Mental Filmness

Returning Mental Filmness filmmaker Kagan Goh is a force to be reckoned with—a playwright, filmmaker, Vancouver bipolar laureate, and all-around mental health advocate who lives with bipolar disorder and walks the walk in daily life to de-stigmatize and build empathy for mental illness. What Kagan feels is his life’s calling dovetails seamlessly with the Mental Filmness mission of spreading awareness and understanding of mental health, so it’s no surprise we eventually connected and became good friends.

My history with Kagan begins with the entrance of his short film The Day My Cat Saved My Life to the festival in 2021, after which he sent me his book Surviving Samsara and we continued to stay in touch. Certainly one of the highlights that stemmed from my work with Mental Filmness was meeting Kagan Goh in person in stunning Penticton, British Colombia for the impressively huge and comprehensive art exhibit Gifts of Madness he helped curate. He’s the real deal—just as passionate about being outspoken and kind, and turning mental health into mental wealth, in person.

As for Kagan’s short film Common Law, our conversation touched upon some of my favorite aspects of this film: the importance of talking openly about mental health in Asian culture, how surreal it was to direct actors who so closely resembled his family in a semi-autobiographical story, and the “indelicate balance” between the hyperactive productivity and seemingly divine inspiration of mania and the more tempered artistic output of stability. I think my favorite moment of all is when Kagan says while there’s no cure for bipolar disorder (a diagnosis I also live with), there *is* hope in recovery. It’s a recovery where we may fumble at times, but if we do the work we can live our best lives in society, whatever the methods and modalities that work for us, while still harnessing the creative spark that is the “gift of madness.”

Watch my interview with Kagan Goh, returning filmmaker and friend, here:

And *definitely* check out the short Common Law if you have not yet, in Shorts Block. No. 5 (returning filmmakers)!

Common Law | Shorts Block No. 5 – Returning Filmmakers | Mental Filmness 2025 Virtual Festival

Cast your virtual ballot, and tell us what YOU think!

We also just added the short film Saisha, directed by the young filmmaker Bhumi Patel and displaying wisdom beyond her years, to Shorts Block No. 4 (Youth In Mental Health).

This film is about a couple of very important things, cultural and intergenerational barriers about mental health diagnoses. Most especially, it’s about youth being able to exercise agency over their own mental health, an overlooked topic which is refreshing to see on screen. I felt a very genuine connection to the main character Saisha, a young Indian-American college student who tries to hide her mental illness from her parents while finding solace in the strength she draws from karate and her mentor there. The vulnerable lead performance by Joyitha Mandal really drew me in. The choice not to show Saisha’s parents in the film and to portray this as her own inner struggle was one I found to be powerful and effective, speaking volumes in what is unseen and unheard.

You can now watch Saisha for FREE in Shorts Block No. 4, the special Youth In Mental Health shorts block! We love and champion the voice of youth in mental health. Vote on each short and let us know what YOU think!

Saisha | Shorts Block No. 4 – Youth In Mental Health | Mental Filmness 2025 Virtual Festival

https://watch.eventive.org/…/68e1732c7cd1cd5037a7b3ed

I can’t believe Week One of the virtual fest is almost over. This has been a hectic year so thank you for bearing with me, but I promise we will start rolling out interviews and more features next week. For now, the weekend’s coming up and enjoy the fact that you can watch all of these incredible films from the comfort of your home for FREE!

https://mentalfilmness2025.eventive.org/welcome

Speaking of which, we had a couple of later-uploaded films that I’d like to highlight so no one misses them. Including one of my personal favorites, This Is A Sad Story, which has now appeared in Shorts Block No. 1 (if you missed it, please go back and watch, you will not be sorry).

This Is A Sad Story is an impressive short film by young filmmaker Nuno Abreau. It is one of the funnier films in the festival, while still managing to explore the idea of what it means to be sad for no reason. Its dialogue is snappily written and it abounds with the creative energy and banter of youth grappling with a more nuanced and complex view of sadness, one that cannot be quantified by charts or banners (you’ll see what I mean).

