Mental Filmness is a Chicago-based film festival showcasing films about mental health. The festival is dedicated to breaking the stigma surrounding mental health by sharing stories and promoting empathy for those who live with a chronic mental health disorder or those who have experienced a mental health issue. It is a form of cinema therapy designed to allow an audience to recognize their own experiences on the screen and feel them validated. It is also a bridge for a general audience to connect and gain a deeper understanding of the human experience with mental health.
Why Mental Filmness? Organizer Sharon Gissy created the festival after her own life-altering struggles with bipolar disorder. Being a cinephile and strongly feeling that film can be a powerful medium for sharing stories and experiences, her hope was that the festival could serve as both a window and a mirror, providing insight into the lives of others struggling with their mental health and also reflecting back some lived experience in a cathartic way, helping others feel less alone.
We are especially interested in challenging stereotypes, showing different perspectives, and informing and enlightening the general public about mental health.
We define “mental health” as a broad umbrella that encompasses any issue related to our emotional, psychological, and social well-being, or our overall mental fitness.
All Mental Filmness programs have always been, and always will be, free and accessible to all to ensure our mission of spreading mental health awareness, understanding, and empathy.