I really enjoyed our screening of The Year Between preceded by student shorts created by young filmmakers. Thanks to all who made it out for this special night. These shorts were beyond impressive and sophisticated for filmmakers of this age. They tackled mental health issues in a realistic and empathetic manner, as well as a variety of creative ways. There were a couple of genre films that could be considered sci-fi or horror, and a couple of shorts from the University of Chicago that drew local interest. The audience was very engaged and asked questions.
The young filmmakers featured were Sophie Kratter, Tanner Hirten, Samantha Goslin, and Caitlin Barlow. I will be writing about their films in more depth soon. Caitlin attended in person to speak about her film. The other three, as well as our jury member Beatrice Wong who had the idea to create the youth in mental health shorts block, joined us via a Zoom panel. This was my first time attempting such a hybrid feat live and though there were some awkward moments (I never did get the camera to work in the dark theater) I think everybody was really just focused on what the young filmmakers had to say, which was just as perceptive as their films. I will definitely be doing a youth in mental health block in the future as this was a lot of fun and a big hit. They inspired me. I should mention, as well, that if you missed it this incredible youth in mental health shorts will also be available in the virtual fest, which I will be posting about later today!
The Year Between screening went off without a hitch and got some audience laughter and enjoyment though the crowd had thinned a bit. I love this film and felt like it was a great capstone to an evening of youth in mental health as the young filmmaker Alex Heller was herself a film student at Northwestern when she started working on this semi-autobiographical, semi-comic film about coming to terms with her bipolar disorder while coming of age in suburban Chicagoland. Alex Heller was also a NAMI Chicago youth in mental health honoree this year. This film was produced by the local Full Spectrum Features and Level Forward and I thank them for granting us use of this film and supporting our mission. If you missed it last night, I highly recommend you seek it out as it’s streaming on a few platforms including Amazon and Peacock.
Finally, I’d like to thank Facets as a venue and its staff for being beyond helpful and attentive to detail. Not only did they display our requested poster, marquee, and logo exactly to specs, they provided us with appropriate tech and were there on hand the entire time asking questions and ensuring everything ran smoothly. One kind staff member even helped me with my VLC Media Player when I was having issues setting it up in the beginning. The venue itself is cozy, intimate, and about the perfect size for us. I would definitely love to partner with them in the future.
Here’s to the kick-off of Mental Filmness V! Stay tuned for information on the virtual fest, opening on October 10th, World Mental Health Day, and a couple of more live events, including a screening of I Didn’t Mean To Go Mental at Sulzer Regional Library on November 4th, coming up soon.