You can watch This Is A Sad Story for FREE now in Shorts Block No. 1 of the virtual festival. And make sure to cast your virtual ballot, available for each individual short!

https://watch.eventive.org/…/68e7de5e0f6183a3cbb1dfd7

A good companion piece in the virtual festival to Portrait of a Man is The Next Step, directed by Nora Guicheney. This brave short documentary is about Nora’s decision about whether or not she should risk having a child as a woman living with bipolar disorder. The memory of her psychotic episodes still haunts her, but she has been stable for ten years. Her doctor thinks she may be able to wean off her medication, which can pose a potential danger during pregnancy, and begin the process of becoming a biological mother. But what about the possibility of brutal postpartum depression, or post-partum psychosis? Nora discusses these questions with her family and partner with no clear answers, but she sheds light on this emotional issue.

In the end, the viewer is left without complete certainty as to the next step of what happened in Nora’s journey. However, we know what decision she made, and to me that is the “next step” the film is referring to.

You can watch The Next Step, a powerful short film about an overlooked issue, for FREE in Shorts Block No. 4: https://watch.eventive.org/mentalfilmness2025/play/68e1c338dc07833cfa510e7b/68c720062f27d0c91808bd83

Let us know what YOU think! Remember, you can vote on each short!

In Zadie Smith’s White Teeth, she asks:

“What was it about this unlovable century that convinced us we were, despite everything, eminently lovable as a people?”

Aishat Abiri’s short film “Portrait of a Man” depicted something I’ve felt deeply, yet never seen expressed so eloquently before—how to accept someone’s love when you’re struggling with mental illness; when you’re terrified that you’ve changed from the person they fell in love with; and when you feel you’re not capable of being the stable partner they need and deserve.

For me, who has deeply felt this feeling, every frame of Portrait of a Man was a tearjerker filled with the tension between wanting to love someone and being afraid you’re not good for them. The words unspoken, the precise cross-cutting between past and present to tell such an emotional and impactful story in a limited timeframe, were masterful. Not enough people talk about the phenomenon of pushing people away because you’re afraid you’re unlovable or you’ll hurt them due to your mental illness, though I’ve definitely done that myself. And though I didn’t entirely expect it, I was glad the filmmaker let this couple have a happy ending. My own experience has been different and perhaps I secretly resented it a bit, but here it felt well-earned and somehow unsentimental. Maybe love can’t conquer all, but we can conquer our mental barriers to love.

You can watch “Portrait of a Man” right now for FREE in Shorts Block No. 3 right now through 11/2! Tell us what YOU think! Portrait of a Man

Virtual Festival Highlight! – Let’s talk about a short short that packs a lot of punch–from Shorts Block No. 1 in the virtual fest, “My Memories” by Alvaro Garcia.

My Memories is another good “in” to the festival because it’s a short and sweet sci-fi genre film, with perhaps a twist of melancholy and a philosophical bent. Some of the best premises for films are simple and yet profound, like this one: an elderly man’s daughter is trying to retrieve his memories from a corporate service that has digitized and stored them. The only problem is, they gave them the “wrong” memories.

As the captured memories flit by on the screen, the aggrieved daughter asks her father if he recognizes them. They don’t seem to line up or ring familiar, but when the man is moved by an image, the short film poses a deep human question: memory is fallible, and many of us lose our memories by the end of our lives. Our memories are never entirely accurate—even hours after an event occurred they recontextualize, and especially years later, they change based on our experience and perception. But if they move us, do these altered memories still “belong” to us in some way—and if they move us, does it matter?

For something short and on the lighter side that still makes you think, you can’t do better than Alvaro Garcia’s short “My Memories,” now playing for FREE in Shorts Block No. 1 of the Mental Filmness virtual festival. Check it out here! https://watch.eventive.org/…/68c70a3c5c0e06f0a961b2e6

Check out this festival writeup from Chicago film critic Jim Laczkowski, member of the prestigious Chicago Critics’ Film Circle, creator of the popular Directors’ Club podcast, power substacker, and now, participating filmmaker: https://directorsclub.substack.com/p/2025mfpart1

Some insightful and eloquent reviews of critics’ picks from both the Chicago live and the virtual festivals. Check it out! More to come!

