Madeleine Farley‘s Slamdance 2025 documentary FIST BUMP tells the story of Marcus Knight, a young, musical theatre-loving autistic man who becomes embroiled in a shocking firestorm of controversy. After receiving a full scholarship to Saddleback College in 2016, several students accused him of inappropriate behavior for fist bumping and taking selfies.
The film jumps right into the absurdity of the allegations. Farley shows and reads the letters from the Saddleback administration. You will find yourself screaming profanities at the screen.
Marcus’ extended family, caregivers, friends, teachers, and advocates speak on his behalf. Pictures, interviews, and videos show the adoration that follows Marcus everywhere he goes. Flooded with praise and awards his entire life, he was on an extraordinary trajectory until he entered Saddleback College.
Lee Burdette Williams, executive director for the College Autism Network and former Dean of Students at Wheaton College, alongside
Marcus’s attorney delves into the legal and moral issues of not just Marcus’ case but nationally. It tears down the egregious behavior of colleges and universities motivated by discrimination and fear of public backlash. It’s gross. The film flips Title IX on its head, exposing the failures within the system.
As a mother of a 9-year-old boy with autism, FIST BUMP shook my soul. It is irrational behavior from other people that I fear most. Most parents of children with a disability will agree with the sentiment. You learn you have to be an unwavering advocate for your child. In telling Marcus’ birth story, you might begin to understand the unrelenting gaslighting. Like Marcus, my son was hyperlexic and performed complex equations at age two. Autism does not stop children from being extraordinary. Marcus’ mother, Aurora, is a hero. She is a shining example of activism and unconditional love.
“Waving Through A Window” is a song Marcus repeatedly sings in the film. If you know anything about the musical Dear Evan Hansen, you understand the emotional gut punch of this specific number. There is a theory that Evan’s character is autistic. The show’s plot revolves around miscommunication and the events that unfold due to the desire to fit in. It is a striking and impactful inclusion.
A solid companion watch, Life, Animated, takes a similar concept, but instead of music, it was Disney films that helped Owen Suskind initiate communication with his family. FIST BUMP is a nuanced example of the treatment of any individual with disabilities. The judgment, the outright dismissal, and the fear are heartbreaking. I encourage studios with a wide reach, like PBS, to see FIST BUMP and ensure it is witnessed by the masses. It is vital viewing.
USA | 2024 | Documentary | 60 min | Color
in English
Slamdance Screening:Saturday, 2/22 @ 6:15pmLA Times Theatre, Quixote Studios
Director/DP Madeleine Farley
Producers Claire Best, Madeleine Farley
Co-Producer Joel Plotch
Executive Producer Claire Best
Writer/Researcher Claire Best
Editor Joel Plotch
Sound Designer Martin Kloiber
Composer Thomas Schobel
FIST BUMP is the story of Marcus Knight, an astounding success story: a talented and charismatic bi-racial young adult with autism and cerebral palsy who pursues his dream career of a life on Broadway. As a college freshman, he’s accused of sexual harassment from a friendly fist bump and selfies. He must fight to prove his innocence and piece together his shattered ambitions.
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ABOUT SLAMDANCE
Established in 1995 by a wild bunch of filmmakers who were tired of relying on a large, oblique system to showcase their work, Slamdance has consistently discovered new and emerging talent that shapes our cultural future. The artist-led organization lives and breathes its mantra; by filmmakers, for filmmakers.
In 2024, Slamdance will celebrate its 31st Festival in Los Angeles, California from February 20-26 and virtually on the Slamdance Channel from February 24 to March 7.
In addition to the festival, Slamdance serves artists with several year-round programs, including its Screenplay Competition, DIG (Digital, Interactive & Gaming), an accessible education initiative called Polytechnic and Unstoppable, a showcase of works made by creators with visible and non-visible disabilities.
In collaboration with alumni Anthony and Joe Russo and their AGBO production company, Slamdance recently presented its first DTLA Summer Showcase in 2024 involving five multi-faceted and accessible media programs in support of new artists.
Notable Slamdance alumni include The Russo Brothers (Avengers: Endgame), Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer), Lynn Shelton (Little Fires Everywhere), Gina Prince-Bythewood (The Old Guard), the Safdie Brothers (Uncut Gems), Marina Zenovich (LANCE), Lena Dunham (Girls), Sean Baker (Red Rocket), Rian Johnson (Knives Out), Bong Joon Ho (Parasite), Merawi Gerima (Residue) and Andrew Patterson (The Vast of Night), Natasha Ofili (Creed III), and Julio Palacio (Makayla’s Voice: A Letter To The World).
Slamdance’s mission is to function as an agent of change in filmmaking and digital media, helping to make the creative works of artists with divergent voices accessible to everyone.
On the eve of their parents revealing a planned separation, a brilliant boy and his two older siblings use an enchanted grandfather clock to manipulate time and get them back together. Director Christian Ditter has audiences reconnect with his latest film, THE PRESENT. This lovely film, filled with silliness and life lessons, is a must for the holiday weekend.
