Castle Productions are excited to announce the launch of a campaign to support the making of Dis-Morph-Ick, a groundbreaking film that sheds light on the underfunded and overlooked issues of male muscle dysmorphia and eating disorders. The film is based on the real-life experiences of actor, writer and director Angus Castle-Doughty, and aims to raise awareness and spark crucial conversations about these severe conditions affecting countless men worldwide.

Despite growing recognition of eating disorders, male experiences remain largely ignored in research and treatment. Studies have shown that men with muscle dysmorphia are closely associated with symptoms of:

Inspired by personal experiences, Dis-Morph-Ick aims to fill this critical gap in awareness and understanding. In 2019, writer and director of the film Angus was cast in a major Netflix fantasy show, marking the biggest job of his career. However, the pressure and imposter syndrome he experienced led him down a path of extreme dieting and over-exercising, something he now recognises as body and muscle dysmoarphia.

Dis-Morph-Ick needs your support to bring this vital project to life. All contributions to the crowdfunding campaign will go directly towards production costs, ensuring that this important story is told. Exciting rewards are available for all supporters.

For more information and to support the campaign, please visit https://greenlit.com/project/dis-morph-ick

“I wrote this film based on my own experiences with muscle dysmorphia and disordered eating. My work as an actor and attempts to perfect my body fundamentally changed my relationship with food and exercise, and I continue to manage these challenges today.

Putting my experience on film is quite a vulnerable exercise, but the hope is to reach a generation of men that are struggling in silence or, perhaps even more alarming, may not even be aware that what they’re struggling with is a recognised problem. There is not enough being done to combat the growing epidemic of male eating disorders and muscle dysmorphia, but we want to use the accessibility of an entertaining film to foster and grow an often ignored conversation.”

“25% of people with eating disorders are men, yet just 1% of research focuses on men. Hence,

assessment tools and treatments used in clinical practice are often devised from research focused on women. The absence of men in eating disorders research leaves practitioners ill-equipped to recognise men’s symptoms and support their needs, which may lead men to feel unwelcome in healthcare settings.

Evidence suggests, for example, that men often delay seeking help for eating disorders due to a lack of recognition of their symptoms by themselves and those around them, which may exacerbate their conditions and increase the risk of adverse health issues.”

“As someone who has battled with disordered eating and obsession with the gym, I know that the media surrounding me impacted the time it took for me to get help. Through my studies, I see men, like me, who delay help-seeking simply because nobody (including ourselves) could recognise our behaviours as a problem. This delay allows the thoughts, feelings, and actions to integrate into our lives, often causing more harm and making it harder to undo.”

Media Contact:

Louise Bandak, Producer

Email: louise@bandak.co.uk

Phone: 07763 857 867

Follow writer/director Angus Castle Doughty on social media:

Instagram/ Threads/ TikTok: @AngusCastleDoughty;

Twitter/X: @doughtyangus