Director Siân Heder returns to feature filmmaking with "Being Heumann," dramatizing the 1977 sit-in by disability-rights activist Judy Heumann that became a cornerstone moment in the movement for American protections for people with disabilities. The 28-day protest ultimately contributed to the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Heder, whose previous film "CODA" won Apple Original Films its historic Best Picture Oscar, brings her storytelling to this largely overlooked chapter of social activism, featuring Ruth Madeley as Heumann and Mark Ruffalo as a government official opposing the movement.

The film opened the 51st Toronto International Film Festival, where Heder emphasised the central theme of collective action's power to drive social change. The premiere carried added resonance given current geopolitical tensions between the United States and Canada, contextualising conversations around activism and grassroots organising. The project positions itself as Apple's next major awards contender while offering audiences an inspiring account of how organised protest movements can reshape policy and society.