The first Mental Filmness live event since 2019 was an incredible and incredibly moving red carpet event! We pulled out all the stops hosting it at the beautiful Davis Theater with our snazzy new banner and digital signs.
The films and the guests both did an excellent job fulfilling our mission of portraying mental health in a realistic and empathetic light. The filmmakers were passionate and had such insightful thoughts during their Q & As. Chicago filmmaker Alyssa Thordarson received a Hometown Heroes Award for her short film After: A Love Story, about coping with the effects of trauma on a relationship, featuring local talent and breaking stigma right here in the Windy City. Vanessa Leonard received a Most Dedicated Award for continuing to pursue the festival to screen her film A Story Worth Living since 2019 (she was only interested in an in-person screening, and for a couple of years we were solely a virtual festival due to the pandemic).
Thank you to our guests and audience, including some overwhelming friend support that made me realize how lucky I am. I hope the program touched some people and made them think about and relate to issues of mental health.
Mental Filmness 