“Under The Lights”: How Sonoma County’s Miles Levin Made a Feature Film to Change the Conversation on Epilepsy
Miles Levin
Writer, director, and executive producer of the new film Under The Lights
Sonoma County filmmaker Miles Levin — writer, director, and executive producer of the new film Under The Lights joins us to discuss his feature. Miles is an award-winning filmmaker and public speaker living with epilepsy, and his film is doing something rare: using cinematic storytelling to fight the stigma surrounding one of the world's most common neurological conditions.
What started as a short film in 2018 has grown into a decade-long movement, sending Miles across the country — and sparking fan art, handcrafted gifts, and tearful standing ovations along the way. Now, Under The Lights is making its homecoming as the closing night film at the Sonoma International Film Festival on Sunday, March 29th at 4:30 PM at the Sonoma Veterans Memorial Hall.
We talk with Miles about:
How growing up in Sonoma County shaped him as a filmmaker and why the region is an underrated filmmaking hub
What Under The Lights is really about — and why it refuses to be a PSA
Filming at iconic local spots like Santa Rosa High School, Coddingtown Mall, and a secret sound stage in Penngrove
Working with an all-star cast including Nick Offerman, Randall Park, Lake Bell, and Marin Hinkle
Running the most successful crowdfunding campaign in Seed & Spark history
His philosophy on epilepsy stigma: "Entertainment has been our greatest enemy — but it's also our only salvation."
What's next: a national screening tour, a theatrical run, and adapting the film into a stage play
Whether you're a film lover, a member of the epilepsy community, a Sonoma County local, or someone who's ever felt like an outsider — this episode is for you.
📍 See It Live: Under The Lights screens at the Sonoma International Film Festival 🗓 Sunday, March 29th | 🕓 4:30 PM | 📍 Sonoma Veterans Memorial Hall
🔗 Links & Resources:
Follow on social: @underthelightsfilm
Interested in hosting a screening? Reach out through the website.
🍺 Crack One Open
Sonoma County has been hit with an unexpected March heatwave, so we're ditching the dark beer plans in favor of something more refreshing. This week's pick is By Her Bootstraps, a White IPA from Cuver Brewing brewed in collaboration with the Sonoma County chapter of the Pink Boots Society — a nonprofit dedicated to empowering women and non-binary individuals in the fermented beverage industry.
Released in honor of International Women's Month, this gold medal winner at the California State Fair is a rare and wildly drinkable White IPA that bridges two worlds — bringing Belgian beer lovers into the world of hops, and hoppy beer lovers into the world of Belgian yeast. At 5.2% ABV, it's light, spicy, earthy, and built for sunshine and good company.
Find it on draft or to-go at Cuver Brewing for a limited time only.