The editing combined with the score creates a charming and deeply affecting quality. Confessional diary logs place us in Ella’s headspace. She uses home videos and sit-down chats with her Mum and Dad about what it was like to raise her. Seeking specialists and families with the same disability offers Ella more questions than answers. We follow Ella through an unexpected pregnancy. Her gorgeous son River and the Covid 19 pandemic change how she views potential surgery options. As she speaks to others via Zoom, she contemplates the appreciation of her body. 
The discussion of ableism is paramount to understanding Ella’s life and any family with a differently abled member. I am the mother of a seven-year-old son with Autism Spectrum Disorder. I suspect that with his off-the-charts cognitive abilities, the more precise diagnosis is Aspergers. I appreciated Ella and her best friend Naomi’s honest discussions about her autism and the challenges of an invisible disability. Each admits they cannot fully understand the inner workings of one another’s feelings and worry they have inadvertently said horrible things to one another. Understanding the staring, judgment, and how it pierces the heart cannot be ignored. That is also why the conversations with Ella’s parents resonated with me. Like Ella seeking someone to connect to, her Mum and Dad were touchstones for me. 
IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE? tackles outdated stereotypes and deep-seated trauma, but also optimism. I hope Ella Glendining understands the gravity of her film. I have to thank her for sharing her life, and I look forward to sharing her story with my son when he is a bit older. IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE? celebrates individualism and isn’t that the ultimate goal?
Based on the book of the same name by Naoki Higashida, The Reason I Jump is an emotional rollercoaster. I was already welling up listening to the opening monologue. The echolalia, the sensory overstimulation, the hand flapping, and ear covering all punched me in the gut when presented on screen. I’m a lucky Mom. At 5 years old, my child is now very verbal, he’s hyperlexic which means he’s been reading since he was two. He loves hugs, sleep, and eats well. On the autism spectrum, he would be closer to Asperger’s, if that were a diagnosis recognized nowadays. None of these facts lessen the fear, frustration, exhaustion, and pure elation in raising an exceptional human being. The Reason I Jump is tailor-made from the words of a nonverbal 13-year-old boy’s experiences from the inside out. In film form, it’s simply triumphant.
In the doc, we are introduced to 5 unique young people with autism.
Joss -(UK)
Jestina – Sierra Leone
The narrated excerpts from the book directly correlate with whichever child is being highlighted at that time. Voiced by Jordan O’Donegan, they have a poetic feel to their profundity. Naoki writes, “Making sounds with your mouth isn’t the same as communication.” That quote did me in. When you hear that, truly hear it, you will be taken aback. Jestina, Ben, Emma, Joss, and Amrit all communicate in a different way, we just had to learn how to listen. The heightened sound design immerses you into the world of an autistic person. We do not understand what it is like to be utterly overwhelmed not being able to be fully understood. The cinematography is breathtaking. Quick cuts, predominantly in close-up form combined with a gorgeous soundtrack put you in an alternate headspace. The editing takes all these elements and blends them into a viscerally stunning documentary.
As a mother of a child on the autism spectrum, I feel like I can see I want to broadcast this film to the world so that neurotypical individuals can understand my son and every other person on the spectrum. The label of autism, whether people realize it or not, creates implicit bias. We are missing out on the potential and impact of an entire faction of our society. It is our duty to meet each other in the middle. The Reason I Jump is a captivating peek behind the autism curtain. Don’t look away now. Thank you Naoki Higashida for writing this book. Thank you David Mitchell for translating it for your son. Thank you Jerry Rothwell for directing such an important film. Thank you to the families that shared their lives. Watch this film, then choose to listen and learn in a new way.
John Leguizamo plays detective Espada. He nails this role. He’s a hardass but very sly in the way he handles his job. He’s really great in this role. Helen Hunt plays his mother. Her Mama Bear persona is viscerally familiar to me, personally. She is gentle with Bart and commanding with Detective Espada. The yearning to protect, teach, and soothe is palpable. The moments of acquiescence really hit home. It’s all done with love.
Tye Sheridan‘s specificity hits close to home as a mother of a child on the spectrum. The eye-contact avoidance, repetitive verbiage, comfort in routine, the incredibly high intelligence are all things I have experienced first hand. The care with which he handles this role is refreshing. Major applause from a community who tends to see over-the-top characterizations of loved ones.
This film is a sidesplitting winner. Outside of the documentary genre, we’re not often let into the world of adults on the autism spectrum. Keep The Change follows the beginnings of a relationship between two very different individuals who are ultimately seeking to be accepted and cherished for who they are. The issues of self-love, sexuality, class, are addressed in endearing and tongue-in-cheek ways. Newcomers and leads Brandon Polansky and Samantha Elisofon have an insane chemistry. The two appear to be polar opposites making their banter all the more entertaining. Any time you pit a glum and cynical individual against an outgoing and seemingly innocent one, interesting things are bound to happen. The dialogue is biting, witty, and oftentimes offensive, keeping the viewer on their toes and thoroughly amused. Writer/director Rachel Israel has given us a true gem. This unique romcom will undoubtedly charm the pants off of you and teach you some much-needed tolerance.
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