Pretty much what the headline says! The page, as well as our facebook.com/mentalfilmness page, will now be set to the channel “all virtual festival all the time” through 11/2/25. Keep an eye out here for reviews and interviews under this sticky note (or subscribe to the site), and most importantly, order your FREE pass and watch any of these movies you’d like from the comfort of your home at any time.

The magic link is: https://mentalfilmness2025.eventive.org/welcome

Pass it on!

Here’s a photo dump from Mental Filmness Night One courtesy of Jim Laczkowski. Overall it was a successful evening at the beautiful Chicago Hope Academy. Spacing out the films allowed more time for conversation, and our filmmaker guests were very gracious with their time. I was thrilled to see a decent turnout and most of all thrilled by the connection and conversation that was had. I need to plan even more time for this—audience members really opened up, displayed vulnerability and laughter and tears, and wore their heart on their sleeve, and I was happiest of all when I saw everyone talking afterward: filmmakers talking to other filmmakers, audience members talking to the filmmakers and other audience members, etc. People didn’t want to stop talking or leave, and I didn’t have the heart to try to end it. That is exactly what I want the festival to be about.

I still hope to get around to writing about all of these wonderful films, but here is the anticipated lineup for Mental Filmness Live in Chicago next weekend! It’s a winner!

FRIDAY FILM LINEUP- 10/10/25 –

Doors At 6:30, Introduction At 7:00 p.m., Screening Begins At 7:15 p.m.

Motivation (dir. Alanna Bagladi, 6 min.) – “Struggling with everyday tasks is always an uphill battle. Sometimes, we have to find ways to motivate ourselves. Even if it’s just getting out of bed and giving yourself a pep talk.”

Under The Door (dir. Jeffrey Gabriel Silva, 7 min.) – “A woman struggles to separate fiction from reality as shadows emerge from under the door.”

Make Me Feel (dir. S. Knight, 30 min.) – “Jamal, a devoted father and husband, struggles to balance his demanding job and troubled past while secretly battling depression.”

Q & A and Break 8:00-8:30 p.m.

8:30 p.m.: Tales of Harsh Gruder (dir. J. Paul Presault, John Otterbacher) (30 min.) –

“A recovering addict contemplates the point of living, when an unexpected visit by his life-long buddy sets in motion a night of psychedelic absurdity and devastating revelation.”         

9:00 p.m. – Q & A and Wrap-Up  

Guest filmmakers Alanna Bagladi, Jeffrey Gabriel Silva, S. Knight, and J. Paul Presault and John Otterbacher scheduled to attend on 10/10         

SATURDAY FILM LINEUP – 10/11/25 –

Doors At 6:30 p.m., Intro At 7:00 p.m., Screening Begins At 7:15 p.m.

Manic Memoirs (dir. Francesca Gamba, 8 min.) – “A college freshman, Ana Sanchez, unsettles her peers as her racing thoughts and erratic behavior make her unaware of the unsettling effect she has on those around her. Her euphoric highs give way to the terrifying revelation that she is not ok.”

There Is No Word For Depression (dir. Anaya Brainch, 6 min.) – “This short documentary is about the stigma of mental health in South Asian communities. I was 17 years old when I created this film.”

After Thoughts (dir. Cortez Mack, 10 min.) – “An inspirational story about PTSD awareness.”

The Past Is Here (dir. Jim Laczkowski, 6 min.) – “A filmmaker explores the past through various video archives in hopes of making sense of his suicidal ideation.”

Q & A and Break – 7:45 p.m.-8:00 p.m., Next Screening Begins At 8:30 p.m.

Sky Devils (dir. Nick Chirico, 20 min.) – “A surrealist espionage thriller about a shell-shocked WW1 Fighter Ace having paranoid visions that The Second World War is coming.”    

8:50 p.m.-9:20 p.m., Filmmaker Q & A And Wrap-Up   

Filmmakers Francesca Gamba, Cortez Mack, Jim Laczkowski, and Nick Chirico scheduled to attend on 10/11