Stonewall Postal Action Network

Austin Allen ran one of the UK's largest postal LGBT action networks from his bedroom in the 1990s.

Stonewall Postal Action Network (SPAN), is a short documentary, telling the story of Austin's activism, his letter writing campaign and the packing up of his life work for an archive as he contemplates his legacy from his new home in rural Wales.

  • Sarah Elizabeth Drummond
    Director
  • Sarah Elizabeth Drummond
    Producer
  • Rouben Freeman
    Editor
  • Martyn Gough
    Director of Photography
  • Welikenicethings
    Motion Graphics
  • Austin Allen
    Cast
  • Elliot Vaughn
    Cast
  • Julian Corlett
    Cast
  • James Campbell Wilkie
    Music Composition
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Genres:
    LGBTQ+
  • Runtime:
    12 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    June 8, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    3,000 GBP
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Raw
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Sarah Elizabeth Drummond

Dr Sarah Elizabeth Drummond is a Scottish director and creative producer, part time based in Devon.

She runs a production studio Anthro Bricolage.

Sarah comes by way of a background in design. She ran an award winning agency Snook for 12 years specialising in research and design. She was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Glasgow School of Art for services to design.

She has directed anthropological films for clients including Meta and was a runner up in Bertha Doc House competition with her desktop documentary, Lockdown Hugs.

She is currently working on her first feature length documentary Don’t Say Gay on the history of the anti-lgbtq law, Section 28.

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Director Statement

SPAN, is the first of a series of short docs that capture extraordinary LGBTQ+ activism done by ordinary people from their homes.

Span profiles unheard queer activism stories in detail whilst the activists ponder their own legacies. The doc ends in the activist's work being taken to an archive which was instigated by me as the director.

I wanted to ensure these smaller but mighty forms of activism, in the case of Austin Allen, targeting very specific homophobic policies of British organisations was captured before these stories are lost forever. With rising LGBTQ hate crime in the UK, and global anti-lgbtq policies increasing, it's important to me as someone who was schooled under Section 28 that I reconnect with my queer elders I was separated from.

I set out to capture the reflections and feelings that surfaced as Austin packed up his life work and pondered his legacy. I found the experience of making the film deeply moving, in re-connecting with someone I wish I had met in my youth.