Even if there were twice as many real mental health stories being told, it still wouldn’t be enough. That’s why Community Access launched Changing Minds, a unique storytelling initiative that helps young people (ages 15 to 25) share their mental stories in ways that spark meaningful conversation and bring about real change.
For young people, especially, mental health challenges can be difficult to navigate – and too many face these challenges alone, fearful of being misunderstood and marginalized. This can change. This should change. With students, educators, and mental health advocates all working together, we can help young people to feel free, safe, healthy, and hopeful.
GET INVOLVED
Whether you want to share your own mental health story, learn from the experience of others, or discuss mental health (in a school, a college, or community setting), Changing Minds has something to offer — free of charge and easy to access. Below are some materials that can be used to get involved with all things Changing Minds, or to host classroom and community screenings.
We encourage young people ages 15-25 to share mental health stories through film — and we’ve even created a handy How to make a Film Guideas a resource! Check it out, and learn how easy it can be to even develop and create a film on your smart phone.
What We Are Looking For
This competition runs annually for filmmakers age between 15 and 25. To qualify, films must be 10 minutes or shorter and focus on mental health issues affecting young people (e.g. depression, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, OCD, BPD, etc.).
How To Enter
Submit (for free!) via FilmFreeway.com, the world's premier film festival submission platform. (If you're not already a registered user, it takes only a few seconds to join. We accept submissions year annually)You can find curated collections of Changing Minds films, organized by topic and subject matter, on our YouTube channel. These are FREE and available to use in school or community-based screenings.
We encourage you to use our free Discussion Guide to help lead your conversation, spark important conversations and change, and share information about mental health and Changing Minds.
Finally, here is a link to our post screening survey. If you host a screening, please be sure to have the participants fill this out, so we can continue to improve Changing Minds.
We're currently accepting film submissions for our 2024 Changing Minds Young Filmmaker Festival in New York City. Watch this space for more information about event date and details!
Each May, during Mental Health Awareness Month, Changing Minds runs Film Fridays as a weekly series featuring brand new films from talented young filmmakers, plus Q&As with those filmmakers on Instagram Live.
Changing Minds is made possible through the support from the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund, the Isora Foundation, and Lady Gaga's Born This Way Foundation. Changing Minds films have been screened at hundreds of high schools, colleges, libraries, and community centers across New York City, as well as at the ReelAbilities Film Festival and the Singapore Mental Health Film Festival.
HISTORY
QUESTIONS?
John Williams Chief Development and Communications Officer
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