FILM FESTIVAL
CREATING A SCENE
The theme of this year’ s Recovery Street Film Festival is creative healing. The festival’ s new creative director shares her vision for the competition, and how it reflects her own recovery journey
‘ I believe
of the Recovery Street Film Festival
in the power of film to drive social change and empower underrepresented groups and individuals in society,’ says the new creative director
( RSFF), Maddie Kitchen.‘ I use my skills as a filmmaker and my lived and living experience to champion people in recovery from addiction, mental ill health and trauma.’
The theme of the 2025 festival is‘ creative healing’, exploring the ways in which artistic expression can‘ nurture the soul’ –‘ from painting to poetry, theatre to dance, music to meditation, creativity serves as a powerful holistic tool for recovery,’ says RSFF.
Kitchen says she wants to take the festival‘ back to the streets, where it belongs. This is about challenging stigma by opening it up to the public and creating a vibrant, inclusive
event that celebrates recovery out loud and in the open,’ she states. She’ s also the founder of Sobriety Films UK, which focuses on recovery-oriented storytelling and has collaborated with organisations including Change Grow Live, Waythrough, the NHS Addictions Provider Alliance, Phoenix Futures and Turning Point – holding screenings and running filmmaking workshops to help challenge stigma and raise awareness of recovery.
Kitchen herself
has been in recovery from alcohol addiction for nearly 20 years.‘ Along the way, I’ ve experienced two relapses, but I’ m now 13 years sober,’ she says.‘ I always highlight that because it’ s important for others to know – you can come back from relapse. My recovery has been abstinence-based, which is what has worked best for me. I experienced my first episode of major depressive disorder at the age of 19 and to cope with overwhelming anxiety I began using alcohol to self-medicate.’ Over time this became a‘ horrible and harmful cycle’, she says.
Getting sober, however, was the best thing she did for her mental health, she states.‘ As someone with a dual diagnosis I know how challenging it can be to separate mental health issues from addiction. But I also know that recovery is absolutely possible.’ While many people still fall through the cracks in the system – presenting with substance problems that stem from underlying mental ill health issues, only to be told they need to be
20 • DRINK AND DRUGS NEWS • MAY 2025 WWW. DRINKANDDRUGSNEWS. COM