Puzzle People is a first-person documentary that begins in the bright, quirky world of competitive speed puzzling and unfolds into a personal story about mental health, identity, and late-diagnosed autism.

Filmmaker Emily Sheskin enters the puzzling world during a period of intense burnout, looking for something joyful to hold onto. As she interviews puzzlers who use the hobby to manage anxiety and overstimulation, their stories prompt a deeper self-examination—leading to an ASD Level 1 diagnosis at age 40.

The film follows Emily’s journey alongside puzzlers preparing for the 2026 National Speed Puzzling Tournament. Blending humor, intimacy, and colorful aesthetics, the film centers voices often left out of the autism narrative—women, late-diagnosed adults, and those navigating invisible disability.

Treatment and work sample available upon request.

Directed by Emily Sheskin

Produced by Ben Kainz

Cinematography by Joe Victorine