Hello! Today is the last day to watch the Mental Filmness 2025 virtual festival, through 10 p.m. Central time this evening 11/2. There are so many gems and there may even be a couple more interviews and reviews coming, so watch what you can and remember to vote on your favorites before it closes out (we will announce winners). Plus, we will have an announcement for another Chicago event very soon!
First, I’d like to highlight the graceful and tragic, yet uplifting Romanian short film Ofem, directed by Ciprian Ioan Iacob. A parent’s loss of a child is a painful and raw topic. This brave film, with its nearly flawless cinematography and visuals, committed performances, and realistic scenes of therapy and processing grief, rises to the challenge of tackling this subject matter in a sensitive and even beautiful way.
Especially the first part of Ofem can be difficult to watch because of the immersive experience of the mother’s grief, but I encourage the audience to stick with it to the therapeutic breakthroughs, which feel just as powerful. There is also an ending monologue about what makes a great mother, wherein the character accepts what happened to her, that made me cry while also making me feel I should be accepting of the flaws within myself. It’s a little deeper and darker but incredibly rewarding, so for a film that will truly move you I highly recommend Ofem.
You can still watch the short film Ofem for FREE from now through 10:00 p.m. Central time this evening in the virtual festival: Ofem | Shorts Block No. 3 | Mental Filmness 2025 Virtual Festival
Cast a virtual ballot, and tell us what YOU think!
