Every AOM class is built around short films. Those films come from Voices With Impact (VWI), our year-long filmmaking grant program that finds and funds underrepresented artists telling important stories about mental health. You don't need to know any of this to use AOM. But understanding where the films come from helps explain why they work so well in your classes as well as why they feel so different from the content you'll find anywhere else.

How VWI works

Each year, VWI awards production grants to 10 filmmakers or filmmaking teams to create 5-minute films on a specific mental health theme. Past themes include grief and resilience, substance use, burnout, Black mental health, immigrant stories, LGBTQIA+ mental health, masculinity and mental health, Indigenous stories, sexual violence and mental health, cliques and echo chambers, serious mental illness, and climate change.

By design, the themes are chosen based on what the schools and communities we work with are actually navigating. It's essential that the topics of the films we help create reflect real needs on campuses, not just abstract categories that we thought sounded cool.

How VWI supports filmmakers

VWI is more than a check in the mail. Each funded team does receive a $7,500 production budget but they also get one-on-one mentorship from film industry professionals, mental health consultation to ensure the stories are told with accuracy and sensitivity, regular production meetings and story consultations with the VWI team, and a world premiere at the Voices With Impact Film Festival in Vancouver, B.C.

Past mentors have included producers from Apple TV+, Pixar animators, National Geographic directors, and NAACP-nominated writers. The program is designed to be filmmaker-first. VWI builds a cohort each year, and alumni stay connected through a growing network of artists who share opportunities, resources, and talent with one another. The relationships outlast the grant.

What this means for your classes

The films you're using in AOM classes are original works made by artists who were specifically supported to tell mental health stories with care, creativity, and accuracy. Each proposal was evaluated and selected by a jury of film industry and mental health professionals. Many of our films have gone on to screen at international festivals, and one has even won a Student Academy Award. Another won best new actor at Cannes.

Because we choose our annual themes based on what educators need, the film library grows in directions that matter to the people using it. When you browse classes on AOM, the topics you see reflect years of intentional investment in stories that open real conversations on college campuses.

What makes these films different

A few things set our films apart from other content you might see online.

• Made with mental health in mind. Every film is developed with consultation from mental health professionals, so difficult topics are handled with care and without reinforcing stigma.
• Built for conversation, not closure. VWI films avoid the tidy "and then they got a therapist and everything was fine" ending. Each one offers a single, honest story that opens space for reflection rather than wrapping things up in a bow so that your participants can genuinely explore the issues that come up for them.
• Intentionally short. The run time of our films is between 3 and 6 minutes. (Actually, there are a few 1 minute films but they tend not to be in the classes.) In an AOM class the point isn't the film itself but what it brings up for the people in the room. Our film grant is one of the shortest in the space but that's because we know exactly where the films are going (your classroom!) and our goal is to leave most of the valuable time available for participant reactions, guided reflection, and honest conversation.

The film library

VWI has produced over 160 short films since 2011 — created by filmmakers in more than 15 countries — through annual production grants, monthly film submission contests, and other open calls. The full collection is browsable under the Voices With Impact section in the top navigation. You can watch any film, read about the filmmaker, and see which AOM classes and Wellness Snacks feature it.

For filmmakers

If you're a filmmaker (or know one), VWI accepts submissions each year, typically opening in August. The program is open to emerging and established filmmakers alike. Visit the Voices With Impact section of the site to learn about the current year's theme, read the submission guide, and sign up for the VWI mailing list.

Tips & Notes

• You don't need to know anything about VWI to use AOM. The films and the curriculum are already interwoven. But many instructors find that understanding the filmmakers' stories and intentions adds depth to their facilitation.
• Each film's detail page includes the filmmaker's bio, the film's description, and any festival or award history.
• New films are added to the library each year after the VWI festival, which means the class catalog continues to grow with fresh, relevant content.
• You can browse the full library by topic, identities represented, and film style, or start from a curated collection — see How to Use VWI Watchlists.
• For more on why short film is such a powerful format for these conversations, see Why Film Works So Well for Mental Health Education.