Past Filmmaker Interviews & Projects

Season Five (2023)

Sophie Kratter – Director Of I Don’t Know What To Make For Video Awards (Youth In Mental Health Shorts Block)

“There is only one truly philosophical problem, and that is suicide.” High school prodigy Sophie Kratter discusses her award-winning short film, existential philosophy, and patriarchal colonization, all begging the question—what were *you* doing when you were seventeen?

Check out Sophie Kratter’s Youtube channel and her short film I Don’t Know What To Make For Video Awards here: https://youtu.be/eRpbpPFLW5s?si=XQwTF8pCh9b17KNA

Clayton James Favor – Director of Walking In Place (Youth In Mental Health Shorts Block)

“It feels like you’re taking a backseat in your own life.” Optimistic teenage filmmaker Clayton James Favor discusses blending animation, live action, research, and camaraderie to ultimately connect people through their shared experiences of depersonalization.

Jessica Mathis (aka Divinity Rose) – Director of Triggered

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is most often associated with veterans—to the point where some women never would have guessed they had it. In her collection of animated shorts, Jessica Mathis (aka Divinity Rose) shines a light on the lived trauma, triggers, and most importantly, healing and resilience of brave women who anonymously share their stories to help other women.

To keep up with the Triggered project timeline and news, visit https://www.triggerstories.com

Tim Kail – Writer/Director/Star of I Was Not Who I Was

“You’re not allowed to say” how beautiful the first blush of bipolar mania is. That’s what makes Tim Kail’s film so special. Its spare, minimalist style describing a raw and personal experience about the onset of a psychotic break is exactly the kind of story we look for.

Sarah Rodenbaugh – Writer/Lead Actress/Producer of Hangman

It was a “tricky feat” – Sarah Rodenbaugh explains what it was like to get the tonal balancing act right in writing, starring in, and producing a comedic and dramatic short film based on the grief of a suicide loss survivor.

Shana Gagnon – Director of Birdie

Sometimes, you have to be open to those happy magic moments. Director Shana Gagnon discusses how essential assembling a great team, filming in a rural small town, and incorporating realism were to the creation of Birdie, a short film about maternal depression and guilt.

Ian Daffern – Director of A Bullet Pulling Thread

Police response to mental health crises, political quilts, and quiet but persistent activism are at the heart of Lan Daffern’s riveting documentary about textile artist Marilyn Farquhar and her search for justice for her brother Barry’s senseless death at the hands of the Royal Candian Mounted Police.

Camila Jaquiel – Writer/Director of Chameleons

Some statements transcend language barriers. Brazilian writer-director Camila Jaquiel uses the power of experimental film, epistolary format, and still photo cutouts to evoke the shifting moods of bipolar disorder–and to give artists who suffered from the disease during their lifetimes a happy ending.

Merecedes Stalenhoef – Director of My Big Brother

Mercedes Stalenhoef is as open and vulnerable as her tender, intimate documentary about a family in the Netherlands coping with a suicide loss. She discusses her own suicide attempts, how many people hide these secrets, and how everyone copes with grief in their own way.

Matthew Wagner – Director of When Hope Breaks Through

Matthew Wagner weaves outdoor adventure documentary, mental health awareness, and team dynamics together to tell the captivating story of Mike Shoreman, who paddleboarded across all five Great Lakes to raise money for youth mental health resources.

Follow the continuing journey of When Hope Breaks Through and spread its message of mental health awareness by sharing https://www.whenhopebreaksthrough.com.

Viviane Silvera – Director of See Memory

It’s obvious from watching See Memory that its artist and creator meticulously crafted its 30,000+ hand-painted stills with care. At first glance, however, the viewer would likely have no idea how many hours of research on memory guided its evolution. Viviane Silvera discusses how excited she was to get lost in the rabbit hole of learning about memory and translating it through the skillful emotion of an artist’s lens.

To trace the development of Viviane Silvera’s multimedia projects about memory, visit https://www.vivianesilvera.com.