Novartis Premieres New HS Docuseries at Tribeca Film Festival

The series, which will premiere during the 2023 Tribeca Festival in New York, is part of the "Shine a Light on HS" campaign, which was developed by Novartis to help educate and provide helpful tools to people who are undiagnosed but suffering from the symptoms of HS. 

Novartis is launching a new docuseries, "The Beacons: Illuminating HS Stories, in recognition of Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) Awareness Week.

The series, which will premiere during the 2023 Tribeca Festival in New York, is part of the "Shine a Light on HS" campaign, which was developed by Novartis to help educate and provide helpful tools to people who are undiagnosed but suffering from the symptoms of HS. 

Co-produced with and hosted by HS advocate, journalist and filmmaker Jasmine IVANNA Espy, the docuseries highlights the experiences of people from multiple countries living with HS. The six-part series follows Jasmine as she talks about her own experiences and has intimate discussions with five other "Beacons" of light for this underserved community – Selina and Jeremy (United States), Marion (France), Kim (United Kingdom) and Latoya (Canada). Each advocate offers a unique glimpse into life with HS, the importance of self-advocacy and the challenges of balancing symptom management with daily activities, relationships, personal passions and work.

"Living with HS and the unpredictable nature of it is a daily battle – both physically and emotionally. When I was first diagnosed, the pain from my flares was unbearable. I felt isolated and ashamed of my body," says Jasmine in a news release. "It's my hope that this docuseries can show those who are still looking for answers that they are not alone and that together we can change the way the world looks at HS."

"We are committed to working with the HS community to bring much-needed awareness to a disease that – up until now – has been rarely talked about and to 'Shine a Light' on the impact and raw realities of living with this highly stigmatized disease," adds Gail Horwood, Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer, Novartis Innovative Medicines US. "Featuring the powerful, real stories of six Beacons in the community, we launched this docuseries during HS Awareness Week to elevate the voices of those living with HS so that others feel supported and empowered to get the diagnosis and care they need."

To watch the docuseries and learn more about HS, US audiences can visit ShineALightOnHS.com.